Dakota Digital 3X User Manual
VACUUM FLUORESCENT DIGITAL DASHBOARD
IMPORTANT NOTE!
This
system
has an odometer preset option that
is only
for instructions
and setup information
.
SERIES 3X
NOW WITH
SOLID STATE SENSOR TECHNOLOGY
INSTALLATION AND OPERATION MANUAL
Please read this before beginning installation or wiring.
available for the first 100 miles (160km) of operation. See odometer preset section
MAN 650067:F
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Thank you for purchasing the Vacuum Fluorescent Digital Dashboard from DAKOTA
DIGITAL, the leader in custom automotive electronics. Representing the latest electronic
dashboard technology for the street rodder, car, and truck enthusiast alike, the digital
instrumentation uses state of the art vacuum fluorescent display technology to give the driver
up-to-date and accurate information on the operation of his or her vehicle. As used in several
production automobiles, vacuum fluorescent displays give superior performance and visual
appeal over LCD or LED display systems. Emitting a blue/green light that can be filtered to a
wide variety of colors, the VFD system boasts excellent daytime visibility and while under
computer control, automatically dims for nighttime driving. Using microprocessor technology,
the digital dashboard gives the driver additional features and benefits not typically found on any
other brand or type of instrumentation. Digital accuracy and solid state reliability will give you,
the driver, quality service for miles down the road.
TYPICAL DISPLAY LAYOUT
Shared Speed/Tach
Message Center
000000 A 000.0
P R N D 2 1
WARNIN WARNING
The vacuum fluorescent displays are made of glass and should be handled with care.
MOUNTING SINGLE LENS SYSTEMS
Your DAKOTA DIGITAL single lens system will come to you with a single acrylic lens and
instrumentation that is mounted in an aluminum case. The lens and the instrumentation have
corresponding mounting holes. After you have affixed the mounting studs of your choice to the
backside of your dash, the lens piece should be slid over the studs followed by the display
system. The lens can be secured with either washers and nuts, or by a bead of RTV around the
back side of the lens and case. If RTV is used, the system will need to be held in place until it
has had time to cure. The lens should be tight against the aluminum display case.
Adjust the height of the panel so that the glass displays are 1/8" away from the front lens.
Applying a lock washer and nut to the studs behind the display panel, secure the display
panel to the bezel. If screws were provided with the panel, secure them through the
display panel and into the bezel. No additional holes should need to be drilled. All holes
in the display systems are pre-drilled at the factory.
MAN 650067:F
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MOUNTING SYSTEMS WITH ALUMINUM TRIM
There are two methods for mounting the display panel into your dash. The first method is
to cut an opening in the dash the size of the inside lip and “sandwich” the dash between the
bezel and the mounting plate. The second method is to cut an opening in the dash the size of
the outside of the bezel and mount the entire display assembly from the back using six #10 or
#8 mounting studs attached to the back of the dash.
Figure 1 shows method #1 with a steel or thin fiberglass dash. Figure 2 shows method
#1 with a thick fiberglass or wood dash. Figure 3 shows method #2.
Your dash
material.
Bezel
Mounting plate
with studs
Lens
foam tape
Pan head screws
Tooth washer
Nut
Display Panel
Figure 1. Mounting method 1 with thin dash.
Your dash
material.
Mounting plate
with studs
Tooth washer
Nut
Bezel
Lens
Pan head screws
Display Panel
Figure 2. Mounting Method 1 with thick dash.
MAN 650067:F
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Method #1
Cut a rectangular hole where you want the dash mounted that is 1-11/16” tall x 17” long.
Next round the ends to match the bezel. The hole should be 18-11/16” long in the center from
end to end.
Remove the six screws that secure the mounting plate to the display panel. Next remove
the eight screws which attach the bezel to the mounting plate.
For thin dash material, place several strips of foam tape on the front of the mounting
plate. These will be compressed down when it is mounted to the dash.
