Well, foccers may have seen my recent posts and requests for help around all things mechanical. Well, electrics is my forte really, so this little job of fixing a DataTool DiGi was a piece of pie that I wanted to share with you good folk - to give something back. If there is interest, I will compile some tutorials on debugging electrical faults - but there are so many I could do with a request for help on whatever your electrical problems are and I will see if I can pull something together. Anyway, back to the DiGi
Equipment needed
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Soldering iron (ideally motorvehicle butane gas operated/cordless)
Solder
Self amalgamating tape (30cm)
Sharp craft knife (removing old wires/insulation tape/etc)
Screwdrivers (removing front screen)
DataTool DiGi device "for electronic speed sensors"
What is it?
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The DataTool DiGi is to some a gimmick useless piece of fairy lighting; to others it represents a tool that displays the current gear number on a bright LED-bar display so as to help gearing up/down to road situations where the scream of 15,000RPM is not how you ride. Ok, for those who fall in the latter category , read on.
The DiGi I'm describing here is the "Electronic Speedo" version; DataTool manufactured (or did) another version for mechanical speedo cable bikes. The Fazer600 has electronic sensors so no need for the cable version. You can buy the "for Electronic Sensor" version on eBay for £45.
The DiGi uses a combination of wheel speed, neutral switch, and RPM to "learn" your gearing. Now here is the important bit - the Fazer uses a wheel sensor on the front wheel so whilst you can install the DiGi in the garage, you will need to teach (program - don't worry - its easy) the DiGi , WHILST YOU RIDE THE BIKE. More on this later...
Which year?
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This guide works for Fazer upto and including year 2000 models. I can provide info for later models but didnt have it to hand when compiling this HOWTO
Warning
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Before commencing ANY electrical work, disconnect the battery INCLUDING the +ve lead. I've heard advice to just disconnect the earth. Problem with this is that when cables are hanging off the bike, metal tools are around, multimeter probes dangling, and so on..there is always the potential to short the +Ve terminal to ground. So DISCONNECT the -ve and +ve leads from the battery. Ok!. lets continue.
Fitting
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The DiGi tool comes with a "fitting pack" which is very much next to useless. It consists of plastic ties, an alcohol swab and two 3M very sticky velco pads. I have lots tad lying around but maybe foccers will find this pack useful - I just used my preferred materials. I also have a metal bracket fashioned to fit this to the bike, and recommend you mechanical guys do something similar. I also had to remove the DiGi currently fitted as it was a cheap Chinese clone someone else had fitted. This rubbish needs removing because it used to come on and off during riding and would stick on numbers too. Quite a varied - but never correct - performance from the clone crap. Out it comes as does the sharp naff cheap plastic conduit that cut into some of the wires !
1. Remove windscreen
2. Move away the black cover from RPM gauge
3. Strip back any existing installation of a cheap DiGi and remove/cut all connected wires from the DiGi
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Old DiGi |
4. Take hold of the RPM gauge wiring loom and gently pull the wires apart.
5. Separate (gently gather together the following wires)
- Brown (12V supply)
- Black (ground)
- White (speed sensor)
- Yellow (RPM)
- Light Green (Neutral switch) on some bikes this may appear as a light blue/turquoise colour but its supposed to be a green.
6. Using soldering iron, burn away a 3mm slice of insulation covering from the above 5 cables in the Tachometer (RPM) housing cable loom. If you've never used a soldering iron - google or search YouTube. If you're still stuck - post here and I'll try to help.
