The CB1100 Community Forum

I love to tinker with my boats and bikes. A few years ago, I had a sailboat with a diesel engine. The engine panel had only a temp gauge and idiot lights, and I installed a voltmeter and a oil pressure gauge at the helm station. I used PVC endcaps as housings, ran the wire, and added a T connection on the oil system alarm sender. One day the temp gauge became fluttery. It passed all the electrical tests to troubleshoot, but wouldn't work right. I sistered in a ground wire. That problem solved. Don't have a boat anymore, and I miss it.

Csory i had a read of the new pdf, what i would change ( not a complete list )

1 replace brain box by processor.
2 make an electrical representation of the control switch ( symbol ) and show what the positions are doing.
3 when you say Click to save..............click what?
4 i would look at a better place for the minus wire, the "instrument ground"is all to a common point on the frame under the tank but there may be a better place to find an earthing point on the chassis.
5 provide a circuit diagram for the wiring to the bike with wire colors etc.
6 unsure about the cold engine warning, this could be counter productive and the rev counter makes the rider aware that the engine is still not warmed up.
7 bottom of page 17 is confusing; what does the second line display and why are there two versions of it?
8 found what the rotary button does on page 19 but still would like to see a picture with direction arrows and text, maybe even installed on the bike.

So these are just some of the things i stumbled on and i don't want to be too critical but see if this list makes sense, cheers.

Csory:

V1.01 of the document is indeed an improvement over the first draft.
[ul] [li]I agree with max regarding the "brain module". Consider "Core Module" or similar for a more professional read.[/li] [li]There are still some cosmetic / document formatting changes that can improve readability, but this is probably best done maybe via a shared document (e.g. Google Docs, etc.) where suggested edits can be tracked and approved/declined.[/li] [li]Also as max indicated, cold engine ("Flowchart of operation") might be firmware event that could be unnecessary. Consider reviewing.[/li] [li]I know you are a very nice person. However, consider removing all instances of "please" from the documentation.[/li] [li]May as well make the first page an active Table of Content pointing to each sub-document and list only the start page, i.e. the page of the sub-document's Table of Contents. Remove the range of pages on the first page.
[/li][/ul]

Max and GoldOxide: Thanks for your comments! Been on a vacation, sorry about the late reply

1. totally agree, will replace "brain module" with something that is less cheesy. How about "central module"? "Processor" or "CPU" sounds a bit too serious, but maybe it's just me...

2. 3. and 8. inserted an annotated photo to show what rotation and clicking means.

4. minus wire is indeed connected to the battery negative terminal. I too try to avoid using the "instrument ground" since it is hard to access. Cleaned up the text a bit around measuring ECU resistor value where I was referring to "chassis ground".

5. yes, a wiring diagram is to be added...

6. cold engine warning now can be turned off in "settings". The mechanical engineer in me (buried deep, probably forever...) tells me to take good care of the bike and the most sure-fire way to kill any engine is to (over)load it without proper lubrication. I will leave the warning "on" for myself, just to be sure when the oil has reached its "hot enough to work" temperature

7. left image at the bottom of p17 shows a bike without coolant temperature sensor, right image is about a bike with coolant temp sensor. Tried to make this clear(er) in the text above.

Also, removed most of the "please"s from the text and turned first page TOC into a real TOC...

Now working on an extended description of the firmware update procedure. Will post a new version once that's completed.

Uploaded a [url=https://1drv.ms/b/s!Ap1u16zFXQ1_jTXt0k6M00DHa0iF]new (1.02) version. Contains changes as per Max and GoldOxide's comments, and also a revised Firmware Update Instruction. Let me know if there is anything you'd like to see added/removed/changed. Thanks!
(Now working on a website to host downloads...)

Coolio. Will take a look at V1.02.

Csory: I like the evolution of the user's manual (now V1.02).

I will send lower-level feedback by way of a PM.

Csory this version is an improvement with the new diagram etc.

the adjustment section is actually overwhelming and i have to scroll back and forth between pages to find what to input into the display, i suggest putting it all on one clear page something like this;

To adjust the setpoint values in the menu the pushbutton switch needs to be plugged into the system and removed when finished.
The button is a combination of three switches conveniently combined in one unit; up (right turn) down (left turn) and enter (push)

( you did not explain HOW to step through the menu and enter values, if you enter a value do you select the value with "enter" and then "enter" again to step to the next item in the menu (guessing) and can you step back in the menu? )

The setpoint values are changed in the following order;
celsius or fahrenheit
backllevel 0 to 100 %
contrast 0 to 100%
display up or down
engine cold warning on or off
engine cold setpoint 20 to 100 deg c
oil overtemp setpoint 100 to 150 deg c

etc that way all info is on one page and also makes more sense to understand what to expect next on the list, how to get to it and how to adjust it.

The - decrease arrow is pointing in the wrong direction but the picture is good.

What's in the box could be just one picture with text inserted to show what the parts are called.

What happens if the 6 way header is connected the wrong way round and operated?, any damage?, is it protected from rain?

For such a simple device i would expect a simple but concise document, 40 pages seems a bit much, especially in pdf form, i think 6 pages should do it.

This was around three hours of reading, scrolling and thinking, see what you can do.

Max: Thanks again for your comments!

I agree that the document is quite overwhelming. Will try and cut it down a bit. Should have stressed that the sensor "setup" section is optional, not required (or recommended) for "normal" users (except for the Celsius-Fahrenheit and display adjustments). Will consider moving these into a separate adjustment menu with ample warnings at the beginning .

The arrows were indeed wrong.

Values can be changed using the rotary function. Pushing the button (click) will save that value and jump to the next menu element. There is no "back" step on the menu tree - one will have to re-enter it from the beginning. (Tried to explain it in the doc but will go back and re-phrase.)

The 6-pin connector on the central module is water resistant (i.e. water can get into it, but will do no harm). However, the blind plug should be kept in place to prevent debris from clogging the socket.

Both the ISP programmer and the rotary encoder can be plugged in rotated 180 degrees. It just won't work, but will do no harm. (There are clear markings though to show which way is the right way...)

Meanwhile, started assembling four units. These are the central modules, before hot air soldering...

Sweet lookin' assembly.