Protizmo

Buy the AILD-1 Automotive Instrumentation Lighting Dimmer and Related Items

What is the AILD-1? See AILD-1 Automotive Instrumentation Lighting Dimmer: A Solution to Dimming After Upgrading Instrumentation Lighting to LEDs.

For a complete installation, you'll need both: (1) the AILD-1 main unit; and (2) a connection option:

1: Main AILD-1 Unit
Photo of AILD-1 Main Unit, Assembled
AILD-1 Main Unit, Assembled, $70.00 USD
AILD-1 Installation and User's Guide [as separate pages | as a side-fold booklet]

The main unit, assembled and ready to use.

The configuration you choose below is part of the AILD-1's firmware and allows for slight differences in behavior. Note that with any configuration, the rheostat profiling (training the AILD-1 to work optimally with a particular rheostat's resistance range) can be performed by the end user.

See "Configuration Choice Details" section below for more information. Protizmo may add additional configurations over time.

Don't forget to add a connection option! (See the "2: One or More of the Connection Options" section below.)

Choose a configuration:

Currently sold out. Production is underway on the next batch, which should be available by the end of January, 2024.

Photo of AILD-1 Main Unit, DIY Kit
AILD-1 Main Unit, DIY Kit, $35.00 USD
AILD-1 DIY Kit Assembly Guide [as separate pages | as a side-fold booklet]

This is the same as the previous item, but only includes all the components; you will need to solder all the components to the printed circuit board (PCB) yourself. This DIY kit is intended only for serious electronic DIYers and is offered because some potential customers told us that they enjoyed assembling electronic items themselves.

You will minimally require the following tools and supplies (not included):

  • soldering iron (temperature-controlled, with a small tip is strongly recommended)
  • solder
  • small wire cutters for cutting component leads

Also recommended, but not absolutely necessary:

  • a clip-on heat sink (useful for limiting the amount of heat that reaches heat-sensitive components during soldering)
  • PCB holder/vice (e.g., a PanaVise of some sort)
  • tweezers
  • reverse tweezers (useful for holding certain components to the PCB while soldering)
  • solder wick and/or solder sucker tool (in case you need to undo a soldering mistake)
  • good task lighting

The configuration you choose below is part of the AILD-1's firmware and allows for slight differences in behavior. Note that with any configuration, the rheostat profiling (training the AILD-1 to work optimally with a particular rheostat's resistance range) can be performed by the end user.

See "Configuration Choice Details" section below for more information. Protizmo may add additional configurations over time.

Important: Once you begin soldering components to the PCB, this kit is no longer returnable. If you have any doubts as to whether or not you would be able to assemble this kit correctly, we strongly recommend that you instead purchase the assembled unit.

Don't forget to add a connection option! (See the "2: One or More of the Connection Options" section below.)

Choose a configuration:

Currently sold out. On-line ordering will be re-enabled once more kits are available.

Configuration Choice Details

IMPORTANT! Rheostat A and B must NEVER be connected to anything other than the rheostat. Make sure that the rheostat is isolated and neither if its terminals is EVER connected to +12 V, or damage to the AILD-1 will likely result.

Some integrated headlight switch/instrumentation dimmer assemblies might require modification (breaking an internal electrical connection to one side of the rheostat, and possibly adding an external terminal for that side of the rheostat) to satisfy this requirement.

Configuration
Code
Rheostat
Resistance
Fade at
Power-Up
Illumination Level with
Disconnected Rheostat
Applications
G16 Ωfade down50%Porsche 928, all model years
G221 Ωfade up50%Various models of 1980s Audis that use an Audi part number 857919093A rheostat (marked 21 Ω)
G35 Ω,
with ∞ Ω switch
fade up0%Various models of De Tomaso Panteras (has rheostat part number 13027A with switch that allows rheostat to go to infinite resistance)
G44 Ω,
with ∞ Ω switch
fade down0%1977 Cougar XR7 (has rheostat with wiper landing that allows rheostat to go to infinite resistance)

For applications not listed, it is likely that one of the above configurations will work; choose the one with the characteristics matching your needs and note that the AILD-1 can be trained to use a rheostat of unknown characteristics (minimum and maximum resistance). Other configurable parameters require the use of an AVR programmer, or contact us and we will consider adding additional configurations.


