First ever 996 PlugNPlay Digital Cluster using factory ECU

In December I was at my buddies house discussing a digital display he was building for a Toyota platform. I asked what he thought if we were to try it with a 996. Well after just over 6 months of tirelessly hustling on this project, decoding the 996 ecu, reading wiring diagrams, double checking voltages, programming and designing I can finally debut a semi completed project!! I took notes off my wifes 2019 Porsche Macan cluster to consolidate our 5 gauges into 3 like hers. With a digital platform possibilities are endless. I can add shift lights, change faces, logos and add other displays. here is a YouTube video I uploaded to show its performance today on its maiden voyage!

Daaaang. Good stuff Nick. thought you were selling the car though lol

That is very cool! Love to hear more about it.

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Haha thanks. Car is in fact for sale as I'm sliding into a faster 996 next.

That is pretty dope.

This is awesome!!! Well done Nick. You need to move forward with this product and make it a commercially available product. Great job!

that's fantastic! would love more details on how it's done

Thanks guys. I can't give away a lot of the secrets but understand, there is A LOT more than just 3 LCD screens here. Custom circuit boards, wiring, 3D printing stands to position the screens at the perfect angles all jammed into the stock cluster housing which is already packed with a bunch of things as is. My buddy who is the engineering whiz deserves a lot of the credit. Reading information off the canbus, following wiring diagrams and confirming all is displayed with precise measurements to these screens is like learning another language fluently. There is no room for error. On top of that designing the display as close to OEM standards is what makes this such a proud accomplishment.

Wow, super cool mod my friend! Love the look. I can't imagine what it takes to do a job like this but impressive skills on the 2 of you.

That dash is "finer than frog hair"!!! Much Kudos to you ... Are you thinking of mass producing them ?

Wow. Serious skills there. Looks awesome. Congrats on the accomplishment.

Count me in excellent work 😎

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^^^ integration with the buyer's stock gauge cluster is the biggest challenge with making it commercially available. IMHO, the average owner will not have the patience (or skill) to install and configure it without damage which could result in a nightmare of warranty claim requests, even liability when they claim your product damaged their car. But judging from the images, this looks to be one of the best products to visually enhance the driver's experience in the 996. If it could be a plug 'n play gauge system, that would be a serious win-win!

Impressive!

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I still have my stock 996 analog cluster. I built this from a donor cluster. So I can swap back in less than 8mins.

Nick, are you thinking about manufacturing the cluster or is this just a one off? Certainly updates the interior to the digital age but also provides the ability to view important data points on the right side gauge.

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Been thinking about maybe making another or more, now that the hard part of research and developement is over with. Here is more of a breakdown I made today... noticed after i made the video i said the speedo was a "tach" LOL!

You have all the right stuff. I like what you have done. Don't know what you have to charge to make it worthwhile, but there is a market.

IMHO, could be done by licensing to one of those service companies that repair digital screens (ever owned a 1990s BMW?). Send in your analog gauge panel, get back a digital one. Not sure if removing the analog gauges is DIY.

Having the " OIL TEMP" built into the cluster is a big bonus and sooo important for Track or high performance driving... Couple of questions:: Did you run an independent wire to the factory oil temp sender, or did you incorporate Porsche Diag Protocol into the cluster to get the values for oil temp/intake air temp? Either way this Cluster is definitely an upgrade and there is a market for it but like anything Porsche it is "niche, fickle and difficult to predict" but if it is a labor of love, it will be successful, and I love it !!!

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Skip the cluster gets oil temp from the ecu over CANBUS so no need for the diag protocol.

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Not on the 996.1 cars, so I guess this upgrade would be limited to 996.2 cars ??

This looks amazing...If ever around and available, I am in...

Amazing work, you should be very proud of your accomplishment!

I too am onboard with this.

Thats totally sick!!!!! Wow, he should produce that! Would love to do that to mine!

I think the only path to a true low effort installable product would be to have a standalone cluster which press fits onto the outside of the existing gauge faces as a single unit, then using maybe the hazard light or microphone port screw for extra fastening security. Wired to the obd2 port, it would leave the original cluster unmodified and operational, showing the various warning lights but hiding the gauges. Sitting in my car I can kind of convince myself there'd be enough room for this, as these screens are very thin and the electronics should be stowable in one of the void spaces this would produce around the outer gauges. The floating dash FlyingShawn set up last year would be a similar kind of project, possibly a single fabricated piece of trim could integrate both sets of screens and be anchored at the hazard switch screw while being non-destructive/reversible. https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...-upgrades.html

By the way I want those round LCD screens. Been trying to find some for *ages* for a non car related project.

