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Control module for the Dakota Digital VHX Gauges

Wiring Dakota Digital VHX Gauges with the IPM1 Kit

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Table of Contents

Overview

Dakota Digital has been in the business of making advanced electrical products for the automotive aftermarket for a long time. Their products include gauges, lighting, cruise control systems, gear indicators, linear actuators, climate control interfaces and other automotive accessories. Their VHX series of gauges has become very popular in the market and a lot of our customers have asked about how to connect their VHX gauge controller box to our Infinitybox system. This blog post is going to walk you through the details of wiring Dakota Digital VHX gauges with the IPM1 Kit featuring the MASTERCELL NGX.

This post is specific to our IPM1 Kit with the MASTERCELL NGX. If you have our legacy 20-Circuit Kit or our 3-Cell Kit, the wiring connections are different. Click on this link to get to the wiring diagram for the legacy system.

Before we go too far, this post is only going to cover wiring primary power, ground, key-on power and the signals for the indicators on the dash. Their manual will cover the details for the rest of the wiring. If you are using the RTX or GRFX gauges, we have separate posts covering those systems.

The big advantage of the IPM1 Kit is how the MASTERCELL NGX simplifies these connections. The MASTERCELL NGX has built-in low-current indicator outputs. In most installations, the MASTERCELL is located behind the dash — right where the Dakota Digital VHX controller box is also located. With the IPM1 Kit, you can connect the MASTERCELL NGX indicator outputs directly to the VHX controller without running wires back to the front POWERCELL. This is a significant wiring simplification compared to the legacy 20-Circuit Kit.

Important: The indicator outputs on the MASTERCELL NGX are limited to 1 amp each. The Dakota Digital documentation shows that the ACC POWER feed draws less than 1 amp, which means it can be connected directly to a MASTERCELL NGX output. The turn signal indicators, high-beam indicator and gauge illumination outputs are designed to drive low-current loads like LEDs. Do not connect anything else to these outputs that could push the total current draw over the 1-amp threshold.

This diagram shows an overview of the connections from the MASTERCELL NGX to the VHX controller box.

Picture of wiring diagram showing how to wire Dakota Digital VHX Gauges with the Infinitybox IPM1 Kit featuring the MASTERCELL NGX

Wiring diagram showing how to wire the Dakota Digital VHX Gauge Controller Box to the Infinitybox IPM1 Kit.

Constant Power and Ground

The VHX controller needs constant power from the battery. Connect the CONST. POWER terminal on their controller box directly to the positive terminal on the battery. You must fuse this wire at the battery for safety.

You also have to connect the GROUND terminal on their controller box to a good chassis ground connection. This must be a metal-to-metal connection that is free of paint, powder coating, dirt and debris.

Key-On Power

The VHX controller box needs ignition or key-on power. This is what turns the gauges on when you turn the key in the car. With the IPM1 Kit, your MASTERCELL NGX has a dedicated indicator output for the ignition signal. Connect this output to the ACC POWER terminal on the VHX controller box.

Since the MASTERCELL NGX is located behind the dash, this connection is short and direct. You are connecting two components that are both behind the dash. With the legacy 20-Circuit Kit, this power came from the front POWERCELL ignition output and you had to run a wire from the front of the car back to the VHX controller behind the dash.

Check the configuration sheet that came with your IPM1 Kit to confirm the specific output assignment for your ignition indicator.

Gauge Illumination

You need to connect the gauge illumination output on the MASTERCELL NGX to the DIM(+) terminal on the VHX controller box. This will turn on the illumination on the VHX gauges when you have your parking or headlights on.

Again, this is a direct behind-the-dash connection with the IPM1 Kit. The MASTERCELL NGX indicator output for the parking lights connects straight to the DIM(+) terminal on the VHX controller.

Turn Signal and High-Beam Indicators

Lastly, you need to connect the MASTERCELL NGX indicator outputs for your turn signals and high-beam to their respective terminals on the VHX controller box. Connect the left turn signal indicator output to the LEFT(+) terminal, the right turn signal indicator output to the RIGHT(+) terminal and the high-beam indicator output to the HIGH(+) terminal.

When the MASTERCELL NGX is commanding the left turn signal, the indicator output will trigger and the left turn signal indicator will flash on the Dakota Digital gauges. The same applies for the right turn signal and the high-beam indicator.