Place the lens and bezel into the opening in your dash. Place the mounting plate up from
behind the dash and secure it to the bezel using the eight pan head screws. The screws with go
through the lens and thread into the bezel. Do not over tighten these screws. Just tighten them
so that the bezel is held in place securely.
Next attach the display system to the mounting plate using the six screws. Make sure
that the display panel is aligned properly with the flat gray cable coming out on the top side.
Your dash
material.
Nut for
stud
Mounting studs
Assembled Display Panel
Figure 3. Mounting Method 2.
Method #2
Cut a rectangular hole where you want the dash mounted. The hole should be at least 2”
tall x 17” long rectangular with the ends rounded so that the center of the hole is 19” long.
Mount the six #8 or #10 studs to the back of your dash so that they line up with the
display system mounting holes. You can place the display system into the dash and use a
marker or pencil to mark the stud locations.
Next place the display system onto the studs and tighten it up from the back.
MAN 650067:F
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GAUGE SYSTEM FEATURES
Mileage readings
• Million mile odometer
• Two (A/B) re-settable trip mileage (0-9999.9)
• Re-settable service mileage (0-9999)
Performance readings
• High speed recall. This is reset at power up and can be manually reset.
• High rpm recall. This is reset at power up and can be manually reset.
• 0-60 mph (0-100kmh) time.
• ¼ mile time.
• ¼ mile end speed. This is reset when the ¼ mile time restarts.
Hour meter
• Resettable hours (0-999.9)
English/metric conversion
• Alternate speed can be displayed on message display.
Special tachometer displays
• On systems that do not have bar graph displays, a bar tach can be shown on the
message display.
• On systems that do not have a digital tachometer display, the rpm can be shown on the
message display or the tachometer reading can be switched onto the speed display.
Built-in Indicators
• Left/Right Turn signal indicators
• High Beam indicator
• Check Engine indicator
• Brake warning indicator
• 4x4 indicator
• Wait to Start indicator
• Cruise control indicator
• Gear position indicator which displays full gear word with use of Dakota Digital GSS-2000
(Purchased separately)
Special outputs
• Shift output to activate external light
• Selectable 2000ppm or 4000ppm speed output for cruise or ECM
Demonstration mode
• Holding Switch 2 while turning on the key will start the system going through a preset
sequence of readings. To exit the demo mode, turn the key off. You may also wire up a
separate switch to power the gauges for demo mode without powering the entire vehicle.
Auxiliary gauge readings in the message display with
expansion bus interface modules (BIM)
MAN 650067:F
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MESSAGE DISPLAY
Since the VFD 3X systems use a shared message center for speed and tach messages
both Switch 1 and 2 are used to cycle through the various messages. Use Switch 1 to select
different message screens (Mileage, Performance, Tach Bar). Use Switch 2 to change between
different readings within the same screen (Trip A, Trip B, Service or km/h, Hours, Hi RPM). If
any BIM modules are connected the information will be shown at the bottom of the Tach Bar
screen. Some typical display screens for the message display are:
Mileage screen with the GEAR menu turned ON. (requires optional GSS-2000)
Odometer miles
000000 A 000.0 000000 B 000.0 000000 S 0000
P R N O D 2 1 P R N D 2 1 P R N D 2 1
Gear position with overdrive
Trip A miles
Trip B miles
Gear position without overdrive
Service miles (when enabled)
Mileage screen with the GEAR menu shut OFF.
Tach Bar screen
Tach Bar (rpm x1000)
Km/h conversion
Odometer miles
ODOMETR 000000 ODOMETR 000000 ODOMETR 000000
TRIP A 000.0 TRIP B 000.0 SERVIC 0000
Trip A miles
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Km/h 00 Hours 000.0 Hi RPM 0000
Trip B miles
Hour meter
Service miles
High RPM recall
Performance Screen
High speed recall
Wait, Brake, 4x4, and Engine indicators use reverse image letters in the message display corners when active.
