SOC-LCD-Meter "LeafCAN" with 2x16 Display by lincomatic

Its pretty small, the board is 36mm (1.4") x 75mm (2.9") and stacks very close to a standard 16x2 LCD. Its the exact same length and width of the LCD board and should add only 1/4" to the depth of the LCD.
http://www.adafruit.com/products/181
http://www.adafruit.com/datasheets/TC1602A-01T.pdf

ODB wires can be soldered to to board adding no more to the depth or a RJ45 jack can be added for a removable cable (which would add some depth).

That is very small. When I get my leaf (waiting for 2013 MY) I'm really only looking for SOC%. All the other options appear to have more features than I would need on my daily commute.

Very interested in what lincomatic comes up with for a case.

Thanks!

The GID/SOC-Meter case is shy 4" wide, just over 2" tall, and
shy 1-3/4" deep, so it is self-standing, fits the "tray" under
the AV/NAV console, and does not need to be "stuck"
to some more-or-less vertical surface.

The case will hold the 2x16 LCD nicely, for those seeking that option.

If the case was smaller, where would you put it,
and how would you secure it in place?

For the SOC-Meter (or LEAFSCAN), would you want to disconnect,
hide, or remove the OBD wiring before leaving the LEAF with a dealer?

My thoughts, not "promises":

This "model" of meter is the "LeafCAN" with firmware by Lincomatic.

When the new boards by Chris H. come in, we will let you know here,
and I/we intend to offer some kind of Kit and Built ... AFTER a prototype works.

I will probably include a Power Switch, to select Auto-On, Off, and
Always-On. Presently, only the EV-CAN bus is monitored,
because all the data used comes from the EV Messages.

So, at this point, the display is one-screen only, and there
will be (most likely) no push-buttons to select other screens.

Some users like the idea of being able to see GIDs and Pack
Voltage, Current, and Power on one screen.

The LCD screen is sometimes/often more difficult to read,
and the 5x7 dot matrix characters are smaller.

But, a great solution for some folks, and the Kit might cost
less than the present SOC-Meter.

More info when we have it.
Cheers, Gary

P.S.
I am workig on another "Black-Box" model that will likely have
a 2x16 character LCD as well. When closer to "tested", I will
describe that project in another thread.

garygid said:

For the SOC-Meter (or LEAFSCAN), would you want to disconnect,
hide, or remove the OBD wiring before leaving the LEAF with a dealer?

Click to expand...

Yes, I always disconnect the OBDII cable and remove my meter before taking it in to the dealer.

I just finished my third LeafScan SOC. In this one I increased the refresh to 350MS from 250. I like the display better at 3 updates per second.

Thanks Lincomatic for the ability to disable the energy display. I tried it enabled and I still like the simpler original display so I disabled the energy displays.

I'm finding that having a SOC meter in the car is extremely valuable when I take the car on longer trips. Something is definitely up with my battery. My range has gotten significantly shorter, and I can barely do some trips that used to be easy. Yet, when I took the car to the dealer the other day for my annual battery checkup, it passed with flying colors. Nissan is hiding something. Yesterday, my car charged up to only 263 @ 100%, the lowest yet.

Mine is dropping too... I am at 243 for a 100% charge.

chris1howell said:

Mine is dropping too... I am at 243 for a 100% charge.

Click to expand...

If I am correct you had 254 GID few days ago, any good reason for this drop?

Today my 100% SOC was 279. This is the second recent 279. I have seen 281 before. It looks like I have lost a very slight amount. My car is now 6.5 month old with 6900 miles.

EdmondLeaf said:

chris1howell said:

Mine is dropping too... I am at 243 for a 100% charge.

Click to expand...

If I am correct you had 254 GID few days ago, any good reason for this drop?

Click to expand...

It was 245 so just a slight drop in the last week.

I live tn the high desert of ca, daytime temperature can be pretty high so I may be the first CA car to lose a bar...

chris1howell said:

I live tn the high desert of ca, daytime temperature can be pretty high so I may be the first CA car to lose a bar...

Click to expand...

Sorry, djchrispaul (lives in Palm Springs) lost a bar not long ago so he beat you to it.

Edit: Sorry, he traded in his LEAF to lease a 2012 before he actually lost a bar, but he was getting the 9/10 SOC bars on a 80% charge precursor to losing a bar so losing a bar was eminent.

Well I am at version 3. The first was just a prototype. Version 2 turned out too large to fit above my ham radio control head. Version 3 is perfect.

drees said:

chris1howell said:

I live tn the high desert of ca, daytime temperature can be pretty high so I may be the first CA car to lose a bar...

Click to expand...

Sorry, djchrispaul (lives in Palm Springs) lost a bar not long ago so he beat you to it.

Edit: Sorry, he traded in his LEAF to lease a 2012 before he actually lost a bar, but he was getting the 9/10 SOC bars on a 80% charge precursor to losing a bar so losing a bar was eminent.

Click to expand...

So the race is still on....

Garygid PM'd me to ask about the bezel. I thought I would reply here so all can benefit.

LCD Bezel Digikey pro250lpw1-nd and the price is around $4.

Considering the AZ and TX battery capacity loses, the importance of pack temperature, and the coarseness of the 6th temperature bar (74 to 98), I'd like to see battery temp be one of the normally displayed parameters.

I would display Pack Temperature if I had it.

Ingineer knows how to get it, but won't tell.
So, for the moment, I am stuck on that one.
After the LEAFSCAN comes out, we will
all know, I suspect.

In this thread http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=4295&start=330, I found out from Tony that the fuel bars are just as variable as the GOM, instead of being linked directly to GID values, which is why I've been having trouble with the fuel bars being overly optimistic lately (I really don't have any idea what Nissan's logic is!). It seems to be that in order to be useful for estimating remaining range, they should be directly linked to the SOC.

Currently, LeafCAN's display shows the fuel bars from the GOM. I'm thinking of changing that to instead, display fuel bars that are directly linked to SOC.
This way, they are always consistent, even when your battery starts to degrade, and you'll get less surprises when using fuel bars to estimate range.

Tony said that the only hardcoded value is dropping from 25->24 GIDs takes you into VLBW. How about if I make a new fuel bar display where <= 24 GIDs = 0, and from 25->281 GIDs is broken up into 12 equal increments from 1-12?

I prefer knowing what I actually have to work with so I prefer 0 equal turtle level which I believe is 4 Gids...

lincomatic said:

Tony said that the only hardcoded value is dropping from 25->24 GIDs takes you into VLBW. How about if I make a new fuel bar display where <= 24 GIDs = 0, and from 25->281 GIDs is broken up into 12 equal increments from 1-12?

Click to expand...

Having used the LeafCAN for the first time (and QC for the first time and second thru ninth time (!) ) while doing the Oregon BC2BC Return) ... (thanks, BTW !) ... I'd like to add my vote: keep it as is.

Counting Nissan's SOC bars while driving -- unless it's 11-12 or 1-3 -- is distracting; one look at the LeafCAN ... and it tells me digitally.

The SOC% and GID# and Amps completes the info I need. Although # of Temp bars might be good too (same problem counting them as GOM bars). (Actual temp would be better ... I know ... defer to Ingineer.)