Diag software on Linux?
Discussion
I was toying with the idea of picking up an old PDA and having the live diag console running permanently in the car somewhere.
Getting such devices to run Windows XP can be a bit of an ar$e, so does anyone have any suggestions of how one might go about running the diag software on some other OS - some flavour of Linux perhaps, or even better, one of the PDA specific OSs.
Just idle musings at this stage, but any bright ideas most welcome.
Getting such devices to run Windows XP can be a bit of an ar$e, so does anyone have any suggestions of how one might go about running the diag software on some other OS - some flavour of Linux perhaps, or even better, one of the PDA specific OSs.
Just idle musings at this stage, but any bright ideas most welcome.
Not a hope of getting it to run on linux I fear unless it is in a windows emulator. It uses a 16 bit windows specific charting library for drawing graphs and probably windows specific code to talk to the serial port.
I wouldnt hold out much hope with handheld versions of windows either - it is compiled for an intel processor.
If you want the diagnostics while driving, just replace your cd player with a 1 din touch screen and install a pc in the boot or behind the back seats. You can stick navigation and your music on it as well!
I wouldnt hold out much hope with handheld versions of windows either - it is compiled for an intel processor.
If you want the diagnostics while driving, just replace your cd player with a 1 din touch screen and install a pc in the boot or behind the back seats. You can stick navigation and your music on it as well!
Thanks for the advice.
As you can probably tell, I'm way outside my comfort/knowledge zone, so just playing with ideas.
I suggested Linux, as it seems that everyone and his wife can get a PDA running on one of the lightweight distros, and was assuming that something like WINE would deal with the serial connection (conveniently ignoring the fact that PDAs don't have R232 connectors, so some kind of converter would be necessary).
I do know that Windows Mobile is pretty much useless, but I'm sure I've read before about people running XP apps on Palm OS (although maybe I made that up??).
Good idea re: the boot mounted computer. I'm probably going to retire my aging laptop soon, and that would be a fine use for its worky-bits.
As you can probably tell, I'm way outside my comfort/knowledge zone, so just playing with ideas.
I suggested Linux, as it seems that everyone and his wife can get a PDA running on one of the lightweight distros, and was assuming that something like WINE would deal with the serial connection (conveniently ignoring the fact that PDAs don't have R232 connectors, so some kind of converter would be necessary).
I do know that Windows Mobile is pretty much useless, but I'm sure I've read before about people running XP apps on Palm OS (although maybe I made that up??).
Good idea re: the boot mounted computer. I'm probably going to retire my aging laptop soon, and that would be a fine use for its worky-bits.
You can download various emulators for mobile windows versions for free from Microsloth to play with.
I went the Car PC route using a laptop in the boot, with a power supply plumbed in on an ignition switched line. I modified the laptop with connectors for the power and lid switches so I can plug in control circuits.
Power on with ignition and allow the power manangement on the laptop to hibernate the system a couple of minutes after the ignition goes off.
Single din touch-screen head unit and it all looks perfectly standard from inside the car.
I went the Car PC route using a laptop in the boot, with a power supply plumbed in on an ignition switched line. I modified the laptop with connectors for the power and lid switches so I can plug in control circuits.
Power on with ignition and allow the power manangement on the laptop to hibernate the system a couple of minutes after the ignition goes off.
Single din touch-screen head unit and it all looks perfectly standard from inside the car.
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