I’m in……

Man the 996 just got a much needed upgrade and now everyone will want one

I'm not well-versed in this area. Nick, how is your solution different than something like this outside of how the numbers/charts are laid out (which is configurable anyway)? You Tube edit: I'm referring to the digital display in the dashboard, not the video overlay.

Would this work on a 996TT?

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I recently saw one of these and thought of all kinds of things I could do with it. https://www.adafruit.com/product/577...ST_EMAIL_ID%5D Too many other projects in my queue for now.

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Round gauges are so much hotter. I have an AEM CD7 in my BMW, it's "racecar" but at the end of the day you're shoehorning an aftermarket rectangle into the space. Getting an objectively better solution to preserve the look and feel of OEM Porsche is impressive as hell. Refresh rates and graphics fidelity can be done better as well when you roll your own solution. None of the motorsport gauges to my knowledge really empower you to make beautiful graphics, it took me a few months hacking away at the AEM software to convince the CD7 to display custom gauge artwork (not just pixels) according to channel values.

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Thanks Bruce, I checked with my LCD supplier and they have a range of round LCD's from 30mm to 120mm diameter. I should have asked them earlier.

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The one you posted the guy has a stand alone computer system with a large display for it and is professionally tuned. My system uses the factory computer and plugs directly in place. Hence plug and play. No tuning, no special patch or wiring harness needed. Most important, looks and works like factory! Remove 4 screws and done! There are more ideas for display styles and features in the works. Stay tuned.

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I'm actually buying a 996tt in a couple weeks and carrying this project over to that. So yes, I plan to do more with this on the turbo platform.

Nick, For sure, there is big difference between a "race" digital display and a "street" display in functionality and look. https://www.motec.com.au/products Your display upgrades and updates the interior to the digital age, improves data delivery and functionality while maintaining complimentary 996 design. It just works with form and function. There is a market.

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Yes, I'm aware this his display looks like OEM. My point was about the tech behind it. OP asserts that his is the, "First ever 996 Plug and Play Digital Cluster using factory ECU". So, I was wondering if the race displays were also plug and play using the factory ECU (albeit using high visibility fonts and layout for race reasons). The hard part is getting the live data from the car. The relatively easy part is picking fonts and design language. The video I posted above and your Motec link shows a lot of live data from the car.

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Absolutely agree. Hopefully some of the engineers can jump in and discuss the compare amd contrast details. No question, you can tap into the car computer for data (like Nick, Coopduc and Durametric) or you can run sensors all over the car for direct feeds (AIM & Motec). No question, If I had a full time race car, I would want a Motec or AIM system. But for street and track or just street, while staying true to the 996 interior, Nick's solution is a home run.

@coopduc developed a digital oil temp gauge a couple of years ago that is affordable and imho a must have for owners to monitor oil temps. Porsche never put one in the 996. Go figure. See digital oil temp gauge under clock. Nick takes it to the next level with his digital cluster display. I suspect it won't be cheap, but hope he decides to put it into production. Now we have varying degrees if choices available for data display. Keep it oem, add a digital oil temp gauge, replace the cluster with a digital cluster or go ***** to the wall with AIM or Motec. Thank God for engineers or we would still be in the dark ages.

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I'm with you. The challenge is going from a single working prototype in a garage to something robust enough to be sold to and used by the general public. It goes from being a labor of love to questioning if it's worth it or not to sell a few dozen units. Especially in light of the current community backlash against manufacturers ditching analog displays in lieu of digital. With the 996 considered to be one of the last "truly analog" sports cars, would it be something worth trying to take to market? I'm a software engineer and I've made some apps for myself that I've taken to market (with associated marketing, support, and upgrades over years). I'm familiar with the process (albeit in a different genre). So, I do have some experience with all of the above and I really appreciate all that's involved. I just don't want Nick to get hyped up to do this based on a few people replying to a thread. I'm in this thread and as much as I think this is very, very cool...I wouldn't buy this to replace my analog cluster because I really like the analog cluster. Please don't hear this as "hating". Please hear it as it is intended, a different perspective that might be considered.

Maybe the best solution is somewhere in-between. Maybe keep the analog bits and (not so) simply upgrade the OEM digital bits. (All of the above, "Is taking this to market worth it?", concerns still apply, though 😬 )

For sure. Always comes down to cost to manufacture and what you can actually sell it for to make it a worthwhile endeavor. Next step may be developing a right side gauge with temps and pressures that is different in size and shape that can be velcroed somewhere. Dunno. If I had the engineering skills and knew how to do it, I would have developed it years ago. Just happy for the innovation!

Yes the Analog display is timeless and truly period correct to the car and i still love it! As stated I'll be sliding in to a Turbo 996 soon and with the PCCM+, this digital cluster and a 991.2 steering wheel the interior view will get a huge face lift and look up to date current yet still have that oldschool charm about it.

