Dashboard Regs

Dashboard PCB - make the interactive parts of the dashboard a PCB? (don’t have to connect as many wires to the dash?)

• connected through CAN wire (?)

  • will make wire harnessing easier

Relevant FSGP regs

• Cruise control (if still on dash):

  • 8.8.C If the solar car is equipped with cruise control, it can only be activated by the driver. The cruise control must be designed to automatically deactivate when the brake controls are manually actuated by the driver, or when the car is shut off.

  • Currently hoping to have a button to set/enable cruise control, one to increase, and one to decrease speed

• Ignition switch:

  • 8.6.A.1 Solar cars must be equipped with a Main Power Switch that is principally located within the main battery enclosure. The power switch must be normally open and non-latching.

  • 8.6.A.2 The solar car driver must have overriding control and the ability to turn the power switch off at all times.

  • 8.6.A.3 The power switch control location must be within easy reach of the driver and clearly labeled with the words “POWER”, “ON” and “OFF”. All letters must be 10 mm tall or larger.

  • 8.6.A.4 In the off position, the power switch must isolate battery, motor and array from each other and put the solar car in the ‘Safe State’. In a safe state, all high voltage conductors exiting the battery pack must be electrically disconnected from the pack.

  • 8.6.A.5 The power switch must be DC rated and capable of interrupting an overcurrent condition.

  • 8.6.A.6 The BPS must have overriding control and the ability to turn the power switch off at all times in the event of a BPS fault.

• BPS fault indicator:

  • 8.6.B The driver is to have an illuminated dash indication of a BPS fault to provide warning of an automatic opening of the Main Power Switch.

• Turn Indicators (if still on dash):

  • 9.4.B.1 Position: shall be located at least 600 mm apart (at least 400 mm apart if the car is less than 1300 mm wide), at least 350 mm above the ground, and at a distance no further back than 175 mm from the absolute front of the vehicle.

  • 9.4.B.2 Shall flash between 60 and 120 pulses per minute

  • 9.4.B.3 Color: amber 9.4.B.4 Viewing Angle: 80° from center in outwards, 45° from center in inwards (see Figure 1), 5° down, and 15° up from horizontal.

  • 9.4.B.5 Operation: If the co-located Daytime Running Light is not disabled during turn indicator operation, the turn indicator shall be visible with the running light on.

  • keep in mind for light peripheral SOM

• Regenerative breaking (didn’t really use at comp, do we need?) and breaking in general:

  • 10.5.A Solar cars must have a dual, balanced braking system so that if one system should fail, the solar car can still be stopped. The two systems must be operationally independent and must operate from a single foot pedal. The braking system can be front/rear or redundant front. Left/right redundancy is not permitted. Hydraulic systems must have separate master cylinders. Regenerative brakes may not be considered as one of the braking systems.

  • 10.5.B Each brake pad used in the braking systems must have a contact area with the brake disk that is greater than 6.0 cm2 , and the pad must have full contact with the brake rotor. Pads must initially be at least 6 mm thick including the backing plate when installed on the car.

  • 10.5.C Solar cars must be able to repeatedly stop from speeds of 50 km/h (31 mph) or greater, with an average deceleration, on level wetted pavement, exceeding 4.72 m/s2 . Performance shall be demonstrated with mechanical braking only.

  • 10.5.D The brake lines (hydraulic or cable) shall be appropriately sized and constructed such that they have significant capacity beyond the pressure and/or loads that will occur under the worst-case driving conditions.

  • 10.5.E If the team elects to have foot operated brake and accelerator pedals the team must demonstrate adequate clearance and arrangement that will allow for quick and easy transition of the foot from one pedal to the other. Refer to Reg. 8.8.B for placement of the accelerator pedal if equipped.

  • 8.8.B Accelerator mechanisms on solar cars must be free moving, and when released, must return to the zero position. Should a pedal accelerator be used, it shall be mounted such that it is operated by the right foot and it shall be located to the driver’s right of the brake pedal (if equipped).

• Emergency Hazards:

  • 9.4.H The front turn indicators, side marker turn indicators, and rear turn indicators shall be able to be activated simultaneously and flash in sync as an Emergency Hazard signal.

• Backup cam:

  • 9.5.E.1 All solar cars must be equipped with a rear-view system that at all times will allow the driver to see a vehicle 15 m directly behind the solar car and up to 30° off center. The system must provide the driver with a single reflex type image and must operate without driver input. The driver will be required to identify the direction of an arrow with a 200 mm thick brush stoke on a 1 m2 board held about 1 m off the ground.

  • 9.5.E.2 If equipped: the camera and view screen shall be fixed in position such that road bumps and vehicle vibration will not alter the viewing angles.

  • 9.5.E.3 If equipped: the view screen shall be positioned such that the driver shall be able to see the view screen while seated in normal driving position.