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| -rw-r--r-- | doc/references.bib | 45 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/report/report.tex | 24 |
2 files changed, 68 insertions, 1 deletions
diff --git a/doc/references.bib b/doc/references.bib index 60fc4b9..58d75f8 100644 --- a/doc/references.bib +++ b/doc/references.bib @@ -98,3 +98,48 @@ author = {Sam Anthony}, url = {sw/bittiming}, }, +@online{JapanSemi, + title = {Trends in the Semiconductor Industry}, + subtitle = {1970s}, + organization = {Semiconductor History Museum of Japan}, + url = {https://www.shmj.or.jp/english/trends/trd70s.html}, +}, +@online{Panchal2025, + title={Skeuomorphic Hierarchy of a Needle Gauge}, + author = {Neil Panchal}, + year = {2025}, + url = {https://x.com/usgraphics/status/1945924815858311168}, +}, +@article{Strasburger2018, + author = {Strasburger, Hans and Huber, Jörg and Rose, David}, + title = {Ewald Hering's (1899) On the Limits of Visual Acuity: A Translation and Commentary}, + subtitle = {With a Supplement on Alfred Volkmann's (1863) Physiological Investigations in the Field of Optics}, + journal = {I-Perception}, + volume = {9}, + issue = {3}, + date = {2018-06-04}, + doi = {10.1177/2041669518763675}, +}, +@article{Hubel1962, + author = {D. H. Hubel and T. N. Wiesel}, + title = {Receptive Fields, Binocular Interaction and Functional Architecture in the Cat’s Visual Cortex}, + journal = {The Journal of Physiology}, + volume = {160}, + number = {1}, + year = {1962}, + page = {106-154}, +}, +@misc{CanHistory, + title = {History of CAN technology}, + organization = {CAN in Automation}, + url = {https://www.can-cia.org/can-knowledge/history-of-can-technology}, +}, +@legal{CFR40.86.1806-05, + author = {U.S. Environmental Protection Agency}, + title = {CFR 40 \S{}86.1806-05}, +}, +@online{LifeRacingDisplays, + title = {Displays}, + organization = {Life Racing}, + url = {https://www.liferacing.com/products/displays/}, +}, diff --git a/doc/report/report.tex b/doc/report/report.tex index 630fa73..5d561b4 100644 --- a/doc/report/report.tex +++ b/doc/report/report.tex @@ -30,11 +30,33 @@ \end{abstract} \tableofcontents -\newpage \section{Introduction} +Combustion engines, such as those used to power passenger cars, require precise control over their operation in order to run efficiently and reliably. +Since the early 1970s, car engines have been electronically controlled by an EMS (engine management system) \cite{JapanSemi}. +An EMS is an embedded system consisting of an ECU (electronic control unit), sensors, and actuators. +The actuators include fuel injectors and spark plugs. +The sensors measure things such as crankshaft angle, intake manifold pressure, coolant temperature, and so on. +The ECU features a microcontroller that uses feedback from these sensor data to operate the actuators, thus allowing the engine to run. + +Sensor data are sent not only to the ECU, but also to a display system mounted in the cabin so that the driver may monitor the engine's health. +The display system is typically a set of gauges showing, for instance, engine speed, oil pressure, oil pressure, and coolant temperature, among other things. + +The sensor data are transported about the car via a network; CAN (controller area network) \cite{can20b} is ubiquitous. +Introduced by Bosch in the early 1990s and standardized by ISO 11898 \cite{CanHistory}, all cars sold in the United States are required to be equiped with a CAN bus \cite{CFR40.86.1806-05}. + +The display system in the cabin must convey sensor data to the driver. +Each datum represents the instantaneous value of a continuous quantity---speed, temperature, pressure, etc. +These data are visually encoded by the display system and shown to the driver. +Each datum is most effectively encoded as a graduated radial analog scale with the instantaneous value marked on said scale \cite{Panchal2025}. +The graduated scale takes advantage of vernier acuity: our ability to discern slight misalignment between line segments \cite{Strasburger2018}, while the radial marker leverages the hypercolumnar acuity of vision: our ability to detect minute changes in angle of a line segment \cite{Hubel1962}. +Put simply, an analog needle gauge is the best way to display information to the driver. +It is the reason why even modern digital display systems are often just skeuomorphs of analog gauges \cite{LifeRacingDisplays}. + + + TODO |