Computer - 2020

I was not happy with the old computer. The interface to the Arduino was all hand soldered on a vector board. I wanted to do a real printed circuit board using surface mount parts.

I was having trouble with the accuracy of the fuel senders, so I designed new ones that utilize a magnet floating on the outside of a sealed tube. On the inside are magnetic reed switches that close as the magnet floats by, telling the computer it's position and then giving a fuel tank reading.

This is what the hand soldered interface box looked like. It provides smoothing to prevent damage to the Arduino. Here is what the old one looked like all in a waterproof box.
   
This is the circuit board I designed and had custom made. The fun part is soldering all those tiny parts on the board. Some of them are as small as a grain of rice. Here it is completed and mounted in a water proof case. The design is unique as I have mounted the Arduino Mega upside down. This allows for feed-through headers to mount the outside steering station transmitter underneath the circuit board.
   
This is the new fuel sender. The end caps and the float were all printed with my 3D printer. The array of magnetic sensitive reed switches with tuning potentiometers are mounted on a strip, at each 5 gallon position. Here is the finished fuel sender, with the reed strip mounted in a 1/2" PVC pipe ready to be installed in the tank.
   
Ready to install the starboard fuel sender. I had to insert it through the big opening then push it up through the sender opening. Installed and working perfectly !
   
 
Here is a look at the readout for each tank. I dipped the tanks and the readings are within 5 Gal !