Summary of A DASHBOARD OUTSIDE THE CAR
This article describes repurposing a vehicle dashboard cluster for home automation. The project uses an Astra GTE gauge cluster connected to an ESP32 board, which bit-bangs an SPI bus to control the gauges. It integrates with Home Assistant to display monitored data on the dials, demonstrating how open communication standards allow car parts to be reused in non-automotive projects.
Parts used in the Vehicle Dashboard Home Automation Project:
- Astra GTE dashboard cluster
- ESP32 board
- Arduino-compatible board
- SPI bus
- Home Assistant system
One of the biggest upsides of open communications standards such as CAN or SPI is that a whole world of vehicle hacking becomes available, from simple projects like adding sensors or computers to a car or even building a complete engine control unit from the ground up. The reverse is true as well; sensors and gauges using one of these protocols can be removed from a car and put to work in other projects. That’s the idea that [John] had when he set about using a vehicle’s dashboard as a information cluster for his home.
The core of the build is an Astra GTE dashboard cluster, removed from its host vehicle, and wired to an Arduino-compatible board, in this case an ESP32. The code that [John] wrote bit-bangs an SPI bus and after some probing is able to address all of the instrument gauges on the dashboard. For his own use at home, he’s also configured it to work with Home Assistant, where each of the gauges is configured to represent something his home automation system is monitoring using a bit mask to send data to specific dials.
While this specific gauge cluster has a lot of vehicle-specific instrumentation and needs a legend or good memory to tie into a home automation system without any other modification, plenty of vehicle gauges are more intuitive and as long as they have SPI they’d be perfect targets for builds that use this underlying software. This project takes a similar tack and repurposes a few analog voltmeters for home automation, adding a paper background to the meters to make them easier to read.
Source: A DASHBOARD OUTSIDE THE CAR
- How does the project connect the dashboard to the microcontroller?
The dashboard is wired to an ESP32 board which bit-bangs an SPI bus. - Can vehicle sensors be removed for other projects?
Yes, sensors and gauges using protocols like CAN or SPI can be removed and put to work elsewhere. - What software protocol does the code use to address the gauges?
The code bit-bangs an SPI bus to address all instrument gauges on the dashboard. - How is the dashboard integrated with home automation?
It is configured to work with Home Assistant where each gauge represents something the system monitors. - How is data sent to specific dials?
Data is sent to specific dials using a bit mask. - Are other types of gauges suitable for this build?
Yes, plenty of vehicle gauges are intuitive and perfect targets if they have SPI support. - What alternative project mentioned involves analog voltmeters?
A similar project repurposes analog voltmeters by adding a paper background to make them easier to read.
