BOTH:

Funny enough i am in a similar position to BVD,we have 3 sons our youngest just turned 6 ,when he was born we also decided that i would become the house husband , bvd i use the term ( DOMESTIC ENGENEER /DEVELOPER ) to descrive myself .

The wife returned to work earning the steady income while i got involved in development ,unlike BVD i havent been blessed with his talents instead i have a great team of builders and trades people helping to develop properties as a team .

Now that the property prices are way to high imo to speculate i am sitting on the fence before i commit to my next project,sometimes there is greater profit in selling the development site than in actually developing it.

 

My last car was a V1000

I thought I was a rare IT guy with a V8 Commie until I got onto the LS1 forums.

I too am interested in tapping in to the ODBII port under the dash. If what they say about the engine dyno is true, then tuning these will be difficult unless a engine dyno is used. My prefered method of tuning would be to re-map the ignition and fuel tables, rather then "trick" the computer via a piggy back. But that is best left for another thread...


Cheers,
Hymee.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Hymee
My last car was a V1000

I thought I was a rare IT guy with a V8 Commie until I got onto the LS1 forums.

I too am interested in tapping in to the ODBII port under the dash. If what they say about the engine dyno is true, then tuning these will be difficult unless a engine dyno is used. My prefered method of tuning would be to re-map the ignition and fuel tables, rather then "trick" the computer via a piggy back. But that is best left for another thread...


Cheers,
Hymee. [/QUOTE

Seems mazdaspeed have gone down that path - from a babel fished go at their site!

 

... ODBII port under the dash ??

happy happy happy, joy joy joy - I've been dreaming of hacking my own car.. oh telemetry data here I come!

<--- goes down to the parking and sticks head under the dash armed with Powerbook G4 and USB -> DB9/25 cable and Null Modem and pocket full of terminal emulation and data sucking tools.. ( where exactly is that port? )

++dez;

 

Mazdaspeed.com

you've got to love any RX8 / Mazda company smart enough to build their web site, shop, and portal with iSeries WebShpere / Java !!

For the java / websphere / ibm phreaks:

http://www.iseriesnetwork.com/nodeuk...ContentID=7741

++dez;

 

ahhh you computer nerds!

Not so fast - the processor is a Renasis (Hitachi) SuperH running most likely OSEK. Assuming that it runs OBDII (there's no reason why OZ-spec or the Euro3 spec deriviative would have it) you'll also need to get hold of the OBDII protocol layer.

The interface is second generation CANBus so you'll need a canbus i/f card. Do they even make those for apples?

At best you'll only be able to emulate an OBD scan tool (which can't even read fuel maps anyway, just a CRC) at worst you've got a lot of work ahead guessing the mazda/ECE protocol. You've got a much better chance using the ICD port on the processor.

Be honest - you were thinking it was going to be ANSI terminal serial didn't you?

-pete

 

I get the impression you'll need something a little more interesting than a serial cable...

 

dez was going to store fuel and ignition maps on his iPod. Upon selection of a particular play list, the first track would be intercepted and downloaded as a new ignition and fuel map setting.


oh, dez - can't you leave anything alone??? :D

 

Ha ha hah he he ROFL :D

Kev -- that was great!

 

and
I'd just like to loop my iPod into the stereo system without using (a) an FM transmitter (crap) (b) one of those ugly tape arrangements (don't have a tape head unit anyway) or (c) the butchery I have seen elsewhere to wire in an input (still requires a tape head unit, in any case.

Why don't modern cars have industry standard USB, Firewire or even standard serial ports?

When will the motor vehicle industry catch up with the IT industry, or even the consumer electronics industry?

And while I'm at, fitting a mobile STILL involves way too much butchery, too!

There, I feel better now:D

 

I feel your pain brother...

We made it to DIN standard dash openings a number of years ago, but then nobody with any sense was buying a high spec sound system pre-installed ... so the car makers did a job on us!!!

The other annoying thing is, I do like the integration in terms of use and appearance - it's just that it's locked in time and only of average quality.

I think though, that you need to copmare laptops with cars and desktops/servers with houses. Try and upgrade you sound card in a new laptop

But truly, how hard would it be to offer up a couple of RCA's into the head unit eh?

Dammit, I'm so annoyed I think I'll have a little break and float about in the pool for a while with a nice cold beer :D

 

...and here I am, slaving over a hot keyboard!

