daytraitors

There's this MS Windows based Double-din unit for sale at mp3car.com. I noticed it has an OBDII interface, probably just a standard USB reader dealio. . .

Anyway, it got me thinking. Can I install this and interface the various gauges to my "Windows" radio as if it were a laptop? If it works just like a laptop, you could even use it to tune the car. While driving, you could have it display the different sensor outputs, like boost, temperature, etc.

Any thoughts?

-d

daytraitors

http://store.mp3car.com/Mp3Car_Infil..._p/sdk-014.htm

Here's the Link for the Windows radio.

ewong

The link doenst tell me what the OPERATING SYSTEM is or if the OS is open enought to add the new drivers for the ODBII Scan tool reader software.

Unless it actually runs a semi open OS (which it appears it does NOT IMHO) then you need to get the ODBII software that works on that OS.

If its LINUX or something maybe you coudl get it to work?
But if you had those skills out of the box ya probably wouldnt be asking the question that you did.

If yer just interested in a "digitla guage", IMHO get a "poclet pc" or any of those palm pilot ODBII commercial software and velcro the pocket pc / palm to the dash... far cheaper than that thing...

Heck you should be able to put together a mac mini together for less than that thing...

Motayota

This is the future....kinda pricey....but looks like what all car stereos will be in 10 or so years...A Radio, TV, Navigation, Diagnostics all at your finger tips...Wow.


Back on topic...a PDA scanner would be cheaper....
Anyway....it looks like the software package they use http://www.scantool.net/ ...hooks up straight to your car and you can get all the info you need with it.

daytraitors

I'm pretty sure it's running Windows XP. From the looks of the pictures, it has the default XP theme on the touchscreen. IT also has USB, so anything USB would be able to attach: Keyboard, mouse, hdd, etc. There's probably a hard drive mounted inside somewhere.

My question was mainly: is there good software that will display the sensor outputs - and is there a good way to connect, for instance, a boost gauge to a PC? Keep in mind that the resolution would have to allow you to see the stuff on that 7in monitor.

Other gauges that might be interesting: AFR, temp, voltage.

David

daytraitors

okay, ewong, I'm not sure if you missed it in the link, but it has the Windows XP MCE logo on it. I'm sure you can hack it to install Linux if you so desire.

This thing really looks like it's pimpin'. the Pocket PC idea is okay, but I've already got my Garmin iQue 3600, and it's kinda ghetto that it has to be mounted like a radar detector.

d

midiwall

Hey Day...

MP3Car.com is full of options to do what you're looking to do. The pre-rolled box that you pointed at WILL work, and it IS a Windows machine - it's just booting StreetDeck.

StreetDeck is one of MANY MANY MANY front-ends that are available for a Windows machine; check out this thread up there for a list...

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/soft...eful-apps.html


I'm running CentraFuse which I like a lot, but it's having issues trying to get out of beta and finalized. I have a quickie overview thread up here of what I did:

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f96/another-toy-mark-carpc-91159/


The $2200 price tag for that system is VERY hefty. but it could be worth it if you're looking for a no-mess turn-key system that's a clean fit in a double-din. I STRONGLY suggest that you wander through the forums up there on MP3Car and look at some of the stuff that people have done. if you look around, and get a sweet eBay score, you can easily pull this off for under $1500 - including the OBD II and GPS hookup.


Lemme know if you have questions - I'm willing to babble at length about what I did.

daytraitors

Midi,

Did you have to get 3rd party software to view the engine stats? I really like that rig. It would be better if it was DIN mounted. I've seen monitors that will mount in the DIN, but you sacrifice the radio, not a big problem if you store it in the glove or under the driver's seat. Then there's the $2200 G4. . . for $2200.

Back to my main question - will getting this setup replace the need for gauges? I notice that you still have a gauge installed near your cigarette lighter. Does that not interface with your PC?

d

midiwall

Lemme answer this in bulk...

As you say, your main concern seems to be if you can replace mass amounts of gauges with a Windows based box. This short answer is "no" in the sense that the interfacing nightmare won't be practical (and a couple of other things).

The refresh rate on ODBII is _slow_ (it's a polled environment, and you poll separately for each piece of data you want to display). Even the best boxes (see your other thread, but I'm talking about the OBDPros.com box) which will work at 38.4kbps and in RAW mode, won't be able to match the effective response time of straight gauges hooked one-to-one to their respective sensors.

So, to do it, you'd be looking at a multi-channel A/D, preferably USB based, and then a bunch of code to get the data flow to happen. If you're handy with digital electronics, and are a decent embedded coder, it's a fun project. If you're hoping for something off-the-shelf to make it happen, then yes, they exist, but you're in a high-dollar market, and the boxes I've seen are tied to a single multi-function display (check InnovateMotorsports for an example) or will push data through a canned Windows interface.

The short form is that the double din box you see on mp3car.com is NOT the solution to a software based dashboard.


Radio wise... Head back to MP3Car.com and look up the "HQCT". It's an AM/FM radio module that's controllable via USB. All of the popular frontends support it, CentraFuse, Road Runner, StreetDeck, etc.


Oh, and the gauge down below in my install is a air pressure gauge. I run a 2L tank behind the bumper to support air horns (and airing up).

ewong

MidiWall - thanks for the info and links...