Electronics from ZA Elettronica

The Dash Electronics

The ZA electronics set is possibly the most technically advanced and sophisticated electronics set in the world.
It is equipped with 4 microprocessors and is manufactured with today’s production standards.

Specifications:

  • Industrially manufactured printed circuit board that can withstand the high temperature fluctuations that can quickly arise in a car.
  • Supported input voltage between 8 and 24 volts as well as integrated overvoltage protection for voltages above 30VDC. Maximum consumption 1.8 amps at 12.5V.
  • Integrated on-board computer with an odometer and other useful functions such as oil change counter and settings for the various vehicle types (4,6,8 cylinders).
  • Various speed settings – automatic change from normal cruise to pursuit when a certain speed is reached.
  • Integrated dimmer of all LED displays for comfortable driving at night. The countdown display goes out and prevents annoying reflections in the windshield.
  • Integrated MP3 player that outputs music and speech effects via the coax connection on the Dash.
  • Intelligent on-board computer that can show when the next oil change is due or when to fill up. Can be combined with voice output (acoustic warning).
  • Accurate and fluid reading of the vehicle’s sensors without faltering when processing the information.
  • CAN BUS technology: The boards communicate via an unencrypted protocol, which allows the system to be easily expanded with additional components.
  • Free firmware updates via USB
  • Integrated keypad via which the on-board computer can be controlled. 

Here is an overview of the boards 

easy to install thanks to plug connections

Can be expanded at any time thanks to CAN-BUS technology


no cable chaos thanks to neatly organized cable rooms

always up to date thanks to free USB firmware updates

authentic look thanks to uniformly arranged LEDs

Lighting behind the circuit boards for easier access to the connections even after installation

To download the operating instructions (English) click HERE.

If you have any questions, please contact us at info@swissknight2000.ch.

Set price including VAT CHF 1990.00

Laser cut overlays for free.

Shipping is usually 7 days after receipt of payment.

Knight Rider Switchpods – Season 1/2

suitable for the ZA Elettronica dashboard set

The ZA Elettronica Switchpod modules are unique in their kind. They do not require any complicated wiring and can simply be connected to the connections on the Voice box.

The associated cables are included and make cable management easy.

The buttons were designed using a CAD program so that they correspond to those in the series.  
The writing was engraved into the buttons for an authentic look over a longer period of time.

The buttons are of very high quality and are also included in the set.

A relay board can be purchased as an option.
This product is only compatible with the dashboard electronics from ZA Elettronica.
In addition to the sound, a function can also be assigned to the individual buttons via the relay board. 

The offer here refers exclusively to the Switchpod modules with the buttons, as shown in the photos.

Various MP3 sounds can be played via the modules. These must first be uploaded to the SD card on the Dash and are assigned to each individual key.
The mp3 files can be adapted and changed as required. 

If no mp3 file is assigned, a key tone is simply played. 

The purchase price includes: 

  • 2 modules 
  • Equipped with the buttons
  • electric wire 

Shipping is usually 7 days after receipt of payment.

Set price including VAT CHF 439.00

The scanner

The ZA Elettronica scanner is not a simple LED scanner, but a complete system, which includes a sound module, a 433MHZ remote control, two sound filters, a motion sensor, a keyboard, the cables for connecting all components, the battery and the electronics set contains.

The scanner is equipped with demo mode, random mode, laser interface
(interface ready for ZA switchpods).
Like the dashboard, the scanner’s firmware can be updated.

The Scanner Bar

The scanner consists of an aluminum rail, which is divided into two parts and soldered in the middle with the classic V-shape.
The LED scanner circuit is located inside the rail. In order to efficiently dissipate the heat, it was designed with a PCB metal core instead of Vetronit. This more complex and expensive process enables better heat dissipation within the circuit via the aluminum rail.

When reassembling, an external section is added for each individual cell to preserve the eight cells in the scanner bar.


To close the scanner towards the front, a red Plexiglas is pushed in front of the scanner bar. On the left rear side of the housing, two cable bundles leave the scanner, one of which contains eight cables and one contains three cables. These cables are provided with the IP68 connections that have to be connected to the driver board in the aluminum box.



The scanner ONLY works when connected to a Dash electronics kit from ZA as it uses the Can-Bus connection to obtain information such as speed, RPM and the power status of the dashboard. There is no other way to control the scanner!

The cables

All cables within the set meet the necessary vehicle specifications and have IP68 plugs. This ensures perfect operation in every situation and the associated safety against short circuits.

All cables are marked to facilitate connection to the respective component.

In order to avoid that too many cables have to be led into the interior of the vehicle, the main power supply is housed in the engine compartment. The control unit has an integrated relay that interrupts the power supply when the electronics set is switched off. Of course, the scanner will reactivate when the dashboard is turned on.
This is also done to avoid draining the battery when not in use.


