Boys and girls, turkeys and squirrels, and everyone else I forgot… If I can get some time this weekend at home I plan on wiring up my xEM controller to the ignition on my Harley. Only thing I am not understanding is… If the controller acts as a trigger, what keeps the circuit complete to let it keep running after you pull your hand away from the antenna?
Check out this post. Amal suggests using a DPDT relay in a configuration that resembles a latching relay (very clever, I must say)
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It depends entirely how you want to do it i.e. no keys at all or key in turn, swipe hand then start?
Also depends if your bike as a factory fitted immobilizer.
The easiest is the latter but depends what your looking to do.
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It’s a 1999 Harley-Davidson road King, so it’s relatively simple because it’s still carbureted. Was thinking about wiring it to the kill switch. So turn the ignition on try to start it and it won’t start, scan my hand then it would start. Only issue with that is if I don’t have a special relay as soon as I remove my hand the circuit would break and it would shut off. I also thought since the antenna controller is just a trigger wire I could make my NExT The starter button and wire the controller to the starter solenoid.
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That’s where Amal’s relay comes in. It basically feeds a power THROUGH the relay contacts, back to the relay coil. That way, once it’s turned on, it’s self energizing. Kind of think of it as getting stuck in the on mode.
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Sounds like exactly what I need! I went by the auto parts and they don’t have one, and with this Corona stuff going on the hardware stores are already closed for the night so I’m going to try Lowe’s or home Depot in the morning.
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You could run two separate relays that do the same thing. Tie the input and output of the coils together. Use relay one as a Normally Closed switch on the kill wire, and Relay two, as a Normally Open switch from power, back to the positive side of both relay coils.
Make sure there’s a diode between the xAC, and the relays or you’ll back feed it and fry it.
Keep in mind this stays activated once it’s been powered. You may need a push button switch in the wire that keeps the relays on. So that you can turn it back to unpowered for a moment and let the bike die.
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I could use the ignition switch for that right? Ignition off… no power to anything … ignition on … Power to controller and the relay(s)… Scan hand, hit the starter button and it starts… Shut the ignition off… All power shuts down. ??? That’s the idea in my head at least lol. And what type of diode do I need? I also plan on wiring up my garage door this weekend, would I need a diode for that also?
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I didn’t think of that, in that way, but yeah should work.
Diodes are fairly simple devices, think of them as a one way valve for electricity. You will DEFINITELY need one if you’re wiring a garage door with an xAC.
Which one is problematic if you want to get it tomorrow. I usually order that kind of stuff. Do you have an electronics shop close? Maybe you live near one of the last remaining radioshacks?
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I connected my xac and relays to power through the engine run switch… repurposing it. The original engine run wires were connected to a simple reed relay which was powered on by the engine run switch… does that make sense? Basically the engine run switch connected power to the reed relay (connecting the original engine run wires that were connected to the engine run switch), and to the xac and power bus for dpdt latching relay and the automotive relays used to supplement the key switch.
The result is that I flip the engine run switch and that powers up the xac and “primes it” to act as a “key” when an authorized tag is scanned. More importantly, to shut it all down, just turn off the engine run switch and everything shuts down including the latched relay.
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You are DEFINITELY speaking my language there! Lol. Oddly enough I’m not a big computer guy lol but I’m a good mechanic. We have an altex computer store here so I might find some there. If not, looks like I will be waiting on Amazon lol!
@amal so you basically totally bypass the key / ignition switch and do everything through the kill switch? Hadn’t thought about that. I thought in your video on YouTube you had the key on.
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There’s a billion different diodes out there.
Try THIS from RadioShack. It’s a 1N4001 diode. Any electronics place should understand that number. You can also usually just tell them it’s a light duty 12V (motorcycle) system and let them pick it out for you.
This picture WILL help. I always get it backwards if I don’t check. Note the silver band on the body tells you which way.
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Awesome! Thanks! I feel like now that I have a reason to start learning about computers and circuit boards I’m really going to learn a lot and be able to make some really cool things!
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That’s the thing I love about this forum. Teaching and learning is all hands on deck. Everybody shares what they know.
In fact, Satur9 has lately been bending my brain into knots, but it’s great stuff once you figure it out.
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I have had a blast the past couple weeks being on here! I can’t wait to see what the future holds! I told a few of the guys in my CNC department of my shop that are computer wizzes and they are already coming up with things to make in my shop to try lol.
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Score!
If you want a diode tomorrow, O’Reilly’s has THESE.
It’s a basic diode, in the shape of a mini fuse. They’re used in cars to prevent the electromagnet on the AC clutch from back feeding the system when you turn the key off. I’ve used one of these before in a fuse holder. There’s a little nub of plastic on the side that is intended to prevent you from installing backwards (in the oem holder), you’ll have to trim it off to put it in a fuse holder.
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Awesome! I have an O’Reilly’s right down the street That’s perfect!
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I guess that link doesn’t work for everybody.
Try THIS or just google 02400113XP
Edit, I’m pretty sure the last time I got one (a while back) I had to get it from one of the bigger hub stores. Just FYI
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Nice and easy then, run power to xAC from ignition and have the output of the xAC trigger a latching relay (made from a couple of standard automotive relays)
The “fused 12v” is supplied from the on position of the ignition so that when you turn the key to off it cuts the latch off.
The latched output would be used to supply power to the starter button or solenoid.
So the full sequence is; turn key to on lpower applied to xAC and the fused 12v of the latch circuit but nothing else), scan chip (chip verified and latch circuit supplies power to the rest of the bike.
To turn off turn ignition to off.
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That is exactly what I needed! Thank you! I will post a video once I get it together. O’Reilly’s did not have the diode in stock so I got a pack of them from Amazon. Should be here next week sometime.
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