Turbonator or any tuning software for Android?

[minigts]

I know this has been brought up before, but is anyone working on this? I personally would love to see this happen, but I'm not a programmer. Anything I can do to help spur this along, please let me know. I can test, I can provide input and funding if necessary. :)

[minigts]

Ok, here is the first step. This is a page on integration with the FTDI chipset and an Android device. I got the chip name from Moates who wasn't aware of any development, but I found this information on the chipset manufacturer's site.

http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Documents/AppNotes/AN_181_Accessing%20Android%20Open%20Accessory%20Mo de%20with%20Vinculum-II.pdf

This is their chipset, which is used for the Ostrich system.

http://www.ftdichip.com/Android.htm

Yes, my intent is directed at a need I have, but this would be good if we had Android support for tuning capabilities. Being able to tune from a phone or tablet would be awesome. :)

[RoadWarrior222]

Where's the TM'er solution where you hack up a sub $10 bluetooth headset to the data lines?

[minigts]

Where's the TM'er solution where you hack up a sub $10 bluetooth headset to the data lines?

lol Well some of the tuning systems, like the Ostrich (1.0 I believe) have a bluetooth option. If I'm not mistaken, badandy has/had this implemented on his Shadow a while back. He said he could tune the car from his living room while the car sat quietly in the garage. :) I'm looking more to have an Android tablet in the car wired to the Ostrich 2.0 I have and use the tuning software to make changes and then use the interface to send updates to the Ostrich, if this is possible. I'd LOVE to do it, but I don't know where to start with programming, so I'm at the mercy of those more advanced in technology that I.

[ShelGame]

Being that Android is a subset of Linux, I would think one of the Windows VM's could be made to run on a tablet under Android, then you can run MP Tuner in the VM. Would probably be too clunky on a phone. Then again, I'm not sure if the differences in architecture would prevent it even from running (x86 vs ARM); I suspect it would...

[RoadWarrior222]

Yah, I think wine was x86 only (well at one point) you might need a x86 emulator as a VM then install a windoze(like) OS on it. Forgot whether DOSbox does emulation, but win 98SE is supposed to install on it.

[minigts]

Well I have seen people run VMs on Unix, but has someone done this with a tablet? The limitations I see are really in the resources required for the OS, but I guess you run a VM of XP on it and just allocate 256MB of RAM. Do you have a tablet and if so, have you played around with coding for Honeycomb? I'm looking at a tablet that has a standard USB port and hoping this will allow interfacing with my Ostrich, assuming I can get SOMETHING going with the software. The VM solution is viable for sure, just not sure how easy it is to hack a tablet and then load a VM. Suggestions, thoughts, anyone?

---------- Post added at 11:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:09 AM ----------


Yah, I think wine was x86 only (well at one point) you might need a x86 emulator as a VM then install a windoze(like) OS on it. Forgot whether DOSbox does emulation, but win 98SE is supposed to install on it.

I would not take the road to Moriah (pronounced win 98SE) unless there was no other way.....

VM's aren't the problem. The problem is really resources for the VM and allocation. Then the other piece of that is will the VM software run on Android? I'll look around to see who has been working on a VM platform for Android, I'm sure it's in the works somewhere. Things are going that direction, meaning tablet-based computers, so it would make sense that you have a tablet that can run multiple OSes in a VM environment. I've seen a guy run a VM on a hacked tablet, but I believe it was CLI only. I'm thinking for this, it would be best to have a GUI and just not sure if a tablet has the resources to manage that or allocate.

[RoadWarrior222]

Well I said 98SE because I was thinking there was existing non-resource hungry software that would run on it, with only about 32MB system RAM allocated... at least the tale was a few years ago that you could use an old 200Mhz or faster win98SE laptop with 32-64MB ram for cheapth... And with even a GHZ non-x86, I think you're not gonna get a very high emulated speed, it's usually about 4x slower than the host CPU... and you can get an install in a couple of hundred MB or less...

---------- Post added at 01:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:34 PM ----------

Welll dosbox is a go...
http://androiddosbox.appspot.com/
But looks a bit bleeding edge still.

In my case as far as android goes (unless I get a tablet for xmas) I'd be pondering this as a bleeding edge install on top of a bleeding edge install of android on a device that came outa the factory with WM 5.0

[minigts]

Probably. I'm sure most of the tuning software runs on low spec'ed PCs. The issue really is VM support for those OS'es, which is why I would be looking for something more robust. Besides that, there are just too many unknowns (for me at least) with trying to get something to work on that OS because I haven't touched it in years.

