Read full technical report (PDF)
Although it's been a while since I last posted, I wanted to share a project I've been working on over the summer, the K-Line Sequential Shift Indicator. For those unfamiliar with motorsports, many track cars have a gear-shift indicator, which is comprised of a set of lights mounted on the dashboard or steering wheel, directly in the driver’s line of sight. These lights illuminate based on the engine speed (RPM) of the car and are extremely useful for knowing when to shift gears in high-pressure situations.
Although my 1996 Mazda Miata is far from a track car, I wanted to add a shift indicator to my dashboard (maybe it’ll actually be useful on the backroads). However, every product I found online was either incompatible with my Miata’s older K-Line (ISO 9141) protocol or required splicing the tachometer wires, which I wasn’t willing to do. So, I decided to design my own.
After much prototyping and debugging, I developed a K-Line shift indicator, with a custom PCB and full plug-and-play functionality as tested on my Miata.
You can read a full technical report of my project here. It expands on my development and learning process throughout the design, assembly, and testing phases. Additionally, you can watch videos of the startup sequence and the device in action.
Finally, the GitHub repository with all project files, including schematics, PCB, CAD models, and code, is available here. I had a lot of fun working on this project, and I gained many new electrical, computer, and mechanical engineering skills which will be invaluable in future projects. As always, thanks for reading!