The dashboard sends a voltage to the signal line via the Canbus network and the white DMX cable, which puts the scanner into standby mode.
As an additional safety measure, the relay inside the control unit also disconnects the power supply from the battery when the dashboard is switched off using the main switch.


The connection can be made directly with the supplied connections on the battery cable. If the connections do not fit, it is easy to exchange them for others.

  • The red cable leads plus (+12 VOLT) 
  • The black cable leads minus (- ground, GND)  

The control unit

Since this scanner was developed from scratch, the design was studied down to the smallest detail. Thanks to the CAD construction, the correct and necessary space was calculated in which this box should be placed. It is installed just behind the right headlight near the hood lock bracket where the two grooves in the lock plate are located. After the box has been fixed with four screws, it is perfectly aligned and fixed.

For safety and protection against bad weather, the control unit is housed in an aluminum box and has the following inputs / outputs:

  • Power + 12 volts for circuit board, scanner, motion sensor, relay
  • DMX cable for connection to the dashboard or soundboard
  • RELAY cable for optional laser module (not included) that can be used with a ZA switch pod set
  • RADAR cable for connection to the front motion sensor …
  • Interface cables for the scanner bar: eleven cables in two IP68 connectors, one of eight and the other of three cables.

How exactly does the motion sensor work?

It is a passive infrared sensor (Passive InfraRed) that measures the heat of objects in front of it.


Excursus: All objects with a temperature above absolute zero emit thermal energy in the form of radiation. This radiation in the infrared wave range is not visible to the human eye, but can be recognized by special electronic devices, which can thus release an impulse.

The term passive in this case refers to the fact that PIR devices do not consume any energy for detection purposes. They function entirely through the incidence of infrared radiation on the sensor, which is emitted or reflected by objects.


When the scanner switches to standby mode, the PIR sensor measures the current ambient temperature (20 seconds). Each variation detected by the sensor activates one or both of the following functions:

  • Activation of the scanner (if activated)
  • Activation of the dashboard (if activated)

The sound module, electronic user interface, remote control, MP3, realistic turbine and click speed sound

There are 4 RCA connections on the soundboard: three outputs (side by side) and an AUX input.

MAIN OUTPUT: Outputs
a high-quality audio signal that can be used as an amplifier line-in.

The sounds played through this connection are:

  • MP3 sound 
  • Turbine noise 
  • Scanner sound 
  • AUX input signal 

SPEED OUTPUT: 

Outputs a high-quality audio signal that can be used as a line in to an amplifier. The sounds played through this connector are:

Click speed sound. Plays a click every time there is a change in vehicle speed. The sound is variable depending on the speed, the higher the speed, the faster the click.

SPEED SPEAKER: 

Outputs a high-quality audio signal that can be used to connect an independent speaker.

The sounds played through this connector are the click speed sounds. 

AUX INPUT: 

This cinch connection enables a line-in source to be input into the system via the mixer of the sound module. This input is looped through and reproduced by the module via the main output.

THE TURBINE 

The turbine sound cannot be changed by the user. It varies depending on the engine speed.

How is that possible?

Thanks to the CAN bus system, the electronics set reads the engine speed and adjusts the noise of the turbine every 2 milliseconds. No delay is noticeable during this process.

If the DEMO 3 mode is activated on the Dash, the sound generator in the driving simulation reads the values ​​in the rev counter and reproduces the noise without the engine being switched on!

THE SPEED NOISE

As we saw earlier, this sound can be played in two ways, on two separate outputs:

  • Speed ​​output 
  • Speed ​​Speaker (separate speaker) 

If you want to achieve a very loud sound, you can use the SPEED OUTPUT output as a line-in input of an amplifier.

If a quieter sound is desired (recommended) and this is to be controlled directly via the electronics menu, an independent loudspeaker must be connected directly to the SPEED SPEAKER output.

No tangled cables in the footwell!

One of the goals of ZA-Electronics has always been to simplify the installation and to reduce the cables required for operation to a minimum.

The scanners currently on the market require that there is some kind of internal controller that, in addition to switching it on and off, also displays the status of the scanner and the light effect.

The first 3-row board fulfills this task using the Can-Bus technology with which the electronics are equipped. It seemed logical to use this display as it shows the word RADAR and SENSOR RANGE in the overlays.

THE 3-ROW DISPLAY AND ITS MEANING

Depending on the status of the scanner, the display can work as follows:

SCANNER OFF: The display works as one is used to. (Flashing)

STANDBY SCANNER: The first red LED on the ROWS 3 bar lights up. This indicates that the motion sensor is activated.

SCANNER ON: The LED display shows the program that the scanner is currently running. The internal lag effect is limited, while the external one is perfectly normal. 

Shipping is usually 7 days after receipt of payment.

Set price including VAT CHF 1850.00