0-60 time
00 0.0 0.0 00 0.0 00
HI 0-60 1/4 HI 0-60 1/4
¼ mile time
¼ mile speed
W B x4 E
Available readings:
odometer mileage (0-999,999)
trip A odometer mileage (0-9999.9)
trip B odometer mileage (0-9999.9)
miles since last service (0-9,999, or ---- when past due) (when enabled)
0-60 mph time in seconds (0-25.5) (when enabled)
high speed recall (0-255) (when enabled)
¼ mile time in seconds (0-25.5) (when enabled)
end of ¼ mile speed (0-255) (when enabled)
kph conversion (or mph conversion if kph selected as primary unit)
high rpm recall (0-18,000)
hours system has been on with tach signal (0-999.9)
bar tach readout on message display (0-8)
gear shift position indicator (with purchase of optional GSS-2000)
Future BIM module messages will display in the message display as well
NOTE: In normal operation you have to use switch 1 (SW1) to reset trip meters, service
counter, hour meter, high RPM, and the various performance timers. A press and hold
will zero the current reading, if it can be reset.
MAN 650067:F
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CONTROL BOX MOUNTING
Once the display panel is in place, mount the control box within reach of the ribbon cable
on the display panel (approximately 3 feet). Pick a mounting location that will allow you access
to wire all of the inputs on the control box. Double sided tape, hook and loop fasteners, or
screws in the two tabs on the case work fine for securing the control box under the dash.
When selecting a mounting location, avoid placing the control module next to, or
just opposite of the firewall, from ignition components, ie: Ignition coil, HEI, etc. Ignition
components can emit tremendous amounts of electric noise, affecting the operation of
electrical components.
Wiring the control box into the vehicle
While the control box contains several connections, the wiring is straightforward.
Depending on how many auxiliary functions you want displayed, not every terminal will be used
in most applications. Below we describe the function of each terminal, what they do, and how to
wire them.
FUEL LEVEL SENSOR GROUND OUTPUT
FUEL LEVEL SENSOR INPUT
FUEL LEVEL SENSOR POWER OUTPUT
OIL PRESSURE SENSOR GROUND OUTPUT
OIL PRESSURE SENSOR INPUT
OIL PRESSURE SENSORPOWER OUTPUT
WATER TEMPERATURE SENSOR GROUND OUTPUT
WATER TEMPERATURE SENSOR INPUT
NIGHT DIMMING ADJUSTMENT GROUND OUTPUT
NIGHT DIMMING ADJUSTMENT INPUT
SPEED SELECT SWITCH INPUT SW1
TACH SELECT SWITCH INPUT SW2
2000 PPM SPEED SIGNAL OUTPUT
VEHICLE SPEED SENSOR GROUND OUTPUT
VEHICLE SPEED SENSOR SIGNAL INPUT
VEHICLE SPEED SENSOR POWER OUTPUT
NIGHT DIMMING INPUT
RPM WARNING/SHIFT OUTPUT
TACHOMETER INPUT
+12 VOLT ACCESSORY POWER INPUT
MAIN CHASSIS GROUND INPUT
STATUS LED
FUEL FUEL SND
FUEL +
OIL OIL SND
OIL +
WTR WTR SND
ADJ ADJ SND
SW1 (-)
SW2 (-)
SPD OUT
SPD SPD SND
SPD +
DIM (+)
WARN
TACH
POWER
GROUND
techsupport@dakotadigital.com
www.dakotadigital.com
605-332-6513
SERIES III
VFD CONTROL BOX
CHECK ENG (-)
BRAKE (-)
HIGH (+)
LEFT (+)
RIGHT (+)
GEAR (1 WIRE)
WAIT (+)
CRUISE (-)
I/O
4x4 (-)
STRIPE
RIBBON CABLE
DISPLAY
AUX.