The DOSbox, I'll take a look at. If it's compatible with Android then that's a step in the right direction. But still need to take all the factors into consideration, like the tuning software, the Moates software, etc. THIS I wouldn't mind creating a solution for if I can. Just got to learn programming. :D

[wowzer]

i think the app should really be written in a language that runs "natively" on the android systems for best luck. on my obdc2 cars i use a program called torque pro that i downloaded off the market for $5. i bought an elm327 obdii bluetooth adapter off ebay for $15. so for $20 i can scan on any obd2 car for all the pids on my phone, read and clear codes, etc. its pretty cool (do a search :-) ). if someone can figure out a device to go from our ttl electronics to bluetooth at a supported baud rate i'ld take a shot at coming up with a droid app. i talked to ftdichip people quite a while back about a device to work like the serial/usb converter we use but supporting bluetooth but they weren't interested. i don't know enough about electronics to figure that side of it out.

[zin]

I like the way you think Wowzer! I'm certainly not one who would know if the "nuts and bolts" of it are practical, but it seems Bluetooth would be the way to go, wireless and high speed enough for our needs, and built-in to most smart phones... It would seem to lend itself to more options, such as remote tuning and data-logging directly to the phone...

I guess the hardware is the stumbling block, which is where I become even more clueless... But I am enthusiastic!:nod:

Mike

[wowzer]

anybody know where to get a cheap serial to bluetooth adapter that works? also, want one already put together, don't want a kit! i've got a couple ttl inverters and usb/bluetooth dongles already so just need the bluetooth/serial side (i think!!). with jason's high speed logger mod communicating at 9600 baud should be plenty fast.

morris

[minigts]

i think the app should really be written in a language that runs "natively" on the android systems for best luck. on my obdc2 cars i use a program called torque pro that i downloaded off the market for $5. i bought an elm327 obdii bluetooth adapter off ebay for $15. so for $20 i can scan on any obd2 car for all the pids on my phone, read and clear codes, etc. its pretty cool (do a search :-) ). if someone can figure out a device to go from our ttl electronics to bluetooth at a supported baud rate i'ld take a shot at coming up with a droid app. i talked to ftdichip people quite a while back about a device to work like the serial/usb converter we use but supporting bluetooth but they weren't interested. i don't know enough about electronics to figure that side of it out.

That's good information to know. The thread I posted earlier was from FTDI's site about Android development, but I don't know what that means in terms of using the Ostrich software to be developed on Android. I honestly don't know what all pieces I would need to start. I'm thinking Android supported hardware (FTDI chipset), Android development for the Ostrich software (not sure if I can get the source code from Moates or if it's theirs), anything else? I see you doing bluetooth and I'm not against using that, just an unknown to me.

[ShelGame]

i think the app should really be written in a language that runs "natively" on the android systems for best luck. on my obdc2 cars i use a program called torque pro that i downloaded off the market for $5. i bought an elm327 obdii bluetooth adapter off ebay for $15. so for $20 i can scan on any obd2 car for all the pids on my phone, read and clear codes, etc. its pretty cool (do a search :-) ). if someone can figure out a device to go from our ttl electronics to bluetooth at a supported baud rate i'ld take a shot at coming up with a droid app. i talked to ftdichip people quite a while back about a device to work like the serial/usb converter we use but supporting bluetooth but they weren't interested. i don't know enough about electronics to figure that side of it out.

I have the parts on my bench for a module. It's one of the main reasons why I want to clear my bench of cal work - I want to get the thing working. The module is the RN41 (or was it 42? I don't remember - the only difference is the range). It will support any integer baud rate and connects to TTL logic. The module itself is ~$15 from SparkFun, but soldering it will be tough. I bought the module + breakout board for $40 to try it out. I had even started to write a BT terminal ap using Android Ap Creator (which is getting killed now due to Google Labs being shutdown).

Personally, I think it would be great to be able to edit a cal on your phone, compile it, and flash it to the car over bluetooth. Bluetooth datalogging would be sweet, too.

[wowzer]

i looked at that module also but past my abilities! i didn't realize tho that it would support any baud rate, which i assume includes the baud rates our mcu supports? i was thinking that just getting something hooked up at 9600 would be a great starting point, so the basic of my ttl/bluetooth adapter question.

the os development side is problematic as u noted. i was looking at using a couple options: basically converting vb/c# code to java using a converter, using the ap creator, or using the monodroid setup. monodroid development team got buried when novell got bought but appears to have come back to life under a new company. hate to invest alot of time learning a package that may not last for long.

