I don't care what the interface to the MotoBrain as long as it works, it can and probably will change. I want the damn hardware damnit!!!!
Riot, I'm psyched you are excited to get the hardware. The fact remains that if I don't create some compelling LOOKING promotional crap I won't get the 200 orders I need get started. So, please bear with me while I get my ducks in a row. I can make these one at a time for $1000. no problem. In order to get the costs down I need to get hundreds of people to want one all on the same day which is a pretty significant challenge. Here is a less colorful version of the UI.
One more color option. The total current color bar moves from Green - Yellow - Red as it approaches it's maximum allowed current level.
Does this unit work with a Itouch? I haven't a iphone and didn't plan on getting one so is it compatible? If someone is quering why in OZ the coverage in bush areas is a bit hit and miss so I'd like to keep the phone I have as I know it works fine. Also how do I go about egtting involved in the 200 "club"?
It does with the latest generation for sure. I'm an Android guy myself, dual sport maps , so I got an iPod touch for this project. It works a treat. I'm going to make an android version too, once I get an android 4.3 device.
Looks great and cant wait to order mine! I'm local too should you need help in any way. Re colors: For the button colors on left side. I think the on status>green, off>grey, and trip>red. And should each row have a number to correspond to the wire output of fuse block? For instance GPS could be wire #7. Eric
Ive been following this thing for a while and man I am excited. Any timeframe you can give for the kickstarter? I really dont want to miss it.
No dates yet, but the app art update is part of the plan to make some How To videos which are needed before we launch.
I'll add some kind of reference in the app to the wires. Until the wiring harness is finished it's a bit premature. Get catch though, that will not be forgotten.
I like that third version, white for on, black for off, and a colour shift for amperage. It's clean and clear. Thumbs up on the circuit number (wire) indication on the screen too. On the sale of 200 units, you must be pretty close to that number just from your followers here and on Facebook. Have you done a poll to find out? I'm sure there is some anxiety amongst us inmates about missing the groundswell to be in the first 200. Put me down for one. Anyone else?
The poll will be conducted on Kickstarter itself. It is the only poll that really matters anyway. I am busy preparing as best as I know how to see this succeeds. Even if I do everything right though, without you guys telling all your friends and them telling their friends I am facing strong headwinds. As my initial goal is relatively modest and the gizmo is so fricking cool I have high hopes for success. I will not keep the KS a secret so anyone who wants to know when its on need only subscribe to this board or the Facebook page to get updates on that. I'm pretty happy with this layout. The circle numbers tell you the status of the inputs. Input 1 is @ 12V and Input 4 is @ GND and the Key is in the On position.
I think the progression of the UI is looking great. One thing to keep in mind is the upcoming release of iOS 7. I think you will want to be very careful with your use of textures--they may end up looking really out of place compared to the relative flatness and minimalism of the new OS.
Just found and have subscribed to this thread, nice work. Some suggestions, sorry if they've already been put out there by others, I've skimmed through the thread but did not read completly. Lonestrom mentioned early on in this thread: For me this is the greatest advantage of all the bells & whistles this unit has, indicating the aggregate current (or even better, power) all the accesories are using and dislay the remaing avaiable power based on the power your bike can reliably deliver to non-bike running functions, hope this is part of the UI. Even better than this (but would require a hardware spin) would be to actually monitor the battery current/direction via a sensor at the battery. This would really give the complete and accurate picture of the state power consumption on the bike. And a few of questions: the temp monitoring is done where? If not at the power devices it's not particularily useful. how long does a circuit need to exceed the set current trip limit to trip? Under the seat (a typical installation location) is pretty hot on a lot of bikes, what will the max ambient temp be for this unit at a given load? Thanks.
I can certainly apply Ohms law for you and display Watts. With a minor firmware update I can change the Max System Current to a Max System Power as well. I am happier with current because I think amps means more to most users than watts but I may be incorrect there. You should be able to roll your own solution for the battery current sensor and attach the output of your circuit to one of the input lines. I assume the output sensor is a voltage, but you could put add a comparator to the circuit and create a digital indication that the battery is running at a net negative and even create actions accordingly (like shutting off low priority circuits). The temp monitoring is done near the power devices. There are many power devices and one temp sensor though so I just have the sensor wedged in the goo and rely on the thermal conductivity of the goo to give me a sense of the temp. Their are two protection functions. I clamp the current within a couple µs if it exceeds 70A. This clamping doesn't TRIP the circuit, it just begins to oscillate the output assuming it is capacitive and needs some charging. The digital clamping occurs much slower and is programmed to react like a fuse in that if you are only a little bit over current I let it "warm up" before it "melts" but if you are way over current I "TRIP" it instantly. The "warm up" algorithm is still a little too sensitive to TRIPing to suit me. I'll slow it down further I think before I'm done. We have not yet characterized the circuit under different ambient temperatures. We are designing a testing regime for that now though. We will release a data sheet with the power/temp curves at a given ambient temp. Most of the silicon on the device is rated to >100C including the power devices but the BT radio is limited to 85C so we will not have a ton of room to maneuver if you place it in a very hot place. It's very robust to water and grime though, so you can mount it outside for maximum cooling. Really awesome questions, thanks you chiming in.
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Colours - don't forget that a lot of blokes and some sheilas are red/green colour blind. Doesn't mean that red looks the same as green, (except in rare cases) it is just more difficult to see at a glance some subtle colour changes. Soooo just be sure and make the colours that indicate something as primary as possible - no beige please
The only place where color is the only indication of meaning is the input numbers and they glow either orange or green depending on which direction the input is pulled, 12V or GND respectively. I can change those colors if need be. All the other uses of color are secondary.
Why not make the on/off slide switches turn green when on, red when off, and orange when tripped? Your earlier sample where the slide switch turned red when the circuit was on seemed counter intuitive. Other than that, I want one! Have you considered selling a package including the brain and an assortment of weatherproof switches? Toggles/rockers for lights, rheostats for heated gear, etc.
