Vilhuer

ST middle box is hooked into LH or EZK and will keep car running while laptop gives blue screen on traffic lights.

ST, Navi, MP3 player, TV etc. all in 7" or 8" touch screen mounted to where AC is normally should be doable quite easily. I know one setup in car where XPC connects to home machine through WLAN making it easy to update what software is run in car. Not going to be exactly cheap solution and takes some work to set it up but all technology already exist and is available for anyone.

drnick

i like these ideas but the knowldge necessary to configure it is beyond me. it would need a touch screen for sure and it would be ideal if it worked on a cut down pc/laptop/handheld.

Louie928

I agree that having the utility of the sharktuner display would be a great help, and interest, in regular everyday 928 use. I find that after a tuning session, I find myself looking for the ST screen with all the important information, but everythins put away and it's not there anymore. You'd need two ST like devices, one for the LH and another for the EZ-K. Probably what would be more practical would be to have John come up with a LH/EZ-K data extraction module to get all that wonderful information right from the diagnostic plug, and output to a serial or USB port. Then have software to display it on any PC. That way you wouldn't need to have anything plugged directly into the LH & EZ-K and you wouldn't need a computer running all the time. The ST will retain the LH/EZ-K maps internally even with the display computer shut down, but the ST power has to remain on. I think it takes about 70ma which is ok to leave on for a few hours, but not constantly.

You can have a permanent car mounted mini computer running WinXP and have it go into hibernation when the ignition is off and come out of hibernation when you start the car again. This can be done with other OS such as Linux too. These are available off the shelf now. We've followed "Kraft's" progress on computer generated display and control of the HVAC. He's got a great system started, and about ready to finalize it I think. I think he uses Linux OS so that kind of limits the car computer running his system for any other use or Windows based add-on. Guess you could have a dual boot system. Kraft could incorporate John's LH/EZ-K data stream into one of his screens too.

I'll be finishing and installing my car computer with instrument display this winter. The display will look like this.
http://www.performance928.com/cgi-bi...=instrumentPDj
I'll have data logging, and I planned to eventually include an interface for GPS nav, DVD player, and about anything else I wanted. I came across this company a while ago and it seems that they already have the add-ons I was going to do so not much need for me to invent another wheel. It's expandable, and runs on WinXP. Their main package is software, and the cost is reasonable. Their site also has links for hardware options.
http://www.streetdeck.com/

Here are some more car computer oriented hardware URLs.
http://www.opussolutions.com/
http://www.mini-box.com/site/index.html
http://www.epiacenter.com/
http://www.logicsupply.com/index.php/cPath/50

Louie928

I've experimented some with a touch screens mounted in a 928. None of the computer screens are bright enough to be seen well in daylight and touch screens are not as bright as non-touch screens. Mounted high where the AC outlets are is in bright light and sometimes direct sunlight. Unfortunately, a low mounting position is better for screen readability. The high mounting would work if the screen was recessed into the dash, or had a hood over it to keep direct light off.

heinrich

http://www.egauges.com/Defi/concept_top.html

John Speake

Interesting thoughts...... but I'm not sure the potential market justifies the development time ....

Nice display Louie :-)

Vilhuer

Bright sunlight is problem obviously. I think it can be solved. Have seen and used this Pioneer navi in GTS mounted to normal radio position and screen was easily readable in normal German sunny day at least.

Ideal solution would probably be something like above if it would be possible to run selfmade software in it. I think it would be possible to do ST user interface in browser stricpt language like JScript and have it communicate with ST box. AFAIK Niklas hasnt't used anything so special in current ST Visual Basic interface which would make it really difficult to convert it to different platform. This obviously doesn't make commercial sense with existing small market. It would strictly be for the heck of it. Too bad he has so many other projects going on currently.

All we would really need is some manufacturer like Pioneer to make DVD+navi combo which also has internet connection with browser and support for script language and some usable way to connect outside devices. Everything needed has been invented years ago and is in use elsewhere. Its just not included in one device in market that I'm aware of. Not yet.

Louie928

Hi John,
Yeah, I know. Mostly wishful thinking that if I only had the LH/EZ-K diagnostic data.

Louie928

That's good to know there is a display that is usable at that location. This unit may be about what you are describing. It's expensive at US$2200 and double DIN size so something else would have to go away in the center console for it to fit.
http://store.mp3car.com/ProductDetai...Code=SDK%2D007

Vilhuer

Thats it.

This has everything needed to run ST in it without any additional programming. Same kind of Windows user interface like ST has would not be too difficult to make for Hammer/Spanner type of functionality and also for generic virtual instrument panel using all available info from 928 diagnostics plug and other sources. PDF WSM, PDF PET, wiring diagrams all work in it. Once they make it smaller to fit into normal DIN stereo slot like Pioneer...

Rick Carter

There are rearview mirror displays for under $200.00 on eBay, most have two video inputs (RCA). When not powered they function as a mirror, many come with a camera. I've thought about replacing the rearview mirror with one or maybe installing one somewhere else in the car, but haven't thought of a good location.

John Speake

It would need to run two independant ST at the same time.....

Louie928

Right. Or have the data from both LH & EZ-K come from the diagnostic plug into the serial port, then do whatever you need with software to make the display. AFAIK, you and Niklas are the only people in the 928 world who know how to do that.

drnick

i like the direction this is going from my frame of reference im with louie in liking the stream of data that is accesable with the sharktuner, seeing it and verifying the engines current running parameters. id swear it runs better at some times than others and it would be nice to see whats going on, whether its the ezk retarding ignition with a bad tank of gas or what. also just being able to remap with upgrades like exhaust changes, adding spacers to the plenums etc...

Vilhuer

For tuning possibilities like what is already available in ST, one of them would be suffient in future also. Its possible to connect into both boxes simultaneusly in away that only one box is controlled by ST at any given time while other is using chip. I think swap can be put under single three position switch. Options being both chips on, ST connected to LH or ST connected to EZK tuning. Change done only when engine is restarted. Wiring nightmare increases exponentially but it should be doable. Obviously best option would be total control of both boxes simultaneusly and that does require two ST's.