2: One or More of the Connection Options
Photo of Ready-to-wire, labeled plug for AILD-1; no wires provided
Ready-to-wire, labeled plug for AILD-1; no wires provided, $2.00 USD

This is the "universal application" option.

If you want to do your own wiring (use your own wire, terminals, etc.) to hook up the AILD-1 for your particular application, all you will need is this connector.

Even if you also choose another connection option for use in your car, this connector can be a useful addition for bench-top testing and experimenting outside of your car.

Photo of AILD-1 connection kit for '78-'89 Porsche 928
AILD-1 connection kit for '78-'89 Porsche 928, $5.00 USD

This connection option provides a labeled plug prewired for use in a '78-'89 Porsche 928.

The wire used is high quality, European, 1 mm2, 32-strand thin wall, appropriately color-coded for use in your Porsche: brown for ground, black for power, black/blue for output, and blue for each connection to the rheostat. Each wire is 50 cm long.

The ring terminal on the ground wire is sized for an M6 grounding point bolt (recommended grounding point is "MP IV", above the parcel shelf, near the steering column). The four spade terminals connect to the rheostat (blue wires) and the original wires/spade terminals that were originally connected to the rheostat (black wire, and black/blue wire).

Photo of AILD-1 connection kit for '90-'95 Porsche 928 (soldering required)
AILD-1 connection kit for '90-'95 Porsche 928 (soldering required), $4.50 USD

This connection option provides a labeled plug prewired for use in a '90-'95 Porsche 928 and is the preferred option if you are willing to de-solder and solder some wire-to-terminal and wire-to-wire connections.

The wire used is high quality, European, 1 mm2, 32-strand thin wall, appropriately color-coded for use in your Porsche: brown for ground, black for power, black/blue for output, and blue for each connection to the rheostat. Each wire is 50 cm long.

As the rheostat used in the '90-'95 uses an unusual connector rather than the spade terminals used in earlier model years, you will need to de-solder the wires at the Porsche rheostat connector and then solder the AILD-1 connector kit's two blue wires to the Porsche rheostat connector's two terminals and solder the AILD-1 connector kit's black and black/blue wires to the wires you de-soldered from the Porsche rheostat connector's terminals (and cover the two wire-to-wire solder joints in the included heat-shrinkable tubing).

The ring terminal on the ground wire is sized for an M6 grounding point bolt (recommended grounding point is "MP IV", above the knee protector, near the steering column).

Note 1: You will need your own soldering iron and solder to complete installation using this kit. You will also need tools for cutting and stripping wire.

Note 2: If you neither want to solder nor crimp, you could (not recommended, but should work) use this connection kit, but cut the wires leading to the rheostat and connect them to the AILD-1 connection kit's wires using 3M™ Scotchlok™ IDC or equivalent connectors (not included).

Photo of AILD-1 connection kit for '90-'95 Porsche 928 (crimping required)
AILD-1 connection kit for '90-'95 Porsche 928 (crimping required), $6.00 USD

This connection option provides a labeled plug prewired for use in a '90-'95 Porsche 928 and is a solderless option, but will require cutting the existing wires to the rheostat and terminating the cut wires with the included spade terminals.

The wire used is high quality, European, 1 mm2, 32-strand thin wall, appropriately color-coded for use in your Porsche: brown for ground, black for power, black/blue for output, and blue for each connection to the rheostat. Each wire is 50 cm long.

As the rheostat used in the '90-'95 uses an unusual connector rather than the spade terminals used in earlier model years, the provided extra spade terminals are used to adapt the rheostat and related wires to use spade connections.

Eight extra spade terminals are included. You will only need four of them; different model years of 928s have a different number of wires (one or two) present at the terminals at the rheostat, so this kit provides separate terminals that will accept either one or two wires.

The ring terminal on the ground wire is sized for an M6 grounding point bolt (recommended grounding point is "MP IV", above the knee protector, near the steering column). The four spade terminals connect to the rheostat (blue wires) and the original wires that were originally connected to the rheostat (black wire, and black/blue wire).

Note: You will need a terminal crimping tool to crimp the terminals to the existing wires (that you will need to cut and strip) leading to the rheostat on your car.

If you prefer to buy your connector (plug) for wiring elsewhere, you'll need an On-Shore Technology (OST) OSTTS05315A or equivalent (the green socket on the AILD-1 main unit is an OST OSTOQ053251). You'll need to label it yourself.

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Last updated by EJS,