Trip computer
Encyclopedia
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
device fitted to car
Čar
Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:...
s which can generally record distance travelled, average speed, average fuel consumption, and display real time
Real-time computing
In computer science, real-time computing , or reactive computing, is the study of hardware and software systems that are subject to a "real-time constraint"— e.g. operational deadlines from event to system response. Real-time programs must guarantee response within strict time constraints...
fuel consumption information. This computer can be found in various vehicles.
Saab GT750
Saab GT750 is an automobile from Saab produced between 1958 and 1960. It was introduced at the New York International Auto Show in 1958, and was fitted with safety belts as standard - soon afterward the practice became commonplace on most cars.The GT750 was a sporty version of the Saab 93, mainly...
. In 1978, General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
Cadillac
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
division introduced the "Cadillac Trip Computer" available on the Cadillac Seville
Cadillac Seville
The Cadillac Seville is a luxury-type car that was manufactured by the Cadillac division of American automaker General Motors from 1975 to 2004, as a smaller-sized top-of-the-line Cadillac...
. Electronic ones were fitted in General Motors products, and are still usually reserved for more upscale cars, although some lower-end models are fitted with them often as an option. They can range from basic to complex. The most basic varieties of the trip computer incorporate average fuel mileage and perhaps an outside temperature display. Middle-of-the-road versions will often incorporate trip information into a bundle and include information on fuel, speed, distance, cardinal heading (compass), and elapsed time. The most advanced trip computers are reserved for high-end cars and often feature average calculations for two drivers, a stop watch, tire pressure information, an over-speed warning tone, as well as a multitude of other features.
Sometimes the trip computer display will be incorporated into the gauge cluster, into the dashboard or navigation system screen, or in an overhead console. Some vehicles will convey maintenance information to the driver to inform them of scheduled maintenance. The current Acura TL
Acura TL
The TL "Touring Luxury" debuted as 1996 model, first with the 1996 2.5 TL available with the 2.5 L 176 hp SOHC 20-valve 5-cylinder engine from the Vigor. The 3.2 TL used the 3.2 L 200 hp SOHC 24v V6 from the second generation Acura Legend. The 2.5 TL was positioned as the...
does this in stages, first alerting the driver with a 'Due Soon' message. Once the programmed mileage is reached, it alerts 'Due Now'. If the vehicle is driven past a certain point, the message will change to 'Past Due'. Mercedes-Benz vehicles constantly monitor the quality of the oil and alert the driver of the need of a change when the oil degrades to a certain extent.
Some trip computers can display the diagnostic codes mechanics use. This is specially useful when the mechanic wants to see what the codes are while driving the car. In 2004 Linear Logic developed the ScanGauge which at the time was the only easily installed (via OBDII) accessory that works as a trip computer, 4 simultaneous digital gauges, and a diagnostic trouble code reader. This device has available 12 different measurements which can be used as the 4 digital gauges. The units of measure can be independently selected between miles/km, gallons/liters, Celsius/Fahrenheit, and PSI/KPA.
In 2008, the OBDuino
OBDuino
OBDuino is an open source trip computer design based on the Arduino platform. An OBDuino may be assembled and customised by an electronics hobbyist, it displays information such as instantaneous fuel economy , engine tuning parameters etc...
project announced a low cost DIY trip computer design using the OBDII interface and the Arduino
Arduino
Arduino is an open-source single-board microcontroller, descendant of the open-source Wiring platform, designed to make the process of using electronics in multidisciplinary projects more accessible. The hardware consists of a simple open hardware design for the Arduino board with an Atmel AVR...
hobbyist microcontroller platform, released under the GPL open source license.
See also
- OBDuinoOBDuinoOBDuino is an open source trip computer design based on the Arduino platform. An OBDuino may be assembled and customised by an electronics hobbyist, it displays information such as instantaneous fuel economy , engine tuning parameters etc...
open source trip computer - Some CarputerCarputerCarputer is the predominant term used to describe a category of mobile computer designed or modified to specifically be installed and run in automobiles...
software includes trip computer functions