Accelerator, Brake and Clutch Displays

The problem I see right off of the bat is that the clutch and brake pedals can both be seen as 'digital' switches.  The accelerator would be considered analog, but it is unlikely that the sensors are there to do what you want to do (unless you are DBW). 

That being said, the hardest part will be adding the sensors to give you the data you need.  You would have to install a potentiometer of some sort that would vary its resistance based on how far the respective pedal is pushed.  Once you have the sensor in place you can run an A/D converter and use a microcontroller to process the data and run the LEDs. 

If i were going to do it I would use a microcontroller that has A/D inputs on it.  You could send the sensor data directly to the microcontroller and write some code to process it.  To control as many LEDs as you want to do you would most likely want to set up a matrix to minimize I/O usage.

There really wouldn't be much of a circuit, the microcontroller and supporting components, and the LED matrix.  Of course, the downside is you would have to know how to program the microcontroller.

This might work:

http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=60/category_id=-1/home_id=-1/mode=prod/prd60.htm

It would only give maybe 6-7 outputs for LED's and would require 3 units (one for each pedal). You might also be able to take one apart and disect it and see if it could be modified to give more outputs. I've put these in before on street rods and custom cars and once you get the linkage set you move it to a position and it learns that spot and illuminates and LED on the control box. You could tap into those LED's for your own display.

Jim

hi,

the vu meter uses a LM3915 which has a linear counterpart LM3914.  i know you can cascade multiple 3914s or 15s to create a display with more range, two pieces would give 20 segments.  searching LM3914 on google pulls up a link to the manufacturer of the IC.  it shows various information you may find useful.

does the "this" link refer to a particular item?

mark