Hi there,
First post here, so be gentle on me lol.
We have a 1965 Mustang project where I work. The client has requested to fit paddle shift on the car. Specs on the project:
- 427IR Roush engine with FAST XFI Sportsman ECU
- Bowler Truestreet 4R70W transmission and Lokar shifter with manual up/down shift option HGM Compushift Sport TCU
- ECU-Master PMU-24DL as a “body control module”
- MME universal paddle shifters
- 92’ Mustang Fox Body steering column with 3 wire clock spring
The challenge is that the 3 wire clock spring is the limit for paddle shift. 1 wire is dedicated for the horn and 1 for ground. Which leaves me with 1 wire for the up and downshift. This could potentially be done with resistor based shifting. But i have been unable to find something “off the shelf” that works for me.
Here enters ECUMASTER Wireless Racing kit… My theory:
I can choose to use the remaining wire to feed the wireless transmitter with 3.2 volt from the PMU-24 and wire the paddles to the PS1 and PS2 inputs on the wireless transmitter. Then connect the receiver to the PMU-24 via can-bus and have the PMU send the output to the HGM TCU for up and downshift.
Would this work as a reliable and fast reacting paddle shift setup?
The car is going to be a cruiser and not a racecar. But if the need is there, “Sporty driving” must be possible 
I am not very experienced with CAN-BUS and this kind of setups. So please elaborate if there are any issues with my idea
Best regards from Denmark
Kasper A.
Yes, the wireless kit can be used for paddle shifting.
But one thing to consider is the wireless range. Depending on how the OEM steering wheel is made and where the module is placed, there may be a problem with wireless communication.
With a cast steering wheel, the inside can form a Faraday cage, making it hard for EM waves to enter or exit.
But if you only need 2 switches, you should make a MUX switch.
You need an analog input with a pull-up resistor.
One side of the paddle switch goes to the input through a series resistor.
The other side of the switch goes to the ground.
Use different resistance values for the up and down paddle.
With connections like that, every switch combination will have a different voltage at the input.
No switch = 5 V (from the pull-up resistor)
Up paddle = voltage X
Down paddle = voltage Y
Both paddles = voltage Z
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I appreciate the response!
The hub for the steering wheel is cast aluminium, and the steering wheel is a Momo wheel with a conventional plastic horn button. The small antenna that comes with the wireless racing kit could potentially be positioned “openly” in proximity to the horn button. But I suspect there may still be some potential risk of the wireless communication being compromised to some extent. That might just be on a trial and error basis.
I do like the idea of a MUX switch. And I was unaware of what to call it when looking online. So I just found this MUX Switch Board – ECUMaster USA
That should in theory be able to do what I’m looking for? I suspect that the PMU should be able to translate those inputs to up and down shift signals for the HGM TCU? I’m a virgin to this kind of programming, so it’s a bit of a steep learning curve.
Best regards,
Kasper A.
Yes, you can use this product if you want.
Yes, you can make a new signal in PMU that will activate only when the voltage from the analog input is in a specific range.
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