Hi everyone!
I've been watching the rusEfi project for over a year now and this might be the first time I'm actually posting.
So long story short, I'm restoring a 1973 GMC MotorHome that's been in my family since it was bought new by my grandfather. There's a lot of history and memories in this vehicle... but it needed a new frame and entire rehab. So now it's a nut and bolt restoration!
I'm an embedded software engineer by day and wanted to add a bunch of instrumentation while keeping it's classic driving experience. I'm not a huge fan of having a cluttered dash with 30 analog gauges, so I wanted to add a 70's stylized digital gauge cluster to supplement the original speedo and fuel/temp/oil pressure gauges.
I found rusEfi because I wasn't satisfied with the other options for DIY EFI and automotive electronics out there. Some platforms have lame restrictive licensing agreements (MegaSquirt) or are based on platforms that have a questionable track record when it comes to robust operation and reliability (eg: Arduino/SpeedDuino). That's just when it comes to DIY engine computers! I have many more electronic modules planned for my GMC MotorHome restomod.
The other options I found were all closed-source solutions, such as Holley, with little to no customization. I want full control over the look, feel, operation, and performance of my vehicle systems.
As professional practice in both hardware and embedded software development, I have started designing my own automotive electronics. I'm a huge fan of open source and I think there's a lot to be gained through collaboration towards a common goal. I am an avid contributor to Mbed-OS, an RTOS from ARM that you may be familiar with, and it's my go-to platform.
So my current plan is to port/reference the pieces of rusEfi that I need to run a GM dual-injector TBI setup from a 1980's-era GM 454 V8. So while I may not be running rusEfi verbatim, my software will be heavily based on it, but I will be using Mbed-OS as my platform.
My goal for this project is to have a lot of instrumentation and obtain optimal fuel economy. It's a 12,000lb vehicle, not a racecar, but it can apparently do burnouts with the 455 muscle car engine!
This MotorHome has a lot of features that were cutting edge in its day. It has auto-leveling rear air suspension that can be dialed in at a campsite to level the interior without any jacks! I am planning to build an accelerometer-based autolevel system that will do this for you at the push of a button Currently, it's a bit manual using bubble levels and some fill/dump knobs on the dashboard.
My goal for many of these modules is to have them be open-source designs that will ultimately interoperate with rusEfi-based systems. I think many of us would like to expand the capabilities of rusEfi beyond just running your engine. I envision an open-source ecosystem of compatible modules that rival those that are available from vendors like Holley, and I think rusEfi is the best platform out there to work with.
I'll post in the hardware section more about the modules I am designing, but I wanted to introduce myself and let this community know what I'm up to.
For now, here's a few pictures of the project:
1973 GMC MotorHome (Oldsmobile 455 V8)
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- Posts: 3
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1973 GMC MotorHome (Oldsmobile 455 V8)
- Attachments
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- Don't mind my Dad in the picture :)
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- The beginning
- IMG_0030.JPG (4.38 MiB) Viewed 3443 times
Re: 1973 GMC MotorHome (Oldsmobile 455 V8)
You in the NH ME area? I might know of one of these you might have interest in.
Welcome to the friendlier side of internet crazy
- AndreyB
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Re: 1973 GMC MotorHome (Oldsmobile 455 V8)
Welcome
We are short on software developers so any useful code you can contribute would be very much welcomed.
We are short on software developers so any useful code you can contribute would be very much welcomed.
Very limited telepathic abilities - please post logs & tunes where appropriate - http://rusefi.com/s/questions
Always looking for C/C++/Java/PHP developers! Please help us see https://rusefi.com/s/howtocontribute
Always looking for C/C++/Java/PHP developers! Please help us see https://rusefi.com/s/howtocontribute
Re: 1973 GMC MotorHome (Oldsmobile 455 V8)
An MBED effort? Isn't that sacrificing a bunch of diagnostics options?
Welcome to the friendlier side of internet crazy