7. Route the DiGi cable through the Tachometer Rubber cover.
8. Connect the DiGi cables to the wiring loom by applying solder with the iron both to the ends of the DiGi cables and also to the wires you just exposed by burning away the insulation cables. When soldering the trick is to "tin" the wires. This means put solder on your iron tip and then "dab" the wires into /into the solder on the iron tip. Then , take for each of the exposed wires (now covered with solder) offer up the DiGi cable so that the DiGi cable end and exposed wire touch each other; heat both with the iron for 2 seconds then remove the iron making sure not to move the wires for 2 seconds. Tricky so practice on spare wires first. MAKE SURE YOU DONT BURN OTHER WIRES OR THE PLASTICS AROUND THE COCKPIT. When you have done this it will look like this (I've covered the soldering joints with white insulation tape)
This is how you connect the Tachometer loom to the DiGi
Tachometer loom wire colour DiGi wire colour
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- Brown (12V supply) Red
- Black (ground) Black
- White (speed sensor) Green
- Yellow (RPM) Yellow
- Light Green (Neutral switch) Brown
Don't worry about the Orange cable from the DiGi - for now. Just make sure it is pulled back out of the rubber cover. We need to access this later. Now your loom should look like this
 DiGi cable routing and connections |
DiGi cable routing and connections |
9. Offer up the rubber cover and refit to the Tachometer
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Refit Tachometer cover |
10. Use a plastic tie (included in the kit but I used my own) to secure the loose DiGi cable to a chassis frame point. Here you will also note the mounting bracket on the left, that my DiGi is attached to using the velcro pads. One on the back of the DiGi, one on the bracket. Use the alcohol pad to clean both before fixing the velcro pads (I actually used brake cleaner so the swab is still in the bag)
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IMG 20140801 161807 |
11. Using Self Amalgamating tape , wrap it around the rubber cover starting from the top and over the cables. You can buy this stuff from motor shops. Its great, when stretched over itself , it glues itself together. You need to make sure it is stretched as you fit otherwise it doesn't work or work as good. When wrapping, overlap the tape over half the previous turn; this will give a spiral effect if you've done this correctly.
Make sure you leave the Orange cable out - don't cover this up. You can just see the velcro pad on the bracket , middle left of the image
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IMG 20140801 162223 |
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IMG 20140801 162233 |
Learning
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12. Ok, the orange cable. This is the key to the device learning your gear. Turn on the ignition and ensure bike is in neutral. When the orange cable is grounded to [any bike earth point] for 10 seconds the display flashes "P". Program mode. This allows you to program the device. Remove the cable from earth point Now retouch the earth point with the cable. "1" appears. Touch again and "2" appears. Carry on until the number "6" appears. Remove cable from earth point and wait until the display flashes "0". You have now told the bike how many gears the bike has - 6. You now have 10 seconds to "train" the device....
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IMG 20140801 163533 |
13. This is where you need to be careful. Riding the bike, set off in FIRST GEAR SLOWLY and move at 2,500RPM. Maintain 2500RPM and the display "1" will flash quicker until a "-" appears.
14. Now SLOWLY ENTER NEUTRAL and maintain 2500RPM just quick enough for the neutral light to come on then ENTER SECOND GEAR MAINTAIN 2500RPM and the display "2" will flash quicker until a "-" appears.
15. Do the same as previous step for gears THIRD to SIXTH
16. When on SIXTH gear the "6" will flash , maintain 2500RPM until the display does a "loop the loop" - you will know what this means when you see it. The device is now programmed and ready.
If you do not maintain 2500RPM, do not select NEUTRAL as above or do anything different then you have to switch off and start the whole learning thing again. This thing is very particular about this and I've found that variations can lead to the device getting confused and report wrong gear or taking ages to report the correct gear and act slowly to gear changes. 2500RPM is optimal
I use a long cable temporarily for programming. I connect it to the orange cable then remove after learning; this is why we left the orange cable out of the wrapping procedure. Imagine having to undo all the wrapping and repeat it. That self amalgamating stuff aint easy to remove
After programming/learning, I leave the orange cable out but tucked away underneath. its not visible when riding. This provides easy access should I need it in future. By the way, the DiGi has a ROM chip which stores the learned gears so disconnecting the battery should not require a re-learn.
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IMG 20140801 163137 |
Refit screen and smile!
I've probably assumed a load of stuff here that others need help with so if I can improve this HOWTO then please post suggestions.
Good luck.
** I ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY IF YOU TAKE THE BIKE ON A PUBLIC ROAD AND COLLIDE WITH ANY OBJECT WHILST IN THE PROCESS OF LEARNING/PROGRAMMING THE DEVICE **
