This was the first panel I made which required a stepper motor which could move much faster than the X27 type (used in previous panels) and also rotates 360 degrees continuously.
I found a dual shaft Nema 8 stepper motor (see below left) was a good solution as this could fulfil those requirements and also be driven using a standard Easy Driver board.
Having 360 degree rotation does then require use of either an optical sensor (see above right) or a hall sensor – for zero detection. After testing I decided to use an optical sensor for the Altimeter.
The main rotating pointer needle is a key central part of the Altimeter and use of the above components is what set this panel apart from all previous gauges built.
See below for a side view picture of the constructed panel and also its position in the Front Dash frame once installed.
I produced a YouTube video which gives greater detail regarding this panels design, build and testing (see link below).