[ShelGame]

I think I read that Ap creator is going to be 'adopted' by a lab at MIT and kept. I did get an e-mail that all on-line project files would be purged in December, though. I think they'll have to be manually moved to the 'new' server when it's up.

I never heard of monodroid. I'll check it out...

[shackwrrr]

Im not interested much in tuning with my phone but a gauge display/datalogger would be awesome and very useful.

[wowzer]

rob - does the rn41 use 5v ttl levels or 3v? i had an email from them regarding that along time ago and i thought they said that you would need to use some type of diode/resister/yada yada to keep it from burning out on 5v ttl (isn't that what our mcu uses?). also, would still need to flip the logic circuits?!. maybe i'll just use the inverter stuff i already have and use the serial rs232 to bluetooth module. what do you think?

oh ya, that email did confirm that it would support 1200, 9600, 62500 and 125000 bauds!!! whoopee

[RoadWarrior222]

Im not interested much in tuning with my phone but a gauge display/datalogger would be awesome and very useful.palm emulator :eyebrows:

Though there's a whole world of pain involved in getting it to accept something as a serial input and resetting the date all the time because Rob never released a "release" version of Digital Dashboard. (Did I remember that wrong, too lazy to look it up, gotta get dinner on)

[ShelGame]

rob - does the rn41 use 5v ttl levels or 3v? i had an email from them regarding that along time ago and i thought they said that you would need to use some type of diode/resister/yada yada to keep it from burning out on 5v ttl (isn't that what our mcu uses?). also, would still need to flip the logic circuits?!. maybe i'll just use the inverter stuff i already have and use the serial rs232 to bluetooth module. what do you think?

oh ya, that email did confirm that it would support 1200, 9600, 62500 and 125000 bauds!!! whoopee

Yes, that's right. The breakout board I have I think is setup for 5V logic on the TTL side.

---------- Post added at 05:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:16 PM ----------


palm emulator :eyebrows:

Though there's a whole world of pain involved in getting it to accept something as a serial input and resetting the date all the time because Rob never released a "release" version of Digital Dashboard. (Did I remember that wrong, too lazy to look it up, gotta get dinner on)

Yeah, I tried to go back to the last 'working' version to release it and couldn't get it to work again. Basically, I broke it. I even tried a very basic digital interface and still no-go...

[minigts]

Im not interested much in tuning with my phone but a gauge display/datalogger would be awesome and very useful.

While tuning with a phone would be pretty sweet, I'm hoping to get a tablet and tune with that instead of a full size laptop. Eventually, I'd like to have a small tablet in the car at all times for tuning purposes.

[wowzer]

i just got in my serial bluetooth adapter last week to try to get it working with my pc and mptune/mpscan. hopefully, once i can get that to work i'm going to look at "porting" the software (or a scaled down version of some sort) to the android operating system. unfortunately, i'm not quite sure yet what software i'm going to use to program in so there could be quite a delay before anything is available to test. but that's the goal!!

[RoadWarrior222]

Well if you find linux tuning software, you don't have to port it so much as gasket match and deseam it :D

[RoadWarrior222]

I gots a "White Pandigital Novel" android tablet for Christmas and I'm getting deep down the rabbit hole in finding out how to hack it...

So, a very interesting little fact emerged. Many android devices might already have a serial port!

However, you have to dig it out of the guts of the device, possibly soldering to it, so that might stop some people cold.

the deally is that there are some semi-standardish connectors on ARM based boards for test and debug output. These may be installed with connectors on some devices or may be bare pads on the circuit board. Typically the OS is using them as a terminal output, so you can hook up a terminal and screw around with them. They would take additional configuration of your (rooted) device to enable them as a com port that apps could use.

they are not RS232 level output but a logic level serial output. they may be unbuffered and be susceptible to damage from interference, spikes and static, so buffering at least would be recommended. The default settings in not too far from standard android installs appears to be 115k bps 8 bits no parity or flow control.

Here are some specs on the most common types, typically referred to as JTAG connectors, (Search JTAG and youll find breakout boards and other goodies)

http://www.nohau.com/appnotes/arm_connections.pdf

the data output and input are equivalent to the RXD TXD lines. the large connector at the bottom of that sheet however appears to use a parallel system not serial.

So if you really want your SMEC/SBEC to talk to an android, this might be a way to get started, but there's "some assembly required" as it were...