The Research and Development Thread!!

[Dirbatua]

Im using that to allow switching between tables for each module.

As in, a module may have the following tab options:
- Module details
- Live Data
- Fault Codes
- Programming


Its the finer details such as icons for save/load logs, settings, help file, ect.
Its easy to rack up 15 different icons, which can quickly lead to confusion... currently Im toying with the help text which displays when hovering over things for a couple seconds.. its the first time using it so adjusting all the little settings.

The new graphing function is beyond complex.. theres a trillion different options.. so working out which ones are actually needed.
Theres also a new display.. mini charts.. which allow tracking graphs on a mini scale, plus a few other fancy bits.

Software i use for work just has a row of icons along the top for that kinda stuff with the hover tooltips, the day to day morons are able to use it fairly easily so should be fine long as they aint all over the place and all neat together, we'd all soon learn which is what after a few uses.

As for the graphing, drop down box with all the options with an Add, Remove and Remove All buttons should cover it all i'd reckon and be fairly simple to setup and use.

 

[TazzI]

Another little thing Im having to consider is having nag boxes popup saying when too many parameters are being requested to be read at once.

I know that may sound silly, but the amount of people I get asking "why is it taking so long to update my engine rpm?" is probably a dozen or more every week. And it is always due to them selecting every single engine parameter at once.. so requesting 60+ parameters is actually a MASSIVE amount of data.

So instead of seeing live data displaying smoothly (~24 updates per second), they are displaying very jittery since the update rate is only about 2 updates per second per parameter.

Another (kinda) important one I want to add in is max/min values and vehicle average/expected values. Since not everyone is an expert mechanic that knows what their looking for, some sort of rough guidance will go a long way.

 

[Gaiter]

Another little thing Im having to consider is having nag boxes popup saying when too many parameters are being requested to be read at once.

Sounds like a brilliant idea

Another (kinda) important one I want to add in is max/min values and vehicle average/expected values. Since not everyone is an expert mechanic that knows what their looking for, some sort of rough guidance will go a long way.

Sounds like more tedious work, because with the range of vehicles and engines you are planning to cover is quite vast. You would need to have all of these values on hand to program in. And (I'm no mechanic so please tell me if I am wrong) wouldn't certain mods affect certain values and engines in different ways?

Don't get me wrong, the non-mechanic without that working knowledge loves this idea aswell! But maybe as a future 'patch'

 

[TazzI]

Sounds like more tedious work, because with the range of vehicles and engines you are planning to cover is quite vast. You would need to have all of these values on hand to program in. And (I'm no mechanic so please tell me if I am wrong) wouldn't certain mods affect certain values and engines in different ways?

Don't get me wrong, the non-mechanic without that working knowledge loves this idea aswell! But maybe as a future 'patch'

Yeah, thats right.
Anyone thats needed to actually track down a problem, knows that fault codes don't always give you an exact problem so you need to review live engine data to see what is going on.

It can be hard to spot intermittent problems with live data, generally requires a few replays and reviews to identify whats actually happening. Dead sensors a nice and easy to see due to they are either maxed out or 0.
Its usually the intermittent issues or under specific conditions where a problem arises... and this is where live data needs to more 'jump out' to find the problem.

Something like a gauge changes colour when over or under a specific threshold... this would make it easy to identify problematic areas.
Modified vehicles would have to probably have different tolerances (Within reason), so a solution to that would be needed... maybe even the ability to adjust/change thresholds by the user? (Later down the track of course!!)

Thankfully, Holdens factory manuals from VT onwards actually mentions 'expected' values. So should be able to add in as many as I can of those for a bit of an idea of whats roughly expected.
Its the older vehicles, VR/VS which I havent found tooooo much on, so that might be a bit of guess work or needed to record some stock vehicles to get an idea of base line values.

 

[TazzI]

Wow.. pulled an all nighter last night to get some true work done!

Its amazing how much you can get done when there is absolutely nothing to distract you an an unlimited supply of coffee. Im sure Iv had a weeks worth of caffeine in under 24hours but has helped get a bunch of tedious work completed.

Still a ways to go, and probably not the last all nighter to come in the next few weeks.

More parts rolled up today.. have enough parts for another 15 cables. Have also begun 3D printing cases for the cables.
Will just be a matter of soldering the boards then popping them into the case

Starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

 

[Dirbatua]

More parts rolled up today.. have enough parts for another 15 cables. Have also begun 3D printing cases for the cables.
Will just be a matter of soldering the boards then popping them into the case

sorry couldn't resist

 

[TazzI]

:rofl2: Nice.

