ECU Diagnostic Software Re-Write

[aide]

Those colours are pants I agree.
Maybe green on a black background would be better in the short term.

The graphical version allows you to change the size, position and number of dials on a page and allows for multiple pages. Which it remembers in between sessions.

[aide]

Yep, can do.
I'll also log whatever else is available on the phone as well (eg gps position, speed, altitude, lateral&vertical G etc)

[aide]

Hi,

Just have a couple of small jobs to do on the car this weekend and then have the next two weeks free to get a release out there on the play store.

(My wife is taking the kids on holidays for a fortnight so every evening is free. So V1.0 by the end of the month)

Best wishes!
Aide

[aide]

Hi Mattt

A bit of progress, yes - the backend has been working for a while.

I've been working on the GUI lately.

But I got side-tracked. The few small jobs that started with a decat turned into a full rebuild of the driveline - Gearbox, prop rebalancing, diff refurb, exhaust paint, transmission tunnel heat shield etc.. and I'm collecting the car this evening after having had all the ignition components replaced + a service.

It works well as it is. But I really want to release it with a nice polished front end.

If only I could point the remote at the kids and press the pause button!

[aide]

jammy_basturd said:

Of course I'm not trying to teach anyone to suck eggs, so forgive me if you're a user interface designer of many decades, but in my experience it's rarely a good idea to polish the UI before releasing it into the wild. You're sure to find that there are some parts of the UI that will have to redone once you start getting real world user feedback and that part of that polishing exercise will have been fruitless.

Maybe have a small beta group of users to try the app on several devices and versions of android?

I agree, but the original text based front end screenshots I posted were never going to be released in the final app as they were really only proof of concept stop gap bits that paid lip service to the need for a GUI. I have an ok front end done and it’s pretty ok, but I decided to rewrite it, hence the delay.

[aide]

pmaster said:

Aide, if you are looking for any beta testers, I have mbe 941 in 4.2 Cerb wired up to a surface tablet. Currently running easimaps and the standard diag program and also use andriod apps on it via bluestacks. Let me know if I can help.

Thanks pmaster, I actually have, among others, a 941 to test with.

Mattt said:

What hardware do we need then to get ready for release? Bluetooth RS232 or USB only?

I have a Samsung Galaxy S3.
I connect via USB to my ECU with one of these adaptors

[aide]

Yes making progress.
One word.. Children!
My 27 month and 8 month old daughters are great.
But they require more attention than I ever imagined!
All good though :-)
Please bear with me...
Best wishes
Aide

[aide]

Apologies for the radio silence.
I've more or less rewritten the app.
Will release it in a week or so.

[aide]

Some more screenshots

[aide]

Hi Sandy
Android only for now.
I have a samsung galaxy S3.
I'm due an upgrade next month so will go for the S5.
Aide

[aide]

You just need a USB to RS232 Cable and a USB OTG Cable.
I have a Samsung Galaxy S3, which is usb host enabled.

[aide]

Will be testing it out on a Nexus 5.

[aide]

Gaspode said:

Nice looking app, does this work for the CANBus version of the ECU? I have an MEBE ECU in my Morgan and currently just use the Easymap software to monitor what's going on, but of course this needs a windows laptop which is a bit of a faff.

Thanks Gaspode, if you're ecu has a CANbus interface then you can connect to it with the Torque App which is on the Play Store. Hth

[aide]

Gaspode said:

Thanks, I have the adapter from SDB motorsport, which converts from the OBD format port on the ECU to a USB cable so that bit's covered. I was wondering more as to whether the values would be read properly. Easiest way is to try it and see, I guess!

I see. Earlier ecu's don't communicate via odb they use a different protocol.
If your ecu speaks odb then an odb reader or an app that speaks odb would work. But this app has been specifically designed because the earlier ecu's don't communicate via odb.

[aide]

Gaspode said:

Ah, right. I'm probably best off sticking with EasyMap 5.0, then?

Or, the Torque App speaks to odb enabled ecu's. It's free and you already have a USB to CANbus cable

[aide]

Vee8ight said:

How can I tell if my generic android tablet is usb host enabled?

You should be able to look up the spec of the tablet online. Usb host just means that the USB port on your device can supply power to whatever it's connected to. All usb ports on laptops and pc's are host enabled because most of the time they are powering the device they're connected to.
A simple tes, if you connect your mouse to the tablet and it works then the USB port on your tablet is host enabled.

[aide]

fr0zent0ast said:

Exciting stuff!
I have an early 4.2 with an original ECU (Whatever that is). Would this work for me, or is there something I need to check?

Hi fr0zent0ast, yes - it will work with the ECU installed in an early 4.2

Jon12345 said:

Aide, this looks awesome, would it be possible to some how integrate a screen somewhere on the dash with all this information displayed on a permanent basis?

Hi Jon12345, I guess you could, right now I just use my galaxy S3 mounted in the shelf above the stereo. Which is perfectly fine. I'll post a photo this week. I'm going to get an S5 soon so will either install the app on it or maybe just leave my old S3 mounted in the car.

All the recent screenshots are taken from my galaxy S3 with the app running.

hth
Aide

[aide]

Just a brief update. I've been working on the menu for the initial version and laid it out like this:

Menu
  Dial Display
    RPM
    Water Temp
    Baro Pressure
    TP1
    TP2
    etc...
  Digital Display
    RPM
    Water Temp
    etc...
  Status Code Display
    Fan 1
    Fan 2
  Fault Code Display
    Throttle 1
    Throttle 2
    Lambda 1
    Lambda 2
    Water Temp
    Air Temp
    ARFa
    AFRb
    etc...
  Logged Fault Code Display
    Throttle 1
    Throttle 2
    etc...
  Adaptive Map Display
    View Map A
    View Map B
  ECU Resets
    Reset Adaptive Maps
    Reset Service Interval
    Reset Fault Codes
    Reset Throttle

Here are a few screen shots

Top level menu:


Sub menus:







All the "Display" menu items (Dial, Digital, Status Code, Fault Code etc..) correspond to a display item that you can drop anywhere on the screen. You can move and resize each one individually and their position and size are saved for you.

There are five blank screens to layout your own set of diagnostic dials, displays and status/fault codes anyway that suits any combination of diagnostic information you're interested in seeing.

For example:


All the screen shots I've posted of the new UI so far, are just me playing with differing combinations of Dials, Digital Displays and Fault Status displays.

Best wishes
Aide

[aide]

Yep, nearly there. It all works, I just need to test it more and work on getting it on the Play Store.

[aide]

I've been thinking about how to solve the problem of being able to charge the android device at the same time as using the USB port in host mode. It's not possible without lots of hackerydickery..!

But I did come across a Qi Wireless Car Charger. That's one of the more expensive ones, but there are cheaper options. I'll probably test this in the next few days to see if it's possible to wireless charge and use the USB port in host mode at the same time. If it is it would be great.

I have an RS232 Bluetooth dongle and a nice 3A USB DC power converter that I've been playing with as well. I got them ages ago but didn't get a chance to wire them up and add Bluetooth capabilities to the app yet, but I'd say I should get it into the next version.