Atom 4 AIM dash reconfiguration (Survey on page 4)

[Peter255]

There has been a fair bit of discussion on here and offline over the less than ideal stock dash design on the Atom 4.

The rev counter is much too small and there are as standard lots of more suitable configurations available from AIM. The issue being the dash is locked by ARIEL.

Stock >

AIM alternatives >

There is consensus thus far that an option to use an alternative design with a more prominent rev counter would be widely appreciated.

Discuss....
[mention]simonrhart[/mention]
[mention]John Scherrer[/mention]
[mention]robfitz[/mention]
[mention]SteveC[/mention]

[SteveC]

That's great peter.

The top option with the rev counter appearing in a spherical visual is so much better than the current 4 configuration. I wonder if Ariel thought it resembled the previous version too much and they wanted something a bit different? After all most journalists seem to ponder on whats actually new on the 4. Maybe the dash display was something that clearly didn't resemble anything on previous models.

If it ain't broke don't fix it...

I really think we could give this some time and effort and if we get enough support from customers we can push for a change. If its a simple fix surely Ariel will be open to making a change...

[Anon]

I am not clear why the dash is locked to be honest, I can only assume Ariel may be concerned someone may tinker with the channels and break something requiring them to get involved. When you create the new dash layout you will need to have a basic level of understanding of channel mappings so that parameters are displayed correctly. If they were to supply us the zconfig file and unlock the dash we can then make our own changes and add any many dashes as we want much like a smart watch! Also, if we screw it up, no big deal you just restore the dash back to the factory one.

AIM won't be able to help with this, this is an Ariel thing. I have previously spoken to Tom about this, but if we went to him as a club/group or a veteran then it may get more traction. But I agree, the current dash has so much potential that is simply not being used.

[robfitz]

Definitely think this is worthwhile as mentioned on the other thread. I can see why they have the stuff around the periphery for the TC setting and boost level, oil pressure and water temp - users may want that done differently but as a factory default I get it. It is really just that central block that could be used much better, a circular rev counter with a digital read out for speed would do the job as per below - though no point going 1500rpm above the red line and losing the graduation below.

4CE1C588-CDEA-419F-937A-8C33DE8C2E38.jpeg (317.68 KiB) Viewed 1365 times

[Karl V]

Genuine question... What's the fascination with a huge rev counter? You have the shift lights and get to 'feel' how hard the engine is revving.

Remember: I've never tracked a car in my life. Is it mainly for track use?

As a road user, I'd be more interested in a big nasty MpH read out.

But maybe this is the point: different layouts for different scenarios that the driver could switch between. So maybe:

Track focused (RPM)
Track focused with data logging (lap times etc.)
Road focused (MPH)

And as I design UIs for fun, maybe a 'diagnostic' view with oil temp, oil pressure, water temp, battery voltage etc. etc.

As it says on AIMs website (and I paraphrase): modern cars offer changeable views depending on requirement and this is why our displays offer just that...

Sounds to me that offering 2 or 3 layouts that can be selected without the need of a laptop is the way to go.

It'll be interesting to hear how easy it is switch to Kmph or recalibrate the speedo for different tyre sizes. Just how 'locked down' is it???

[robfitz]

The kind of options you suggest would be better again Karl, I was just suggesting keeping it simple. I’d prefer the graphical rev counter because I think it is the most useful info - like Porsche now have the analog tacho with everything else digital.

[Karl V]

Yeah, makes sense.

If I were Ariel, I also wouldn't ship the cars with 'unlocked' dashes. As Simon said previously, you kinda need to know what you're doing in converting input signals to read outs.

You can imagine a world when you're hitting 100 MpH and the dash is showing 60, or pushing the engine to 9,000 RPM but the dash is showing 6,000. Who would get the blame if it went wrong? And how you / they prove it? Plus, would Ariel get IVA approval if the dash could be so easily modified? And anyway, who really wants to spend time on a laptop configuring this nonsense?

But... A few preconfigured (and locked down) layouts would be great, especially if they were focused on specific scenarios! A bit like my (and Simon's) M340is, and probably most modern cars with a digital dash...

[phil4]

If you want an example of another vehicle, that's not brand new (~2017), quite happy to share some pics from my motorbike dash, which has 6 different options.

My car (~2018), currently has a couple, but that's boring compared to the bike, and what you're after.

I've had a look at my current (old world) Nomad dash, and it's also daft to risk tinkering. There's no way the software can read the setup of the current dash to backup, you can only start from scratch, and you can't view any of the config either... so I stopped looking there. As there was no chance I'd get it right, even if I just wanted to add a feed in.