Toyed with swapping between different protocols last night, wanted to see how quickly I could change between different modules (For example.. engine ECU and instrument cluster).. and.. its essentially instant. Doesnt mean much to the end user, other than a smooth and quick experience :beer chug:

This of course.. side tracked me.. so I ended up simulating entire vehicles over different protocols simultaneously to keep various modules on the bench 'happy'. That in no way helped the project :rofl2:

Today I have a bit of a side project I need to get done.

Iv had a few kits sitting on the R&D bench which Iv not had time to show off in car.

What Im looking to take some videos of are:
- Series 1 SSV colour headunit plug and play reverse camera kit
- Series 1 VIM removable plug and play 'video in motion'(VIM) box.

Im sure a few people are thinking right now.. "well, that isnt new?". But actually they are!
Technically, 99% of S1 vehicles were not intended to have reverse camera, so its a bit of an engineering trickery to be able to enable it on screen.

Next, as for VIM, not all S1 headunits support programming for VIM.. so.. Iv developed a plug and play VIM box suitable for any and all S1 units. This unit works based on clicking mute twice within a couple seconds, which then enables the VIM. Double tapping again will disable VIM
The bonus for the above style VIM, is that you get an actual physical product which can be sold on if you ever sell the vehicle.

The two kits have been tested on bench, for hundreds and hundreds of hours and work great. But, videoing a bench setup just isnt the same as in car.

My problem currently.. is I have a series 2 kit installed! So I have to strip the car, reinstall the S1 gear to do the videos.. then reinstall the S2 stuff again. :rofl2:

I have to say, its going to be the first time Iv had to do a series2 to series1 Headunit install.. cant imagine there would be many others that have gone backwards either! :hmmm:

 

[chrisfox75]

TazzI

I love the product you are creating and would love to test the VF stuff when you have it together, i am from the USA and we have the Chevy SS which is the Commodore VF 2014-2015 and the VF Series 2 started in 2016. Im looking to do some stuff with my MyLink Infotainment System such as changing the boot screens to Holden, the Cluster to Holden Boot IPC and the colors from Blue to Red, to match my Red Hot 2 SS. Will this have the ability to scan the CANBUS system and change settings in CANBUS such as a reprogram for the key fobs to work the windows up and down, drivers side or all of them? Just a bunch of little things, gadgets and thingamabobs i want to change... LOL We here in the US wouldn't mind getting the EDI system installed in our Mylink another great product you Aussies get that we don't have access to, not sure the difficulty level on that product.

Well good luck with your product, ill purchase it from you when the VF is added as long as it will work with my Chevy SS, would love live data logging of our systems.

Chris Fox
Lancaster, Pa. USA

 

[TazzI]

All good news so far!

Series1 Cam kit - Perfect!
Series1 removable VIM - Perfect!

Its good to see things work perfectly first go after being on the bench setup.

Also tinkered with adding full android system to the series1 colour unit. Displayed great, but I have to find a suitable touchscreen overlay to pop in front before it can actually be used!
So that might be another addition/possibility for the VE series1

Same for the series, might be able to get aftermarket navigation working with the system, and without any additional touchscreen overlay. Its going to be difficult.. but manageable.

 

[TazzI]

Worked on something a bit new that I havent dealt with before! Good to learn something new.. hopefuly this little post will help other out also with same symptons.

So the problem was a VE Series2 Berlina which had aircon issues. The demister would remain stuck on, and was blowing hot one side and cold on the other.

Reading out the faults indicated all the problems were on the passenger side.. but.. those actuators turned out to be fine (No stripped cogs!), so moved onto the drivers side, and the top actuator was what failed.
You could physically feel that is was faulty as when attempting to run the aircon through the relearn process, it would vibrate as it was throwing the stripped plastic inside of it. When the drivers side fails, the system cannot move onto the passengers side which is why is sets faults for passenger (Go figure!).
You could also spin the actuator cog which means something internally has failed.. which after quick inspection showed a completely disintegrated plastic cog.

Originally thought of 3D printing a replacement, but the replacement actuator is only $20, so thatll be installed tomorrow when Holden opens :beer chug:

I have to say, its great to see a big smile on the clients face (Rob) after diagnosing the issue quickly and finding a cheap solution.

It does frustrate me though that a previous sparky went out.. and literally got paid to do nothing at all, plugged in a scantool and said "nah theres no faults".
Have had a previous client say he copped $500+ to get the problem fixed from Holden. So as you can imagine, Rob is over the moon that its finally been diagnosed and getting fixed.

All up, less than an hours work with constant chatting (I ramble alot.. if no-ones noticed!)... probably 10mins if you went straight to the drivers side to check first.

Hope that helps other out there!!! I'll grab some photos of the failed unit tomorrow and its location.