Popular car racing simulators send car telemetry via UDP packets. This allows third party programs and devices to access real-time information such as engine speed, RPM, temperature, etc.
The repo has some examples using an ESP8266 to drive LEDs based on RPM. Two games are supported: "Project Cars 2" and "F1 2020".
https://github.com/nodemcu/nodemcu-devkit-v1.0#pin-map
Use your phone or tablet to enter your SSID and password. No need to change the source code.
https://github.com/tzapu/WiFiManager
This library has ESP8266 specific optimizations WS2812 LEDs.
https://github.com/Makuna/NeoPixelBus
This library is used to drive the 32x8 LED matrix.
https://github.com/MajicDesigns/MD_MAX72XX
https://www.projectcarsgame.com/two/project-cars-2-api/
https://forums.codemasters.com/topic/50942-f1-2020-udp-specification/
Parts
| Quantity | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | NodeMCU 1.0 ESP8266 board |
| 2 | 8 RGB LED stick |
| 3 | Wires |
| n/a | Solder |
Connection Table for RGB LEDs
| NodeMCU | WS2812 | Description |
|---|---|---|
| G | GND | Ground (Blue wire) |
| 3V3 | VCC | 3.3 Volt Power (Orange wire) |
| RX | IN | Arduino GPIO#3 (Yellow wire) |
Connecting the WS2812 LEDs this way may not always work because the LEDs are designed for 5 Volt power and logic levels. But 3.3 Volt works on most of the time. And this eliminates the need for logic level converters. If you want maximum brightness, use 5 Volts and logic level converters. The number of LEDs is limited by the ESP8266 board 3.3V voltage regulator.
The two 8 RGB sticks are soldered together to form one 16 RGB stick. Flexible strips and rings can be used instead.
Connection Table for 32x8 LED matrix
| NodeMCU ESP8266 | LED Matrix | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 3V3 | VCC | 3.3 Volt power |
| GND | GND | Ground |
| D7,GPIO#13,HMOSI | DIN | SPI output |
| D8,GPIO#15,HCS | CS | SPI select |
| D5,GPIO#14,HSCLK | CLK | SPI clock |
./pcars2/pcars2leds/pcars2leds.ino
Drive 16 WS2812 RGB LEDs based on engine RPM.
./pcars2/pcars2matrix/pcars2matrix.ino
Drive 32x8 LED matrix based on gear and KPH. Also drive 16 WS2812 RGB LEDs based on engine RPM.
./f12020/f12020leds/f12020leds.ino
Drive 16 WS2812 RGB LEDs based on rev lights percent.
./f12020/f12020matrix/f12020matrix.ino
Drive 32x8 LED matrix based on gear and KPH. Also drive 16 WS2812 RGB LEDs based on rev lights %. The ESP8266's IP address is displayed on power up on the 32x8 matrix. The IP address must be plugged into the F1 2020 UDP configuration screen. The screen is cleared when the first UDP packet is received.
Now includes a web interface for showing various telemetry results including
- Front brake bias
- Fuel mix
- DRS
- Engine temperature
- ERS
- Tire temperatures
- Orientation (Roll, pitch, yaw)
Connect to the ESP8266's IP address to see the web page. The web page is pure text for debugging but it could be decorated with graphics if desired.
