The required circuits were first integrated into the speedometer wiring block.
Instrumentation: Gear Selection Indicator
As vehicle sophistication advances, it becomes reasonable to expect convenience features included to enhance the ease of operation of the design. While a race trained driver can certainly be expected to operate the transmission without the need for any assistance, the inclusion of a gear selection indicator provides the casual driver with helpful feedback which allows them to more safely and successfully operate the vehicle.
The required circuits were first integrated into the speedometer wiring block.
The display was then created by bonding four alphanumeric LEDs together. The individual LEDs are each hardwired to display a different character: "H" for high gear, "L" for low gear, "N" for neutral, and "R" for reverse. Different colors were selected for each character to further aid the driver in recognizing the selected gear.
The finished display block was then wired into a 5V voltage regulator. This allows the circuit to be powered by the vehicle's existing onboard 12V power system without overloading the LEDs.
A bench test of the system, including the backup alarm which must sound whenever the transmission is shifted into reverse, was then conducted. A video of the bench test is available here.
A fiberglass dashboard was fabricated using the same process as was used for the spill guard and vehicle body.
The gear selection indicator and the speedometer were fitted into the dashboard, and the system was tested.
Neutral,
high,
low,
and reverse.
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