Plug-and-play stepper motor for a pointer display assembly

A system comprising:

• a needle control module that includes a processor configured to execute instructions stored in a nontransitory computer-readable medium;
• a motor driver circuit in communication with the needle control module, the motor driver circuit controlling a stepper motor attached to a needle;
• and
• a housing enclosing the needle control module, the motor driver circuit, and the stepper motor, the housing having a channel configured to receive glue and physically attach the housing to a display of a vehicle with the glue;
• wherein, in response to the needle control module receiving a signal representing vehicle state information, the needle control module is configured to instruct the motor driver circuit to control movement of the stepper motor and adjust a position of the needle based on the signal.

A method comprising:

• receiving, with an optical sensor disposed within a housing of a pointer display assembly, light from a display through an opening of the housing, the pointer display assembly including a stepper motor, a needle control module, and a motor driver circuit enclosed within the housing, the stepper motor being attached to a needle, the motor driver circuit being in communication with the needle control module and controlling the stepper motor, the housing having a channel configured to receive glue that physically attaches the housing to a display of a vehicle, and the light from the display being generated using at least one of a predetermined pattern, a predetermined graphic, a predetermined shape, and a predetermined color;
• generating, with the optical sensor, a signal based on the received light from the display;
• decoding, with the needle control module, the signal to determine the at least one of the predetermined pattern, the predetermined graphic, the predetermined shape, and the predetermined color;
• determining, with the needle control module, vehicle state information based on the decoding of the at least one of the predetermined pattern, the predetermined graphic, the predetermined shape, and the predetermined color;
• and
• instructing, with the needle control module, the motor driver circuit to control movement of the stepper motor and adjust a position of the needle based on the vehicle state information.