I get your thinking on asking Ariel to add a few more dash options, and I get Ariel's thinking on not unlocking it. I can't reprogram my bike or car dash no matter how much I'd like to, I can however go with the various options I have.

Also, another option for those of you with deep pockets (you know who you are), can you not just go buy a fresh AIM dash unlocked from somewhere else, and then set that up as you want?

[Anon]

Genuine question... What's the fascination with a huge rev counter? You have the shift lights and get to 'feel' how hard the engine is revving.

Remember: I've never tracked a car in my life. Is it mainly for track use?

As a road user, I'd be more interested in a big nasty MpH read out.

But maybe this is the point: different layouts for different scenarios that the driver could switch between. So maybe:

Track focused (RPM)
Track focused with data logging (lap times etc.)
Road focused (MPH)

And as I design UIs for fun, maybe a 'diagnostic' view with oil temp, oil pressure, water temp, battery voltage etc. etc.

As it says on AIMs website (and I paraphrase): modern cars offer changeable views depending on requirement and this is why our displays offer just that...

Sounds to me that offering 2 or 3 layouts that can be selected without the need of a laptop is the way to go.

It'll be interesting to hear how easy it is switch to Kmph or recalibrate the speedo for different tyre sizes. Just how 'locked down' is it???

Atom 4 does come with 2 dashes/displays that the driver can simply select by pressing the menu button on the side of the dash. 1 for road use and 1 for track use. The track dash has a larger gear selector display and includes lap times, last lap, best lap and delta. The last bit can be slightly configured using the dash itself without messing around with config files. Of course the track screen only works when you have the AIM GPS08 module connected (lap timing option).

The issue is you just cannot see the rev counter and it's too small. The shift lights though are really good and you can see this without actually looking at them. The most important thing for track use is the gear selector along with your last lap time. You have so much screen space it's just being underutilised.

It's not just a bigger rev counter I want. I want to see, oil temp, GPS speed would be better than the analogue speed (as I have the GPS module I can/could of configured this instead of the widely inaccurate sensor that is on there now), outside ambient temperature, I could also add some ECU channel data like how much air pressure the engine is getting in bar. All this is quite useful when on track, plus it's cool and the data is there so much not use it.

Switching from MPH to KPH or changing the dash to configure how your laps are displayed can be done through the unit by the driver not some tech nerd. Now this could be the reason it's locked, I hope it's not but it might possibly be their own firmware on the unit and custom dashes. Tom told me there were 5 (I think it was 5) people working on it for a year at a big cost to develop the dash. You see the other thing I am trying to pull data out of it in real time while in the car for my own purposes.

Here are some of the sensor/ECU settings the dash is constantly reading and this is only a snapshot.

20200601_153241 (1).jpg (3.09 MiB) Viewed 1316 times

[Karl V]

Interesting...

I don't know why I'm so intrigued by this discussion - I don't even have a AIM display :-)

So two things I have learnt:

1) There are multiple displays with additional config options (if you have a data logger?)
2) Everyone wants something different

Tough gig...

[Peter255]

For me its just such a BAD use of the available space, and looks bland.

The rev counter is just 2 small digits with a useless circle around them that occupies a small part of the centre of the dash. The same goes for the speed, far too small with the circle again. Just getting rid of the 2 circles and having the 2 much larger digital readouts would be a start!

Stock with such small numbers for rpm and speed!


To demonstrate the digits could easily be twice the size (excuse the quality)


But i would prefer something like one of these, or maybe both as options.

[hamtt]

Tom told me there were 5 (I think it was 5) people working on it for a year at a big cost to develop the dash.

Yeah I don't think so...

[robfitz]

I’d agree with the poor use of space and also with getting other information that the ECU is reading over canbus, it just doesn’t make full use of the capability of the display and the daft thing is the standard AIM graphics do a better job.

[Karl V]

Right, nerd alert...

The thing about rotary dials is that in general the 0 and max are usually directly opposed. So they either start and finish at 8 o'clock and 4 o'clock, or 7 and 5.

The point being is that it is easier for the brain to interpret a dial position when the start and finish are in line.

With the start being 6 o'clock and finish at 3 o'clock, it takes 'training' for the brain to quickly work out what a rev counter at 12 o'clock actually means. Spoiler: you'd assume 12 meant half way...

And to think I get paid for this kind of nonsense...

[Anon]

Tom told me there were 5 (I think it was 5) people working on it for a year at a big cost to develop the dash.

Yeah I don't think so...

If they built their own firmware then this is perfectly plausible, but given AIM mxsl that they ship is a PDM, a dash and a data logger why would you write your own, not sure this makes sense? That is the job of folks like AIM in this business, they supply racing teams with their kit. Unless there is something we are overlooking.