These are all low-current indicator signals designed to drive LEDs. The MASTERCELL NGX indicator outputs are purpose-built for this type of connection.

Legacy 20-Circuit Kit vs. IPM1 Kit

With the legacy 20-Circuit Kit, all of the signals going to the VHX controller box came from outputs on the front POWERCELL. The ignition power, parking light dimmer, turn signals and high-beam connections all required splicing into POWERCELL output wires at the front of the car and running those wires back behind the dash to reach the VHX controller. That meant longer wire runs and more splices.

The IPM1 Kit with the MASTERCELL NGX eliminates those long wire runs. The MASTERCELL NGX has built-in low-current indicator outputs that connect directly to the VHX controller box. Since both the MASTERCELL NGX and the VHX controller are located behind the dash, these connections are short and direct. You get a cleaner installation with less wiring.

The constant power and ground connections remain the same in both systems. The VHX controller still gets its constant power directly from the battery and its ground from the chassis.

Downloads and Support

You can download a PDF of this wiring diagram by clicking this link.

Our technical support team is available to answer any questions about this blog post or any other topics about wiring your car with our Infinitybox system. Click on this link to get in touch with our team.

Control module for the Dakota Digital VHX Gauges

Wiring Dakota Digital VHX Gauges

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Dakota Digital has been in the business of making advanced electrical products for the Automotive Aftermarket for a long time.  Their products include gauges, lighting, cruise control systems, gear indicators, linear actuators, climate control interfaces and other automotive accessories.  We’ve posted details before on how to wire their cruise control systems and their automatic door lock module.  Their VHX series of gauges has become very popular in the market and a lot of our customers have asked about how to connect their VHX gauge controller box to our Infinitybox system.  This blog post is going to walk you through the details of Wiring Dakota Digital VHX Gauges to our system.

If you are using the RTX gauges, you can click on this link to get to a wiring them.

Before we go too far, this post is only going to cover wiring primary power, ground, key-on power and the signals for the indicators on the dash.  Their manual will cover the details for the rest of the wiring.  Carefully read and understand all of the details of the VHX instructions before you go any further.  You can get their manual by clicking this link.

This diagram shows an overview of the connections to the Infinitybox system for the VHX controller box.

Picture of wiring diagram showing you how to interface your Dakota Digital Gauges with the Infinitybox 20-Circuit Kit

Picture of wiring diagram showing you how to interface your Dakota Digital Gauges with the Infinitybox 20-Circuit Kit

Their VHX controller needs constant power from the battery.  Connect the CONST. POWER terminal on their controller box directly to the positive terminal on the battery.  You must fuse this wire at the battery for safety.  You also have to connect the GROUND terminal on their controller box to a good chassis ground connection.  This must be a metal-to-metal connection that is free of paint, powder coating, dirt and debris.

Here are the connections that are specific to the Infinitybox system.

First, the VHX controller box needs ignition or key-on power.  This is what turns the gauges on when you turn the key in the car.  Your ignition output is going to provide this power.  In most systems, this output is number 3 on the front POWERCELL.  Check the configuration sheet that came with your kit to confirm.  This ignition output is going to power your engine management.  You are going to splice into this wire to connect to the ACC. POWER terminal on the VHX controller box.

Next, you need to connect your parking light output on the front POWERCELL to the DIM(+) terminal on the VHX controller box.  This will turn on the illumination on the VHX gauges when you have your parking or headlights on.  Just like the ignition output, splice into the parking light output on your front POWERCELL and connect this to the DIM(+) terminal.

Lastly, you need to connect the POWERCELL outputs for your turn signals and high-beam to their respective terminals on the VHX control box for the turn signal indicators and high beam indicator.  Just like the key-on power and parking lights, splice into the output wires for the left turn signal, right turn signal and high-beams and connect them to the LEFT(+), RIGHT(+) and HIGH(+) terminals, respectively.  When your POWERCELL is flashing the left turn signal, the indicator for the left turn signal will flash on the Dakota Digital gauges.  When you have your high beams on, your high beam indicator will light up on the gauges.

Our Infinitybox system can power any electrical system in your resto-mod, street rod, pro-touring build or race car.  Wiring Dakota Digital VHX Gauges is a great example of that.  You can download a PDF of this wiring diagram by clicking this link.

Our technical support team is available to answer any questions about blog post or any other topics about wiring your car with our Infinitybox system.  Click on this link to get in touch with our team.