TO DISPLAY SYSTEM
CONNECTOR
CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR INPUT
BRAKE SYSTEM/PARKING BRAKE WARNING INPUT
HIGH BEAM INDICATOR INPUT
LEFT TURN SIGNAL INDICATOR INPUT
RIGHT TURN SIGNAL INDICATOR INPUT
4 WHEEL DRIVE INDICATOR INPUT
1-WIRE GEAR INDICATOR INPUT (FROM GSS UNIT)
WAIT TO START INDICATOR INPUT
CRUISE ENGAGED INDICATOR INPUT
MAN 650067:F
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DISPLAY PANEL
ECU/ECM
check engine
output
PARKING BRAKE
SWITCH
HIGH BEAM
WIRE
Additional ground wire to fuel
sensor body or mounting screw.
EXSISTING
FUEL LEVEL
SENSOR
RIBBON CABLE
PRESSURE SENSOR
SEN-03-8
0-100 PSI
DISPLAY
STRIPE
RIBBON CABLE
www.dakotadigital.com
techsupport@dakotadigital.com
605-332-6513
OIL +
OIL SND
OIL -
FUEL +
FUEL SND
FUEL -
RED
WHITE
BLACK
CONNECTION
SERIES III
VFD CONTROL BOX
ADJ -
WTR SND
WTR -
BLUE or RED
BROWN or BLACK
ONLY!
ADJ SND
LEFT TURN
SIGNAL WIRE
BIM
AUX.
I/O
LEFT (+)
HIGH (+)
RIGHT (+)
BRAKE (-)
CHECK ENG (-)
DIM (+)
SPD +
SPD SND
SPD -
SPD OUT
SW2 (-)
SW1 (-)
RED
WHITE
BLACK
RIGHT TURN
SIGNAL WIRE
4x4 (-)
WAIT (+)
CRUISE (-)
GEAR (1 WIRE)
TACH
POWER
GROUND
WARN
STATUS LED
Connect to main
chassis ground
Tail Light
Connect to tail light circuit
dash will dim when termianl has +12V
4x4
transfer case
switch
+12V
(fused 5 - 20 AMP max)
1-Wire output
Glow Plug Relay
or
Wait to start output
KEY ON POWER
DAKOTA DIGITAL
GSS UNIT
Optional
Cruise Control
Engage Output
- +
Ignition Coil
(negative side)
ECU/ECM
or Ignition Box
(tach output)
TEMP SENSOR
SEN-04-5
100-300 F
DIM-1
Optional
MOMENTARY
MOMENTARY
ECU/ECM
Speed Output
PU
L
GENERATOR
SE
SPEED OUT
S
W2
(2k or 4k PPM)
S
W
1
SPEED SENSOR
SEN-01-5
16k PPM
Light or Buzzer
(4 Watts or less)
Relay
Light or Buzzer
(4 Watts or more)
TERMINAL DESCRIPTIONS
Status LED
This LED is located at the corner of the control box, next to the GROUND terminal. The
LED is used for diagnostics.
• A steady flash, on and off, about one second apart indicates the system is powered and
operating normally.
• On steady indicates low power, below 9V, at the POWER terminal (the displays will also
generally be dim).
• Not flashing or lighting indicates loss of power or ground.
GROUND
This is the main ground for the display system. A wire should be run from this terminal to
the vehicle’s main chassis ground. Use 18 AWG or larger wire to ensure sufficient groun
ding.
Proper vehicle grounding is extremely important for any gauges (or electronics) to
operate correctly. The engine block should have heavy ground cables to the battery, frame, and
firewall. Failure to properly ground the engine block or the control box can cause
incorrect or erratic operation.
MAN 650067:F
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POWER
Connect the POWER terminal to accessory +12V power from the fuse panel or vehicle
wiring harness. This terminal should have power when the key is on or in accessory position.
In addition to powering the display system, this is also where the voltmeter gauge reads the
vehicle electrical system voltage. The supply source should be a fused 5 - 20 amp circuit; the
system only draws about 1 amp, so sharing an existing accessory circuit will be generally be
fine. Use 18 AWG wire to ensure the system receives a sufficient power feed.
*** Never connect the control box to a battery charger alone. It needs to have a 12 volt
battery connected to it. Battery chargers have an unregulated voltage output that will
cause the system to not operate properly and may cause damage to the control box.