(Adopts a philosophical air...) perhaps one of the most positive outcomes of this type of forum -- if we can ensure the mfrs read them -- is to start to get them to address these issues:?

(Shoulders slump...) ah, what f*^k! It'll never happen. Pass me a beer!

 

rpm_pwr, where did you suck that little packet of a gem of knowledge?

If the RX8 really is running a Hitachi SuperH, then that puppy will run Linux!

http://linuxsh.sourceforge.net/

The Mazdaspeed.com site has a little black box type gadget that they claim:

"Plugs directly into your car's factory ECU harness and sensors Windows_-based software (2000, NT, 98, 95, ME) makes copying, viewing and manipulating data..."

If I ever hear back from Mazdaspeed.com ( the penultimate sin in my mind is having an email address contact for your web site and NOT replying within 24 hours! ) - I'm hoping I can just buy one, jack in, and suck suck suck that data..

As for OBD II:

http://www.obdii.com/connector.html

Cables:

http://www.aeswave.com/products/Product.asp?i=319

Ok, this link confirms that the ODB II interface is on the RX8:

http://www.import-performance-parts....de_reader.html

And there's a most nastly gadget I don't think we'll be plugging into my little blue car!

My searching travels also found this little gizmo - I wonder if it's claims are tested by anyone?

http://www.import-performance-parts....ol_module.html


Hey Kev, are you a mind reader ? Hee hee - ok - I wasn't quite pack'in an iPod but I'll admit that I wasn't quite expecting it to be a clasic DTE port willing to talk to me at 9600 8N1 but I was thinking it would be do-able..

I have though found the exact gadget that my next AMEX abuse is going to buy, and iPod be dambed, this puppy lets me plug my palm pilot right into the OBD II port and suck data!!

http://www.nology.com/pdadyno.html

If I can get it to talk to my palm pilot, I can get it to talk to my mac! ( hey, emulate a palm on a mac and bob'd your uncle! )

There's data in dem packets man..

I got side tracked the other day and haven't had a chance to stick my head anywhere under the hood / console / dash yet - but I've booked time this weekend to give some serious staring if nothing else!

If I get it working - I'll do some homeword on ow much anyone interested could get an eBay / Sold / Yahoo second hand Palm Pilot, the pdadyno software and cables, and start tinkering with telemetry from your little 8's!

I found a device at Mazdaspeed.com that I've emailed them about, to check if it will talk to the RX8 - nothing back yet..

Let me just say now, for the record, that if there's data in there, I'll find it.. it won't happen over night, but it will happen..

I haven't found a device yet that I can't eventually convice to yeild it's inner sanctum given time..

Anyone with hands on with anything close to this, I'd be most grateful for any PM's available.

I'll compile the inputs and my findings and publish a draft FAQ on sucking data from your RX8 if I get enought results of interest.

I hope atleast some of this is of interest.

Njoy.

++dez;

 

Hey Dez

Being from the business side rather than IT I'm struggling to understand your post .. of course we business people always play dumb to try to get a price reduction based on sympathy - its the famed 'dilbert ploy' ! - sadly the IT side understands this ploy all to well and it rarely works ...

enough bs ....

Are you saying that given time you can help us plug our palms into the 8 and tweak on the go .. is this the thinking mans response to fast and funious??

Or ahve I over read this

My Tungsten is twitching !!

R

 

Hey Rob,

ah yes, the old dilbert ploy.. I've seen it many times.. you've applied it smoothly and stealthily here.. you are indeed a professional * grin *

I've spent a bit of time over the past two days now, looking into currently avaliable tools etc, you can actually already get that trusty tungsten of yours [ or my iPod - just kidding Kev! ] jacked into your RX8 and do a range of things - mostly "watch" - but a couple of the tools seem to be capable of on the fly tweaks.

But my first aim is to find a stable, solid package I can build with off the shelf "bits" to monitor and log data - with the goal of being able to analyse, and replay time periods, or "drives" as it were.

Have a quick look at these:

http://www.nology.com/pdadyno.html

http://www.carsoftwares.com/auterra/

http://www.ecu-blaster.com/index2.html

I'm aiming to do enough homework to buy something this weekend and publish back this thread and the forum the outcome with data, pix, a howto and costs etc..

Oh, and find a place to mount the thing so that it's not just laying on the spare seat * smile *

But as I said earlier.. I am going to pull from the OBD v2 spec and Mazda design to hopefully then be able to suck the data into any tool I like.

