ESC Buddy: tiny plug and play acoustic [logger] [odometer] [voltage checker] and more!

So I as working on this device (31mmx23mm) that you connect to a VESC and the second channel of your PPM remote.
It automatically logs your data like odometry, watt hours, cell voltage…
By using your remote it “beeps out” your data using a buzzer. It stores data over power cycles automatically (using an FRAM chip).


edit: rendering of latest version

The purpose is the same as of those remotes with LCD screen. But at a VERY cheap prize point, plus no configuring the VESC. The other though I had was, that looking at a screen is a bad thing when you should focus in the road. With this device you can do both: look at the road and hear your telemetry data.

What do you people think?

Project files, finished!

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What do you mean beep out your data?

Combined with wind noise, I’m not sure how well I’d be able to hear the data.

Having a screen is fine for quick glances. I feel with audio, you’d have to complete the sequence to get data right?

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Since we are dealing with numbers smaller or equal to 3 digits (it supports up to 1.000.000 km / miles though) I found it OK to beep the digits of the number sequentially: 13 per example: be-PAUSE-be-be-be

I use the same buzzer they have on those cheap battery voltage checkers. From using them I found they are good even at 40km/h and with a helmet.

Its an alternative to remotes with screens. I also wanted something that keeps track of my mileage etc. automatically.

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Is the buzzer on this board, or in the remote? My remote doesn’t have a buzzer I’m pretty sure, so what remotes would this be compatible with?

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I know this might sound picky, but I feel like I could lose count when it’s in the higher digits :sweat_smile:

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99% :laughing:

Its on the board. Any PPM remotes with 2 or more channels are compatible.
Like this one are compatible.

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I think an alternative use to the buzzer might be a LV alarm? If it would give a short warning for low voltage or right before low voltage it would help

Love the log portion though

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Yes, that is be biggest disadvantage of it!
But for anyone who can live with it this thing is a viable alternative to remotes with screens.
I am not really advertising it. I will make all the files available and make sure anyone who wants one gets one, like with all my DIY stuff.

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Sorry didn’t mean to bash your designs or anything! Just trying to spitball some feedback :stuck_out_tongue:

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Definitely going to include LV alarm in the software!
It also keeps track of you watt hours and watt hours regenerated so it is even easier to keep track of range than with voltage alone.

edit: though LV is for “low voltage” just googled it and found out what you really mean!

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Nice so almost like a metroboard’s beep’s.

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I came here to say this is cool AF :fire:

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LV didn’t mean low voltage? google failed me. what does it mean?

So cool thanks for sharing! How about making noise if there’s a fault on a vesc? I guess this goes along with LV, audible alarms on “bad” events.

A method of adding waypoints to the log would be cool – no idea how. Like “starting test ride now”.

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I think it actually did mean low voltage, it was just me being retarded sorry!

I think if anyone is interested in using my device I can make it so that you can choose what type of data you want to get.

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Update:
Got the first ugly prototype ready! And it works!

The first version of the PCB is in the making right now even smaller at just 31mmx23mm and with 2 buzzers, also the software needs debugging in the UI part.

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Look what just arrived from ALLPCB just a little under a week. Looking forward to assembling those.
Also got a stable version of the software ready :slight_smile:

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This is pretty dope! Reminds me of older Metroboards. They used the mini remote and when you turn the wheel up, it gives you 0 to 4 beeps (in ascending tones so you can hear the distinction easily) for 0%-25%, 25%-50%, 50%-75%, and 75%-100%. I think this would be a much more intuitive implementation than doing a number of beeps to correspond to the numerical value.

That only works for voltage, but honestly thats all I would want it for. Anything more complicated than voltage and I want to look at the data. I also dont need to know my total mileage or whatever while I am riding :joy:

If you could make a small, simple, cheap voltage beeper that works exactly like the old Metroboard battery beeper, I would be about it. The Metroboard beeper also just made some loud beeps when you turn the wheel down (i.e. a “horn” to signal to pedestrians). That feature is less important to me, as I usually just ended up pressing the battery beeper to alert peds.

One drawback the Metroboard had with this was that throttle/breaking input would be totally disabled while the beeper was beeping. So if you have full battery and accidentally bump the wheel, then you have to wait 4 sec for all 4 beeps to be able to break or throttle again. Obviously not ideal haha.

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Going off of this If you still wanted speed indicator maybe it beeped 2 very fast and loud for high speed, two times slower, and 2 times very slowly.

Then you could have it maybe do 2 fast for 35-50mph, 2 medium for 20-35, and two very slowly for 0-20.

Personally, I really like what @BenjaminF said and how it only did voltage.

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