FAQ + Q&A + FIY + HOW TO
Our dashboard is universal and was designed from the ground up to be easy to adapt to any project car.
It currently doesn’t support OBD2 due to lagging issues, but we are working on it!
It’s not plug-and-play, but the included harness is labelled wire by wire, and you can easily tap the OEM harness signals.
You can also choose to connect it only to the ECU, and the installation will require only connecting 4 or 5 wires.
There are two ways of getting it working:
- The basic mode (analog mode) reads the tachometer, speedometer, engine temperature, fuel level and all the info/warning lights – turn, ebrake, lights, doors, oil switch, ABS, Airbag, 4×4, etc.
These signals are handled by our powerful hardware directly through the inputs in the dash harness (included).
Our dashboard can also start when you open the door or remotely unlock the vehicle. - The advanced mode (realtime performance broadcasting) combines the basic features plus CAN broadcast readings from a supported ECU.
With this mode, you will have a better tachometer (and speedometer if the ECU already reads it) plus lambda, AFR, MAP, boost, battery level, fuel pressure, fuel temperature, oil pressure, oil temperature, IAT, TPS, ignition advance, injector pulse, gyroscope, accelerometer, etc. Basically, anything the ECU can provide over the CAN bus.
Ghost Dashboard is a digital automotive dashboard with a universal application that can be installed in different vehicle models. Unlike conventional clusters in which the instruments are electromechanical, on Ghost, the image is rendered on a TFT LCD screen, similar to what you see on premium last-gen or sports vehicles, but with even more features and customization options.
The LCD is standard ultrawide, anti-glare, high brightness and high resolution, available in 12.3, 10.3 and 8.8 inches options. The main CPU is a Cortex ARM running at 1.66ghz, integrated into our custom mainboard that provides tailored fine-tuned inputs designed to be compatible with an extensive range of sensors.
Our dashboard features multiple inputs for standard OEM cluster functions. Additionally, it boasts the capability to connect to an aftermarket engine control unit (ECU). This connection enhances its functionality, allowing for integrating up to 32 channels transmitted over a high-speed network, significantly boosting performance monitoring and observability.
One of the key features of Ghost Dashboard is its seamless integration with the GhostDash smartphone app via Bluetooth. This connection enables users to configure, calibrate, customize, and maintain their dashes effortlessly. It’s a user-friendly solution that brings advanced technical capabilities to your control.
Another significant advantage lies in the high level of customization available for the visual interface. It offers a variety of layout options (known as ‘skins’), colours, shapes, and arrangements of elements, along with choices for background images, videos, and startup texts. This flexibility allows you to personalize the dashboard to match your style and preferences, transforming the look and feel of your car’s interior.
The software that powers the Ghost Dashboard is the driving force behind all these features. Designed from the ground up with a focus on performance, the software is fast, robust, and efficient.
It’s fast because it uses high-performance algorithms to collect, process, format, and display data on the screen within two digits of milliseconds.
It’s robust, thanks to its intelligent error control logic, automatic recovery from failures, and special monitors that ensure flawless operation under any usage condition.
And it’s efficient, adapting to the user’s habits to save energy by turning features on and off in real-time, thus allowing the system to operate at its best with minimal energy consumption.
The Ghost Dashboard is the ideal accessory for modified vehicles in general, such as old restored and modernized ones – where the original dashboard is no longer compatible and does not offer the minimum necessary features; competition vehicles – which require information that conventional instrumentation can’t present; and customized vehicles that value a sophisticated and innovative aesthetic.
Layout Customization (Skins): The Ghost Dashboard offers an extensive selection of layout designs, known as ‘skins’. These skins vary from classic and minimalist to modern and avant-garde, catering to different aesthetic preferences. This feature allows users to transform the visual appearance of their dashboard interface to match the interior of their vehicle or their personal style.
Color Customization: Users can choose from a broad spectrum of colors for various elements of the UI. This includes the ability to change the color of the text, background, and graphical elements like dials and gauges. Whether you prefer a monochromatic look, vibrant hues, or subtle tones, the color customization feature ensures your dashboard resonates with your personal color palette.
Multiple variations per skin: The arrangement and shape of the elements on the screen can be switched between the options available inside each skin configuration set. Some skins even offer different animations depending on the ignition status!
Background Images: For a more personalized touch, users can upload custom images and photos to be used as the background of some skins. This option allows for a truly unique and personal experience.
Startup Text and Video: Users can set a personalized message or a short video to play when the dash starts. This feature adds a personal greeting or a visually appealing startup sequence, enhancing the overall experience of starting the vehicle.
Software Interface and Functionality: The customization extends to the interface and functionality. Users can adjust settings to display only the most relevant information according to their driving habits and preferences. This includes the choice of the gauges, the maximum range of each channel and the algorithm to be used when reading the fuel level and speedometer.
