Does anyone have a fully non-mechanical instrument cluster in their car?

[e100]

If so, is it as readable as the old mechanical stepper motor displays with physical moving needles?

[maginnovision]

Yes

[Miyuki]

Like this 80s one ?

[e100]

Yes

Any idea why old stepper motor tech is still being used in so many cars?
Is it just that the auto industry runs several years behind the rest of the world?

[e100]

Like this 80s one ?

I wasn't aware that this had been done before. I was thinking of the displays used in some modern cars.

[AG6QR]

My temperature and fuel gauges are mechanical, but everything else is electronic, mostly on an LCD raster display.  Perfectly readable under all lighting conditions, whether or not I'm wearing polarized sunglasses.  2017 Honda Civic, which I've owned for two years.

[maginnovision]

For the price it's reliable. If you want old go back to no instrumentation, or cable driven instruments. I think you'll find that what is commonly used is typically reliable, and cheap. Adding a display isn't just adding a display as it requires you to also connect to a bus and make sure the power supply is perfectly happy with an automotive electrical system. Has to be ok with high and low(freezing) temperatures. I can get an older instrument cluster with real needles for a couple hundred. A fully digital instrument cluster is usually more than a thousand(or more) dollars. Often times they'll need to be coded(or fully programmed) as well.

[maginnovision]

My temperature and fuel gauges are mechanical, but everything else is electronic, mostly on an LCD raster display.  Perfectly readable under all lighting conditions, whether or not I'm wearing polarized sunglasses.  2017 Honda Civic, which I've owned for two years.

I think those have mechanical tachometers also?

[PA0PBZ]

Peugeot 3008, perfect:

[shakalnokturn]

If so, is it as readable as the old mechanical stepper motor displays with physical moving needles?

Do you have a link to a stepper motor automotive cluster indicator?

I have seen several of these Sin/Cos type around:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_core_gauge

Bi-metal actuated moving needle type on much older cars.

As for clusters with no moving parts at all, I haven't come across any so far but haven't really looked for them either.

[e100]

If so, is it as readable as the old mechanical stepper motor displays with physical moving needles?

Do you have a link to a stepper motor automotive cluster indicator?

stepper teardown


Search for "cluster stepper" on aliexpress for the individual motors.

[Mr. Scram]

Any idea why old stepper motor tech is still being used in so many cars?
Is it just that the auto industry runs several years behind the rest of the world?

I'm not so sure those actually are steppers. Old tech is still used because it works and you don't need to fix what isn't broken. It's a super high contrast display that won't fade and dead reliable. We'll see in about two decades how electronic displays fare but it'd surprise me if they turn out to be as reliable.

[AG6QR]

My temperature and fuel gauges are mechanical, but everything else is electronic, mostly on an LCD raster display.  Perfectly readable under all lighting conditions, whether or not I'm wearing polarized sunglasses.  2017 Honda Civic, which I've owned for two years.

I think those have mechanical tachometers also?

The tach is software selectable, it can be turned on and off via the menus. When it is turned on, it is an analog-style moving needle, but it is drawn electronically on the same computer screen that holds the speedometer and the other electronic displays.

[free_electron]

What's an instrument cluster ? (Tesla driver  )

[Mr. Scram]

What's an instrument cluster ? (Tesla driver  )

Something which doesn't require updates or calling home to the mothership.

[Neilm]

What's an instrument cluster ? (Tesla driver  )

Beat me to it (1 month into Model 3 ownership)

[james_s]

My partner's Prius "cluster" if you can call it that is just a large VFD along a TFT in the dash. I don't like it personally, I strongly prefer the real, physical analog guages (electrically driven) in my car. I hate touchscreens and want tactile switches that I can operate without taking my eyes off the road to look at them.

The cars that look like they have an ipad glued to the dash are the stupidest fad ever, could never bring myself to buy one with that.

[ConKbot]

What's an instrument cluster ? (Tesla driver  )

Something which doesn't require updates or calling home to the mothership.

Now now, real time safety of life control systems that aren't air gapped, what's the worst that could happen?

[Bassman59]

If so, is it as readable as the old mechanical stepper motor displays with physical moving needles?

Yes, 2005 Honda S2000. Eminently readable.

[coppice]

Car makers don't seem to have any real problems keeping LCD displays very readable. The instrument cluster is usually in a little well, just like a mechanical cluster. It shouldn't be a surprise that what works well for isolating mechanical displays from the sun also does a good job for an LCD display. Perhaps more surprising is that the centre LCD displays don't have any big problems with readability, even the ones placed high up on the dash without any shading around them.

Lots of LCD instrument clusters allow a selection of skins to be selected, and some of those skins are funky enough to be a lot harder to read than the sane ones.

[jonovid]

just for curiosity, whats the law say about DIY or aftermarket instrument clusters in cars?
like can I add a "CAN bus  tesla style touch screen monitor? or batmobile gauges. 

[janoc]

What's an instrument cluster ? (Tesla driver  )

Beat me to it (1 month into Model 3 ownership)

Seriously, give me a normal dash (whether "steam gauges" or displays) over that enormous "TV" in the middle that Tesla Model 3 has. That's just plain ugly unless you want to actually use it as a TV.

[Sal Ammoniac]

My Tesla's instrument display consists of a single 15" LCD panel that displays everything: speed, status, maps, etc. When the car is parked you can even play games (Centipede, Asteroids, etc.) on the display or watch YouTube or NetFlix videos.

I greatly prefer a digital display of speed rather than the old fashioned analog dial displays.

[floobydust]

You won't see purely digital (numeric) critical gauges in aviation/aerospace as an example.
Dial gauges are superior where you need fast reaction to the value and the trend, and sunlight readability.
Segmented bar graphs have such low resolution that trends are hard to make out.

I like stepper gauges but it's just cost savings drawing it on the Infotainment screen.

[rdl]

I don't get out much at night, but from what I've seen a lot of vehicles have rather garish, and very bright, blueish-white displays. This seems like a bad idea to me with regards to night-adapted vision, though I guess most driving is done in well lit areas these days.