DIY Project: 7.8-inch Ultrawide Sim Racing Dashboard

Our latest DIY project is a compact enclosure for the ultrawide version of the popular VoCore screen, which measures 7.8 inches diagonally. It is designed to be as compact as possible and requires no additional materials other than screws and heat-shrink nuts. It can be built for under 80 euros.

Materials required

For this project, you’ll only need the VoCore display, a USB-C cable, the appropriate screws, and heat-shrink nuts. For the latter, it’s a good idea to buy a kit so you’ll always have the right size on hand for this and future projects. The display can be purchased directly from the manufacturer, though you should expect a delivery time of one to two weeks.

The following tools and screws should also be available (depending on the base, the appropriate screws or spacers may also be required):

• Screws
  • M3 x 8 mm (4x): For securing the housing
  • M4 x 10 mm (2x): For securing the bracket

• DIY Tools
  • 3D-Printer: Anycubic Kobra S1 Combo – (Test / Review)
  • Carbon Style Print Plate: (Aliexpress)
  • Soldering Iron: TS101 (Aliexpress*) / Amazon.de*
  • Solder: Aliexpress* / Amazon.de*
  • Soldering Flux: Aliexpress* / Amazon.de*
  • Wire Stripping Pliers Aliexpress* / Amazon.de*
  • Threaded Insert Nut Kit: Aliexpress* / Amazon.de*

Display

The display is a 7.8-inch screen from VoCore, which can be connected to a PC via a single USB-C cable. This cable is used both for data transfer and to power the screen. Below are the technical specifications:

3D Printing

The main component of the project is the 3D-printed housing. It consists of two parts, which require around 70 grams of filament and a sufficiently large 3D printer. To achieve the carbon-fibre look, a carbon style build plate was used.

• Front: Can be printed without support
• Rear Cover: There are three versions here, each with differently sized cutouts for the USB cable used. For cleaner holes, you can print it with support; otherwise, you can print it without support and then manually remove any residue from the holes.
• Mount: As an example, the project includes a mount for Fanatec bases.

Installation and cabling

The housing can be assembled in just a few steps.

• Insert the VoCore screen into the front cover. Make sure to align the side with the ribbon cable so that it fits into the cutout in the front cover.
• Next, secure the USB-C cable to the back of the VoCore screen with tape to prevent any tension on the ribbon cable.
• The rear cover should be selected so that the size of the cutout is slightly smaller than the thickness of the USB-C cable. This ensures that the cable is additionally secured and held in place after the cover is screwed on.
• On the back, there are two cutouts (5.6 mm) for threaded inserts, which are installed using a soldering iron.

The Vocore-Screen can then be easily connected to the PC using the cable. Since it requires a relatively large amount of power, it should either be connected directly to the PC or used with an active USB hub.

Important: You should not need to apply excessive pressure to the display to slide it into the cover. Likewise, the display should not show any pressure marks (visible as white spots) during use, as this could damage it.

Important: Working on electronic components and soldering requires in-depth specialist knowledge. Please therefore observe the following information for all DIY projects shown on this blog:

• At your own risk: The implementation of the projects is, of course, expressly at your own risk. Everyone is responsible for complying with the necessary safety precautions and applicable standards.
• Professional supervision: All electrical work should only be carried out under the supervision or guidance of experienced experts or qualified specialists.
• Disclaimer: As the operator of this blog, no liability is accepted for property damage or personal injury resulting from the reproduction or implementation of the content described here.

Software

To feed data to the dashboard, SimHub is used—as you might expect. The display drivers are installed automatically during the initial setup. However, they can also be downloaded manually: https://www.simhubdash.com/devices-driver-installation/

Nach Installation kann man dann den VoCore-Screen auf folgende Art und Weise hinzufügen:

• Devices -> Add Devices -> Generic VoCore Screen

Here, you can adjust both the brightness and orientation of the screen and choose a design. There is a wide selection of designs available online. The version from Lovely Dashboards is particularly popular among sim racers.

Conclusion

A dashboard doesn’t have to cost hundreds of euros. If you’re willing to put in a little time, you can achieve excellent results at an affordable price. If you can live without extra LEDs and convenience features like an on/off switch or a detachable USB cable, you can get a fully functional sim racing dashboard here for under 80 euros.