These comprehensive customization options are not just about aesthetics; they significantly enhance the user experience, making the interaction with the vehicle more intuitive, personalized, and enjoyable. The Ghost Dashboard’s focus on customization reflects an understanding that the modern driver values not just functionality but also a personalized connection with their vehicle.
We provide a custom harness with labelled wires to tap the OEM cluster wiring.
If the vehicle runs and works flawlessly without the OEM cluster connected, you are good to go!
Functions derived directly from the OEM or aftermarket cluster harness:
- Speed
- Engine RPM
- Engine Temperature
- Fuel Level
- Alternator/Battery Light
- Oil Pressure Switch Light
- ECU Error Light
- Defroster Light
- Left Turn Signal
- Right Turn Signal
- Parking Lights
- High Beam
- Fog Lights
- Low Beam
- Open Door Indicator Light
- Parking Brake
Functions derived from a compatible aftermarket ECU over CAN network*:
- RPM (app selection available: internal module or CAN);
- Speed (app selection available: internal module or CAN);
- Water Temperature (app selection available: internal module or CAN);
- Air Temperature;
- Throttle Position Sensor (TPS);
- Oil Pressure;
- Fuel Pressure;
- Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP);
- Boost;
- Lambda;
- AFR;
- Battery Voltage;
- Water Pressure;
- Oil Temperature;
- Gear Indicator;
- Injector Pulse Width;
- Ignition Advance;
- Gyroscope;
- Accelerometer;
- Traction Speed;
- Traction Slip;
- FuelTech (FT450 and above)
- InjePro
- ProTune
- Master Injection
- AEM Infinity
- DTA Fast
- ECU Master
- Haltech
- Holley EFI
- Hondata S300
- Link G4
- Maxx ECU
- Megasquirt (all MS2 and MS3)
Don’t see the ECU you use on the list or want to develop a custom integration with our dash?
Get in touch; we can integrate any custom mapping for CAN-enabled devices.
- Ghost Digital Dashboard
- Labelled harness with automotive connector
- Optional mounting brackets
OBD, OBD1, OBD2 – you’ve definitely heard of it.
You may have seen some digital dashboards and racing/sports clusters that run out of an OBD2 connection from websites like AliExpress or DHgate and are now wondering why we don’t support something similar.
You may also have snagged an OBD2 adapter off eBay and tried checking out your car’s data, only to be disappointed by the experience. You are not alone.
TL;DR: OBD was not designed for high-speed data readings.
OBD/2 stands for On Board Diagnostics. It’s like sending a “data request” to your car and waiting for it to tell you what’s up. It could be the current speed, RPM, coolant temp or current gear.
The information available in this protocol is not the problem since it’s vast and well-structured.
The real problem is behind how diagnostic protocols work.
Imagine two people using a walkie-talkie. One person has to press the button and ask for something. The second person hears it, waits for it to finish, thinks about the answer, and finally pushes the button to talk back. You must complete all steps and wait for an answer before asking something else, which takes some time.
This is precisely how the data flow works within an OBD/OBD2 connection. The device that wants the information has to ask the vehicle interface to answer a specific question with a value. The “question” can be the current RPM or TPS, for example.
Now imagine asking a set of questions repeatedly after every 40 or 50 milliseconds – frequency enough to update the data on the dashboard screen 20 or 25 times per second. It would be wonderful if the OBD/2 protocol offered something below the typical 120-150 milliseconds for the “answers” to return.
And that’s why OBD2 dongles and cheap tablet solutions feel so sluggish and disappointing. Every sensor value is asked for and received one at a time.
Diagnostics weren’t made for speed or performance.
CAN, or CANBUS, is a high-speed communication network that became the go-to for car manufacturers around 2006. It’s also used by many aftermarket gadgets that need quick data communication, like ECUs, wideband devices, and digital clusters like Ghost Dashboard!
With CAN, you don’t have to ask devices for values. They constantly send out their data to the CAN network, so any device on that network can grab the data they need right when needed. Plus, CAN devices can send multiple data points in one message – they’re not stuck sending one at a time like with OBD2.
With CANBUS, the dash can get several messages in just one millisecond, sometimes as little as one millisecond apart!
Each CAN message usually has about FOUR data updates, and if you’re displaying 8 data points on a dash at once, CAN can update all 8 of those hundreds of times in a single second. That’s the smooth, quick response you get from a proper CAN-based digital dash – not the slow, laggy feel from OBD2 apps.
Our line of dashboards is compatible with many aftermarket ECUs, serial-to-CAN bridging modules and custom data senders.
By the time this post was written, our dashes didn’t support any OEM ECU, but we have plans to support the most requested and desired ones.
By the time this post was written, our dashes didn’t support any OEM ECU, but we have plans to support the most requested and desired ones.