Keeping the analog display and only replacing the center digital portion is a project I've been working on for my 996.1: https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...r-996-1-a.html I'm not bothering with the odometer or clock/oil level gauge because there is nothing gained by replacing those -- tampering with the odometer would be a significant downside.

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(your pic from your thread) This is awesome. Not to hijack this thread, but this is what I'm talking about. This design is the sweet spot, IMHO. I have no comments about the architecture or implementation. That's over my head.

Thanks for the compliment! To be honest, that photo doesn't do it justice. It's still a work in progress, and it's been on hiatus for a few months as we're remodeling, so I can't access my garage/workbench.

and I read this last week: The New Porsche 911 Does Away with One of Its Iconic Features | Gear Patrol No more analog tachs in the future.

Will this also replicate the functions of the OBC? I don't know if it is possible, but would there be the possiblity to read OBD fault codes as they appear? I know you would have to have an on-board database to translate the codes if you wanted the verbiage of what they are.

Well, I picked up a 2003 911 Turbo in August and immediately got to work getting this digital cluster to work with it too! At the finish line buttoning everything up here! Best thing is everything is dead accurate including oil pressure and getting boost to read in exact time in PSI. Almost a full year of work into this and finally seeing thr light at the end of the tunnel. More to come. Stay tuned! You Tube

so no plans to sell this at all?

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Considering doing a limited run of a few as they are very time consuming to build. I have two local guys harassing me for one.

Oh god that's hot.

Awesome project! I just picked up a CAN capable OBD adapter in the hopes of dabbling towards something like this but you�re light years ahead. Any code, development, or reference resources you could point me towards?

Do you have the encoding for displaying the current gear with the tiptronic transmissions?

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Interested in queuing up for a unit! Let me know if you decide to start a run.

wow! that is awesome!

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add me to that list. This is top notch work ! Kudos

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You cant introduce this amazing cluster and not expect everyone harrasing you I want one as well

Just saw this. SOOOOOO.....If I wanted to design custom cluster graphics....can I do that? At this point, I guess I should qualify my ask....I designed digital clusters (and infotainment systems) for almost a decade for BMW, Rolls Royce and BMW Motorcycles. I have a 996 and am thinking of some integrations. I know it's hard. Boy, do. I know I also more than understand the CANbus issue (I don't think the 996 is CAN-FD, is it?). The beauty of the 996 and 997 is that since it was never a full digital LCD, you're not running QNX (Qualcomm) which is more failsafe than say, Android OS. Are the LCDs automotive grade (operating temp and cabin ambient temps need to be thought of)? What about cold weather response times?

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I don't know what you just said, but yes I also want a cool instrument cluster..My optioned silver dials are bubbling all of a sudden and an upgrade would be soo cool.... The cluster and steering wheel are the things the driver sees most...

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Yes LCD screens are automotive grade. We bench tested the clusters for days and ran through multiple tests for hot and cold temps to verify no abnormalities in performance or warpage. Everything is immediate in response. I am still running the cluster in my Turbo and get A LOT of attention when show it at local shows here in SoCal.

Following. Lemme know if you sell these. What's the news with the 991 steering wheel plans?

Love the ingenuity! Keep up the good work.

Got one done in Yellow recently too!

Remarkable effort. You're only limited by the data provided by the car's electronics and your imagination on what to do with it. Of course, everyone will want this or that. Some things will be relatively easy (backgrounds, splash screens) but others not so much. What will the interface between be. i.e. say you decide to provide options to switch from analog needles to digital bars to show speed, RPM. Will there be some USB/BT interface with an app or computer program? In today's day and age, people will want that.

This is so neat! Are you still planning on doing the limited run? I am interested in a set.

Ok, I too am interested. Very nice work !

https://trdsupracluster.myshopify.co...or-porsche-996 Edit: Just to be clear... I'm not affiliated with this shop/site, just sharing the link

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Would love this on my 2000 Carrera

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im in ! I definitely NEED one 😁

Please?

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Yes I still need one but some repairs came up, which required some $$$.

[QUOTE=Nick S.;19504916]In December I was at my buddies house discussing a digital display he was building for a Toyota platform. I asked what he thought if we were to try it with a 996. Well after just over 6 months of tirelessly hustling on this project, decoding the 996 ecu, reading wiring diagrams, double checking voltages, programming and designing I can finally debut a semi completed project!! I took notes off my wifes 2019 Porsche Macan cluster to consolidate our 5 gauges into 3 like hers. With a digital platform possibilities are endless. I can add shift lights, change faces, logos and add other displays. here is a YouTube video I uploaded to show its performance today on its maiden voyage! this is so awesome! love that you can include the oil pressure . i am adding a sensor for that in my 2007 987.1 and this is so neat i need one! of course i just purchased a new cluster

Sign me up for one!