Why do you need a staring gauge??
If your using a limit switch you don't need a staring gauge.
Now you mention a motor, how will you attach it ,and to what??
will you just use the motor to operate the clutch cylinder???
Or are you thinking of eliminating the clutch master and slave cylinders???
As far as a trigger you could tie a push button to the stick shift
with some sort of feed back to the operator that the clutch is fully
disengaged .
at this point the operator shifts the auto,and press the button again so the
clutch will engage.
Victor
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Denny Esterline" <firmware@tds.net>
To: <piclist@mit.edu>
Sent: Saturday, August 27, 2005 8:16 PM
Subject: [EE] Clutch actuator ideas


> Ok, I'm thinking about hand controls for the clutch on a stick shift car.
> Sure, you could just get an automatic and not need a clutch - but what fun
> is that?
>
> Obviously a motor, a couple limit stops and a toggle switch would engage
and
> disengage the clutch, but I'm thinking of something a little more refined;
> at least proportional control, possibly a force feedback system.
>
> At the moment I'm thinking of using two pots, one for the control and one
> for the position sense. The electronics could be all analog, just a couple
> high power op-amps driving the motor so the feedback tracks the hand
control
> (I'm thinking a squeeze grip on the shifter lever). Although I'd probably
> reach for a PIC instead (A/D both pots and PID the motor).
>
> I have a couple thoughts about sensing the force applied to the clutch
> linkage. The mechanics could be designed with a strain gage to actually
> measure the force, but measuring the actuator current could be effective
> also. It might also be possible to add some software that takes the PID
> values and calculates the approximate load. That load data would be
> translated back to a feedback actuator on the hand controls. Though I'm
not
> entirely sold on the usefulness of force feedback on a clutch.
>
> Opinions, ideas and criticisms sought.
>
> -Denny
>
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