The OEM's have been doing electronic throttle control for years, but we rodders are apparently on our own. No SEMA type has stepped up with a complete standalone system (Lokar offers pedal assemblies for OEM vehicles), so I am going to do it myself. Anyone have links or ideas to aid my quest?
Picture sitting in the drivers seat of your bucket. There is one control stick on the left hand side of the drivers seat. Pivot the stick either left or right and power assisted steering goes left or right. Pull back on the control lever and the car will brake. You have the ability to steer and brake at the same time. Trail braking is smooth, effortless. Throttle is by the right foot (old school, traditional).
I've toyed with the joystick idea for a long time. Maybe that's next for me.
The OEM's use two pedal sensors and two TPS and compare them. If they don't all match, the ECM goes into a limp-home mode with a setting of about 2000 rpm. And they've been doing this 10+ years on millions of cars. I think all OEM electronics are shielded, not because they love you, but the lawyers tell them liability horror stories.
I went with my son in law to test drive a new 2016 Ford PU. So the salesman goes with us and seemed knowledgeable, he said the new Fords are using electronic power steering like that, that is found in fighter jets. I know that the drive by wire thing for the throttle has been around for about 20 years now.
Yep Potvin...they kinda been slow....but saw some at a sema show this year, just coming out....
I'll see if I can't dig up a link while I gum this burger to death....
I think the electronic power steering is an assist, and there is still a mechanical connection like with hydraulic power steering. But the throttle is all electronic.
Yeah, I've been bugging Lokar. Right now they just offer pedals for OEM cars; you still have to use the car's OEM ECU and throttle body. But I think I can do it without the ECU, and by chopping up an OEM throttle body to get the actuator. Here's a guy who did that: Video: This High HP LS3 Uses Custom 4bbl Drive By Wire EFI He still uses the ECU, but I can get around that.
Update: I've been combing the Net and can't find any standalone ETC's (Electronic Throttle Control). I've found a few guys who have done it with microprocessors, but I don't see the need for that complication; I think they did it just because they were proficient in coding and comfortable with digital control. I'm gonna try to do it with analog circuitry. Looks like I'll get an OEM throttle body and cut out what I need. Use an OEM throttle pedal (much cheaper than Lokar) and add some bits and pieces. Stay tuned.
I thought about this concept a few(drive by wire) years ago, I wanted to be able to restrict the amount of throttle for the wife when she drove. I didn't find anything available then either. I did the same thing when I was racing radio control cars for her car. Just slowly dial in more throttle as she got use to the speed.
Keep us posted, I'm very interested to see what you come up with!
I'm pretty sure the DBW actuator is some kind of stepper motor. Some type of driver circuit will be needed to translate the potentiometer resistance of the pedal into a digital signal that will drive the stepper. You may get by if the driver circuitry is in the actuator, but I'm guessing it's in the ECU.
You could use one of the simple computer boards like an Arduino or a Raspberry Pi. They would allow some coding for things like fail safe check back for position and throttle limiting if something gets out of whack. Might even be able to do cruise control with the right program and inputs. I've never used one, but they are said to be simple to set up and program. Lot's of inventors and hobbyists are using them.
Update: I bought a used ETC throttle pedal on eBay; they were asking $60, I offered $15 and they took it! Indy: it will be easy to do what you want. The circuitry will have adjustments for idle and for max throttle. Hotrod46, Most OEM actuators appear to be simple DC motors driven by PWM (Pulse Width Modulation), a method I'm familiar with. The digital guys I've seen use the Arduino, but I'm going old school with analog circuitry (software makes me a bit nervous. Interesting factoid: the Minuteman missile sites have computers, but they are hardwired logic, no software for hackers to mess up). The OEM throttle bodies have a return spring on the butterfly so if power is lost the throttle closes. And I can do some closed loop stuff to check for errors. Cruise control: very interesting. Constant throttle would be easy. Constant speed would need a road speed sensor, which I have on the car now.
Update: I've been combing the Net and can't find any standalone ETC's (Electronic Throttle Control). I've found a few guys who have done it with microprocessors, but I don't see the need for that complication; I think they did it just because they were proficient in coding and comfortable with digital control. I'm gonna try to do it with analog circuitry. Looks like I'll get an OEM throttle body and cut out what I need. Use an OEM throttle pedal (much cheaper than Lokar) and add some bits and pieces. Stay tuned.
Want to limit performance for the wife to drive, all you have to do in install a lynchpin on thebellcrank of the throttlebody or carb, to restrict WOT. Plan for it to only get to 3/4 WOT should be plenty to cruise with....
There are others ways of restricting speed also.
Would be easy to rig up the mapping for individual identities driving the cars. On our Comp cars, we can have as many 20 diff. map setting for diff. tracks and the settings stored, so when we go to a track, things are within the ballpark, and all we have to do is dial in our combos....
With that, would be easy to have a setting for the wife, then for the daughter/son to drive down to the store, then 1 for yourself, which would be totally unrestricted....
Want to limit performance for the wife to drive, all you have to do in install a lynchpin on thebellcrank of the throttlebody or carb, to restrict WOT. Plan for it to only get to 3/4 WOT should be plenty to cruise with....
On my current OT car, I've been toying with the idea of a solenoid powered throttle stop so that I can limit travel when my wife drives it. It's going to have north of 350 HP and weigh about 2500 lbs. She has never driven anything with that power to weight. She is completely intimidated by my T and won't even try to drive it. I can adjust it up as she gets used to it.
With a solenoid, I don't need to get under the hood to turn it on. Just flip a switch and she's good to go.
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