Digital Dash Compatibility

[steve ravet]

Gary Derian wrote:
> 
> Fred, you may be in luck.  I think the digital dash for the '84-'89 Vette is
> self contained and uses conventional inputs from senders.  It is only the
> newer stuff that has PCM driven clusters.  I have a prototype analog
> instrument cluster that was built for the '84 Vette but never put into
> production.  Its too bad the GM MBA-heads made the wrong decision on that
> one.  The analog cluster is pretty nice, large speedo and tach with 6 round
> dials arrayed 2 by 3 in between.  My point is this analog cluster is
> completely conventional for its inputs, a sender and wire for each gauge.
> It even uses the same connectors as the digital cluster and would be a
> plug-in.

As I recall from the service manual for my '89 vette the ALDL xmit line
went to the dash as well as the ALDL connector.  The dash displayed
instantaneous fuel economy which means it has to know injector
pulsewidth, presumably it got that from listening the the ECM.  As far
as the rest of the dash displays, don't know if they came from ALDL or
dedicated sensors.  I was only interested in ALDL at the time.

--steve

ps I think I'm the only person in the world who liked the digital
dash....

> 
> Gary Derian <gderian at oh.verio.com>
> >
> > Frederic Breitwieser wrote:
> > >
> > > > digital dash), the dash communicated with the ECM over the ALDL port
> to
> > > > get the information to display.  That means they have to run at the
> same
> > >
> > > Interesting :)
> > >
> > > I had hoped that since the connectors fit, it would work
> > > appropriately.  See, the analog cluster (minus the speedo)
> > > from the Camaro worked on the older harness, so I was hoping
> > > the digital dash piece was entirely self contained.
> > >

-- 
Steve Ravet
steve.ravet at arm.com
Advanced Risc Machines, Inc.
www.arm.com