TACH
Depending on the type of instrument system that you have, there may be a bar graph
tachometer, a digital tachometer, or both. Connect the TACH terminal to the ignition system.
On vehicles using a separate ignition coil, connect to the negative side of the coil. The negative
side of the coil will be the wire that goes to the points or electronic ignition module. For GM HEI
ignition equipped motors, connect to the terminal marked “TACH” or on some systems a single
white wire with a spade terminal on it. On some aftermarket ignition systems, connect to the
TACH output terminal. On computer controlled ignition systems consult a service manual for
the wire color and location. With a magneto system, connect to the kill wire for the tach signal.
Do not connect the TACH terminal to the secondary, or high voltage side of the ignition
coil.
To ensure that the ignition system does not interfere with any other dashboard functions,
do not run the tachometer wire alongside any other sender or input wires. DO NOT USE SOLID
CORE SPARK PLUG WIRES WITH THIS DASHBOARD SYSTEM. Solid core ignition wires
cause a large amount of electromagnetic and radio frequency interference which can disrupt the
system operation.
The tachometer is compatible with almost all gasoline engines. The engine cylinder
selection, display update rate, tach signal type, and rpm warning point can be adjusted in the
setup menu under “TACH”. If a diesel engine is being used then you will need a tach interface,
such as Dakota Digital’s DSL-1 or DSL-2. Be aware of the cylinder setting when using computer
outputs or reading the tach signal from an ECU. GM LS1 engines require the tach to be set up
for a 4 cylinder, low voltage signal when reading from the ECU even though it is a V8 engine.
WARN
The WARN terminal is an output for a relay or small light. The output is ground-activated
when the preset rpm limit is exceeded. This output can turn on a 4 Watt or smaller 12 volt bulb
or can activate a relay to turn on a larger bulb. To wire a warning light to this output, connect
one wire from the bulb to 12 volt accessory power and connect the other wire to the WARN
terminal.
DIM
The gauges are designed to dim down when the headlights are turned on. This is to
reduce the display intensity at night so the gauges do not cause eye strain or reduced night
vision. Connect this to the tail light or parking light circuit so that it has 12 volts whenever the
headlights are on. When this terminal does not have power, the display system will be at full
brightness. When power is applied, the display dims to an adjustable level.
The night brightness level is adjustable two different ways. This preset brightness is
adjusted in the setup menu “NIGHT”. See ADJ SND for a description of the second method.
By default the system will dim to about ½ brightnes s when DIM terminal gets +12V.
MAN 650067:F
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SPD +
This terminal is used to supply power to Dakota Digital speed sensor SEN-01-5. This
supplies 5V DC to the sensor and should not be hooked up to anything else. Connect the red
wire from the SEN-01-5 to this terminal.
If you are using a 1-wire VSS output from a computer or a two wire pulse generator this
terminal should be left open.
***DO NOT use this terminal to power any other devices; it is a low current +5V output.
SPD SND
This is where the vehicle speed sensor (VSS) connects. The signal supplied to this
terminal will be used by the control box to calculate the speed reading on the display and also
for calculating and saving odometer mileage.
Dakota Digital supplies a 3-wire sensor for most of its kits, SEN-01-5. If you are using
this sensor, the white wire is the speed signal; connect to SPD SND. The red and black wires in
the cable are power and ground (5V DC) and their connection is discussed in SPD + and SPD -.
For two wire speed sensors such as a cable driven pulse generator, the polarity of the
wires does not matter. Connect one wire to the SPD – (Ground) and the other to the SPD SND
terminal. The speed sensor ground wire should be brought back to the control box to ensure a
proper signal is received. Twisting the ground and signal wires around each other provides an
additional level of interference protection. The speed signal wire should not be routed alongside
tach, ignition, or other high current or high voltage wires.
For vehicles which have a vehicle speed signal from a transmission sensor or ECM, tap
into the VSS wire and connect it to the SPD SND. Consult a vehicle service manual or wiring
diagram to determine wire color and location.