Once I've got a clear picture of what I'm going to get from the data port, then it would be easy to knock up something in Java for example to run as a "midlet" in my sony erricson p800 mobile phone ( it runs java ) so I can use the nice big color screen on my mobile phone and it's 1 gig sony memory stick to capture and log data and let me analyse, replay and trap any errors or such.

I'm initially interested in simple results such as what the car's running line on fuel from different providers, outlets etc, as I'm pretty sure that Optimax from a station I use is giving me less performance than a tank full I got at a station just outside of Newcastle for example - and I'd like real data to prove my gut feeling rather than just more "gut feeling " from a heap of dollars on a heap of miles on a heap of tankfulls of optimax from all over town.

Small steps Ellie ( from Carl Sagans "Contact" ).

Cheers,

++Dez;

 

now here's a gizmo that needs investigation!

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...60005_2003nov3

++dez;

 

See the tech section. One guy opened the ECU and read the part #'s for me.

Quote:

If the RX8 really is running a Hitachi SuperH, then that puppy will run Linux!

And a million other (IMO) better OS's. But the fact remains that you would be starting from scratch, so that option is a no-go.

Quote:

The Mazdaspeed.com site has a little black box type gadget that they claim:

"Plugs directly into your car's factory ECU harness and sensors Windows_-based software (2000, NT, 98, 95, ME) makes copying, viewing and manipulating data..."

Now where did you get that from? Sounds like an Apexi PFC type ECU to me. Very interesting!

Quote:

As for OBD II:

You're still under the apprehension that OZ-spec cars are OBD-II compliant. Of course the US versions are (they have to be!) but I'd be wary of handing over money for an OBD2 scanner if I wasnt sure it was implemented here.

-pete

 

Pete,

indeed - my first order of business this weekend when I sit down and start to figure it all out is:

1 - is the AU car infact OBD2 or not?

I've emailed US sites with their scanner gizmos for sale, and none of them have a clue as yet, some have gone off to do some home work for me.

more as it comes to hand.

++dez;

 

Anyone running anything on 240 volts via an inverter in their RX8 yet?

Laptop doing "stuff" while on the road - needs more than a few hours running busy - am thinking of an inverter plugged right into the very nicely placed cigarette lighter plug..

Curious about makes, models et al..

++dez;

 

One for the crusing crew..

Dick Smith outlets seem to have a neat little two radio [ CB ] set currently for $99 - I got a set, they are tiny, cute, and they work up to around the 3k mark line of sight type thing..

Really neat if you've got a couple of cars on the road and you don't want to wind up the mobile phone bill just making sure the car in front takes the correct turn off the freeway etc.

Could be worth grabing a set each for the sake of $99 and we could have preset channels for "fly in" get togethers for drives etc ?

Just a thought.. unless you all have beafy handsets already of course..

++dez;

 

Dez, i've been using the Uniden unit, costs about $100 and is a touch better than the cheaper ones.

They make cruising a party! So easy and so so fun! They say you get 5km, but really you can get about 1.5km, after that things like buildings get in the way and it must use line of sight.

If i'm correct tho, you can change the output of the unit by soldering in a few more resistors as a hand held unit is only allowed (legaly) to put out 1.5amps or however they rate it ?

 

Its just a shame its running a nasty little SH4 when it could be using a decent ARM variant.

Cheers
---Dave

 

UHF radios are great for a cruise. Uniden have a handheld model that will output 2W.... which is the one I've got.

BTW.. Legal maximum is 5w

 

oh there you go, 5W. i knew it was something low.

 

druck: [ dave ] yea - well I guess you have to look at where the car is created and manufactured and where they might look for a cpu [ their own back yard ] - I agree that the ARM is a nice CPU, but frankly I'd be conserned about it's support and end of live timeline - where as Hitachi has never had an issue supporting their chips and ain't going away fast.

Frankly for my money, it should be the new IBM PPC970 or at least the new UltraSPARC4, ****, even a transmetta would do but that's far too close to the dark side [ intel ] for my money - I'd never buy a car that would in theory be able to run Microsoft CE - imagine going into a tight corner under breaks and getting the blue tacho of death!

kaz / sco: hmm.. now of course I'm going to have to go buy a bigger on - the whole ***** envy thing will get me otherwise..

although the little guys I have are pretty fine for what I use them for, and if I'm more than 1k from the car I'm with, then it's time to pull out the mobile phone I guess.

++dez;