Overview
Some consumers have come to us wondering what benefits they would see by
upgrading from their ScanGAUGE to a DashDAQ. We are constantly
evaluating other products on the market to see what we can improve, and
we feel that sharing our results will help customers make informed
decisions. To help, we
created this page comparing and contrasting the two devices.
Here is a summary of what we found
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DashDAQ offers the following Advantages
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Display
A
dashboard display is seen by all passengers every time you drive your
vehicle, so it is important to have a big enough color
screen that has enough resolution to display the information you
want to see. You need a display that is readable in
daylight, but not overpowering at night.
The difference between the DashDAQ display and ScanGAUGE display are significant. The DashDAQ uses a Full Color TFT similar to those found on laptops and Navigation Systems. It is capable of displaying high resolution images and graphics. The ScanGauge uses a graphic display similar to those found on digital thermometers. It cannot draw colors, shadows, gauges, or complicated images
Here is an image Viewed on DashDAQ's Screen at full resolution
ScanGauge II Display
Parameters and Networks
A
great display is important, but only if you have access to the important
parameters you want to see. This is an area where DashDAQ advances. The
ScanGAUGE is primarily a generic OBD2 scanner, meaning that it can
display anywhere from 5-80 engine-only parameters depending on your
vehicle. There is also a way to key in your own parameters on ScanGAUGE,
but it requires you to know engineering data on your vehicle.
The DashDAQ supports all of the parameters in ScanGAUGE, plus over 2000 manufacturer-specific parameters. These extra parameters include transmission information, boost, exhaust gas temperature, and things that the dealer might see. Drew Technologies spent thousands of hours of work developing a database stored in DashDAQ with these parameters. They also include non-OBD2 modules, sensors, and even replacement EFI systems for the racers. To see the entire list, click here
Customization
If you
expect more than just a basic display of data, you may be interested to
learn about the differences in customizability between the ScanGauge and
DashDAQ. The DashDAQ has 6 built-in themes to
choose from that all feature different colors and styles. If you don't
like any of those themes, you can also design your own using DashDAQ's
theme editing tool. This will literally allow you to put any pictures,
gauges, graphs, slider bars, or text that you want on your DashDAQ. Look
below for a sample customized screen or click here to
visit the page featuring DashDAQ's customization capabilities.
(DashDAQ Skin Editor designer view)
The ScanGAUGE does allow you to customize the backlight color on your display, but the backlight is a solid color. You cannot use multiple colors on the screen at one time or have any graphical images. You are limited to text and basic characters.
Under
The Hood
Price shouldn't be the only factor in a
purchase decision. You wouldn't pay the same price for a high
performance sports car as an entry level compact car. Before you buy, you want to know
what's under the hood. Buying electronics isn't that simple because many
manufacturers won't tell you. By comparing these two products, you
can see that DashDAQ's design is far more advanced including Ball Grid
Array (BGA) processors, an 8-layer circuit board, expansion features not
present on the ScanGauge II, and over three times more parts, and
components placed on two side. All of these extra parts allow DashDAQ to
collect data faster, access more protocols and networks, offer a more
feature rich user interface, and do more with that data.
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DashDAQ Top |
DashDAQ Bottom |
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ScanGauge Top |
ScanGauge Bottom |
Technical Specs
| DashDAQ | ScanGAUGE | |
| Display | 4.3" 480x272 TFT LCD | 16x2 Character Display |
| Color Depth | 16,777,216 | 2 |
| Auto Adjusting Backlight | Yes | No |
| touch-screen | Yes | No |
| Processor | 240MHZ - Primary Processor 40MHZ - Secondary Processor |
40MHz - Single Processor |
| Flash Memory | 32MB | 32KB (~ .03MB) |
| RAM Memory | 64MB | 1KB (.001MB) |
| Expandable Memory | Up to 32GB (MMC/SD Slot) | none |
| Operating System | Linux | Proprietary / Embedded |
| USB Ports | 3 | none |
| RS232 Ports | 2 | none |
| Analog Inputs | 2 | none |
| Audio | 16-bit stereo out + 2W speaker | none |
| Field Updatable Firmware | Yes | No |
| Expansion + 3rd Party Options | GPS Sensor 1-20Hz, GPS Navigation, Accelerometer, Wideband O2, EGT, Additional Analog inputs (up to 32), Aftermarket EFI Systems, 0-5V sensors, RS232 devices, USB Host Devices | none |
Pictures
DashDAQ
SCANGAUGE
Front View
Top View
Back View
This concludes our findings. If you believe anything on this page is in error, please contact sales@drewtech.com.
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