All modern cars have a diagnostic port called ODB-2 that allows maintenance shops to check engine, air bag, a/c performance etc. The data is sent to the diagnostic tool via a serial protocol, much like an RS232/USB - in fact you can connect ODB-2 via a suitable serial connector to a USB port. The diagnostic tool sends a code to the car. and the car responds with a string of data. You can buy Bluetooth dongles that connect to the ODB-2 port.
Essentially the Torque Pro software running on an android device can be used to display this environment / engine data. Not all cars use the same call/response codes, so the guy when he designed Torque Pro made the software configurable via a simple menu interface, so if there is something on a car that can be reported, you can configure Torque Pro to request that data. The big prob is the manufacturers don't like telling folks what data can be requested - GM charge $7500 for the information. As long as you have some way to generate engine information in a way that emulates the way a Ford or GM car present data, then you can report that data to Torque Pro. ODB-2 is a very simple protocol, data requests are no more than 4bytes of data, the request is normally 8 bytes, so emulating an engine management system is quite easy, there are several proprietary gadgets that can do this and there is Arduino which is an open-source microprocessor that has up to 40 analog and digital input pins that can be connected to sensors. The Arduino can then be programmed up to respond to requests from Torque Pro and send back the appropriate result. Off the shelf sensors for temperature, oil pressure etc are obviously simple to read using the Arduino, encoded output from an altimeter should also be possible. Programming up the Arduino isn't particularly difficult, anybody who can write C programs will find it easy. If I was looking at implementing this kind of system, I think I would have 2 low cost 7in tablets, one running Torque Pro, and a second device running GPS Pete On 20/02/12 15:14, Ray Fuenzalida wrote: > You are speaking an incredibly different language than I (or most people) > understand. Can you start over and list how to do this - step by step - so > that the non technical types can follow this. Thanks. Looks pretty cool. > > Ray > New Orleans > > --- On Sun, 2/19/12, Peter Diffey<pe...@heroic.co.uk> wrote: > > From: Peter Diffey<pe...@heroic.co.uk> > Subject: Re: KR> Re: android EFIS system > To: "KRnet"<kr...@mylist.net> > Date: Sunday, February 19, 2012, 2:00 PM > > It's even easier than I thought > > Torque Pro allows the user to create custom instruments, so you just go > into the config menu, and create a new screen, tell it what PID to send > to the sensor interface module, and tell it what you expect to get back. > > So I created a couple of custom sensors and added them to a new display, > here it is > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/peter_diffey/6904571017/ > > Of course I will need to write some code to run on the Arduino interface > board and buy a couple of sensors. > > Torque pro Android App is about £2.95 > > The Arduino boards is £21.90, the bluetooth module is £9.90 > > Famous last words it looks a doddle > > Pete > > > > On 19/02/12 15:29, Peter Diffey wrote: >> Hi, >> >> Dave is spot on, it's easy to write stuff to interface with the internal >> sensors, the only problem is those sensors are pretty low spec, and vary >> between different devices. >> >> To interface with engine and environment sensors is the hard bit, I have >> recently been doing some stuff with an Arduino micro board which can >> interface with up to 40 sensors and has Bluetooth connectivity, the idea is >> to have the arduino yodelling data to the paired bt device like a bt GPS >> does. The data is then saved to a database so can be accessed either >> real-time from an efis etc or later analysed on the ground. >> >> A similar android app already exists that reads a cars engine management >> system via a Bluetooth ODB2 device - have a look at the Torque Pro android >> app. >> >> I figure that if someone was to do arduino interfaces to the common aircraft >> sensors, then get them to output STD ODB2 messages, the Torque Pro guy could >> create the display elements in a matter of hours (if he's interested) >> >> Peter Diffey >> >> > > _______________________________________ > Search the KRnet Archives at http://mylist.net/private/krnet/ > to UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@mylist.net > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html > _______________________________________ > Search the KRnet Archives at http://mylist.net/private/krnet/ > to UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@mylist.net > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html