This system can accept 4000 ppm – 128,000 ppm speed signals with room for
adjustment. The speedometer is fully adjustable and calibration is discussed in a later section.
***Failure to calibrate the speedometer may cause your odometer mileage to
increase very rapidly if the speedometer is reading too fast.
*** The speed signal wire should NOT be routed alongside ignition or other high
current/voltage wires.
SPD –
This terminal is used for speed sensor ground. This insures a proper ground as well as
providing proper hook-up for a twisted pair of wires, or a solid state sensor. Only ground the
speed sensor here. If you are using a single wire output from a computer for the VSS then this
terminal should be left open.
SPD OUT
This terminal can be used to supply a speed signal to auxiliary devices such as a cruise
control or radio volume adjustment. The output is scaled to the input speed signal coming into
the SPD SND terminal. It can be set to 2000 PPM or 4000 PPM.
***If you are using the bus speed signal option this output will NOT work.
SW 2 (-) or Tach switch
The SW 2 terminal is used for selecting the various rpm, engine, and warning displays
and also for entering the demonstration mode. The SW 2 input is activated by a ground
connection. The push button switch supplied (or any momentary normally open switch) is wired
by connecting one terminal to SW 2 and the other terminal to a ground. When the button is
pressed and released, message options for the current screen will change.
MAN 650067:F
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To enter DEMO mode, press and hold switch 2 while turning the key on. The system will
light up and say DAKOTA DIGITAL on the message readout, release the switch and the system
will stay in demo mode until the power is cycled off and back on without the switch held.
SW 1 (-) or Speed switch
The SW 1 terminal is used for selecting the various speed, distance, and performance
screens and also for entering the setup menu. The SW 1 input is activated by a ground
connection. The push button switch supplied (or any momentary normally open switch) is wired
by connecting one terminal to SW 1 and the other terminal to a ground. When the button is
pressed and released, the message display screen will change. When the button is pressed
and held for a few seconds, any re-settable information displayed will be zeroed.
ADJ SND
The ADJ SND terminal is an optionally used input that allows you to have control over the
dimming brightness. By default, the system will dim to approximately half brightness when the
DIM terminal has power, +12V, but this level is adjustable in the NIGHT setup menu. Using the
DJ SND terminal allows you to have a dash mounted control to vary the brightness while the
A
headlights are on. This requires Dakota Digital’s DIM-1 kit; a stock headlight rheostat will not
work.
The DIM-1 has two wires, one connects to the ADJ SND terminal and the other connects
to ADJ - ground. The dash mounted dimmer will only vary the display brightness when the DIM
terminal has power, +12V.
ADJ –
This terminal provides a ground reference for the optionally installed DIM-1 for dash
mounted dimming control. One wire from the potentiometer will connect to the ADJ – terminal,
the other connects to the ADJ SND.
*This terminal should not be used for grounding other sensors or devices or damage to
the control box will occur. If not using a Dakota Digital DIM-1, this terminal should be left
open.
WTR SND
The water temperature sender included with this system must be used. Other
senders will cause incorrect readings or damage to the control box.
The supplied sensor, Dakota Digital SEN-04-5, is a 100-300ºF(40-150ºC) temp sensor.
The sender mounts on the engine block or into the intake manifold so that the end of the sensor
is in the engine coolant flow. It has 1/8” NPT threads, adaptor bushings may be used to adapt it
for various applications.
The water temp sensor has two wires coming from the harness. One wire will connect to
the WTR SND terminal; the other wire will connect to the WTR –. It does not matter which wire
goes into either location.
Due to the construction of the sensor, readings at lower temperatures below 100 ºF will
be inaccurate. The sensor is designed to be accurate from approximately 100 ºF - 300 ºF.
WTR –
This is the ground reference used for two-wire water temp sensors. This will connect to
one of the wires from the Dakota Digital SEN-04-5. The other wire will connect to the WTR SND
terminal, and it doesn’t matter which wire goes into either location.
MAN 650067:F
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