Wanted - RDK Unit
06-27-2007, 05:39 PM
#1
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Wanted - RDK Unit
Guys - does anyone have an RDK unit they have removed - no longer need and are willing to donate to the cause? Happy to pay shipping...
I am investigating the integration of my Smartire TPMS monitor to the digi-dash RDK system display.
My goal is to eliminate the RDK sensing but piggyback on the display system using the smartire system as the front end monitor. To do this I need to canibalize an RDK system module - but I also need to keep mine as an operating reference system.
I'm not sure if this is really feasible - it seems it probably is... but I have somework to do to figure it out.
The Smatire system is very good BTW - it monitors the pressure in every wheel against 2 programmable pressure thresholds (low inflation threshold: warning & critical inflation threshold: emergency alert), it also monitors temperature to a programmable threshold and it can also read out exact real time pressure & temperatures for each tire in rotation.
I'd give it an unreserved approval if it weren't for the fact that one of the pressure senors has recently failed and worst still is now ratting around inside one of my front wheels!.
Waiting for the replacement...
Anyway if this were integrated to the dash display (just the warning status ID by wheel - like RDK) it would be a fantastic replacement for the RDK system...
If you are running aftermarket wheels or non-standard pressures its already a good solution...
Alan
I am investigating the integration of my Smartire TPMS monitor to the digi-dash RDK system display.
My goal is to eliminate the RDK sensing but piggyback on the display system using the smartire system as the front end monitor. To do this I need to canibalize an RDK system module - but I also need to keep mine as an operating reference system.
I'm not sure if this is really feasible - it seems it probably is... but I have somework to do to figure it out.
The Smatire system is very good BTW - it monitors the pressure in every wheel against 2 programmable pressure thresholds (low inflation threshold: warning & critical inflation threshold: emergency alert), it also monitors temperature to a programmable threshold and it can also read out exact real time pressure & temperatures for each tire in rotation.
I'd give it an unreserved approval if it weren't for the fact that one of the pressure senors has recently failed and worst still is now ratting around inside one of my front wheels!.
Waiting for the replacement...
Anyway if this were integrated to the dash display (just the warning status ID by wheel - like RDK) it would be a fantastic replacement for the RDK system...
If you are running aftermarket wheels or non-standard pressures its already a good solution...
Alan
Last edited by Alan; 06-27-2007 at 06:32 PM.
06-27-2007, 05:54 PM
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Originally Posted by Alan
Guys - does anyone have an RDK unit they have removed - no longer need and are willing to donate to the cause? Happy to pay shipping...
I am investigating the integration of my Smartire TPMS monitor to the digi-dash RDK system display.
My goal is to eliminate the RDK sensing but piggyback on the display system using the smartire system as the front end monitor. To do this I need to caibalize an RDK system module - but I also need to keep mine as an operating reference system.
I'm not sure if this is really feasible - it seems it probably is... but I have somework to do to figure it out.
The Smatire system is very good BTW - it monitors the pressure in every wheel against 2 programmable pressure thresholds (low inflation threshold: warning & critical inflation threshold: emergency alert), it also monitors temperature to a programmable threshold and it can also read out exact real time pressure & temperatures for each tire in rotation.
I'd give it an unreserved approval if it weren't for the fact that one of the pressure senors has recently failed and worst still is now ratting around inside one of my front wheels!.
Waiting for the replacement...
Anyway if this were integrated to the dash display (just the warning status ID by wheel - like RDK) it would be a fantastic replacement for the RDK system...
If you are running aftermarket wheels or non-standard pressures its already a good solution...
Alan
I am investigating the integration of my Smartire TPMS monitor to the digi-dash RDK system display.
My goal is to eliminate the RDK sensing but piggyback on the display system using the smartire system as the front end monitor. To do this I need to caibalize an RDK system module - but I also need to keep mine as an operating reference system.
I'm not sure if this is really feasible - it seems it probably is... but I have somework to do to figure it out.
The Smatire system is very good BTW - it monitors the pressure in every wheel against 2 programmable pressure thresholds (low inflation threshold: warning & critical inflation threshold: emergency alert), it also monitors temperature to a programmable threshold and it can also read out exact real time pressure & temperatures for each tire in rotation.
I'd give it an unreserved approval if it weren't for the fact that one of the pressure senors has recently failed and worst still is now ratting around inside one of my front wheels!.
Waiting for the replacement...
Anyway if this were integrated to the dash display (just the warning status ID by wheel - like RDK) it would be a fantastic replacement for the RDK system...
If you are running aftermarket wheels or non-standard pressures its already a good solution...
Alan
Based on the electrical schematics (sheet 9) for my '90, it looks like there are discrete inputs for each wheel, but I don't know the nature of the signals, and I'm in no position to hang a tester (DMM or 'scope or whatever) on them to find out, since my old wheels with the senders are stashed about 20 miles from where I live).
I do have my old RDK unit sitting in a parts bin, though...
06-27-2007, 05:59 PM
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Mike - thanks - PM on its way...
Ed - why am I not surprised you'd have thought of this one too!
If I get it working - you'll be the first to get the scoop on how...
Yes I was also thinking the individual LED drivers would be the alert sources.
As i'm sure you do I have the remote display - mine is mounted in the armrest box - well tucked away yet accessible - but not really easy to see when moving...
How do you like the Smartire - seems to deliver pretty well to me (untill recently anyway....)
Alan
Ed - why am I not surprised you'd have thought of this one too!
If I get it working - you'll be the first to get the scoop on how...
Yes I was also thinking the individual LED drivers would be the alert sources.
As i'm sure you do I have the remote display - mine is mounted in the armrest box - well tucked away yet accessible - but not really easy to see when moving...
How do you like the Smartire - seems to deliver pretty well to me (untill recently anyway....)
Alan
06-27-2007, 06:01 PM
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Alan have you seen the radar detector interfaces available for BMW? They tap into the factory dash display similar to ours. Can this be done for our cars, so as to display external data sources?
06-27-2007, 06:11 PM
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Originally Posted by heinrich
Alan have you seen the radar detector interfaces available for BMW? They tap into the factory dash display similar to ours. Can this be done for our cars, so as to display external data sources?
06-27-2007, 06:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Ed Scherer
Yeah -- great idea! I'm thinking that we could feed the signal from a radar detector to the same input as the timing belt tension signal; the scary red alert would sure get my attention!
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06-27-2007, 06:29 PM
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Heinrich - I have thought about this... but its certainly not possible without totally changing the firmware for the dashboard controller.
The newer vehicles have the advantage of CANbus digital communications busses in the car and interfaces to the dashboard controls allow remote devices to directly drive the displays in a kind of pass though mode.
There is no way the 928 system could do that since there is no display interface (or even data interface) into the dashboard - the displays available are quite limited and can only be driven by the dash controller itself based on how it reads the sensor inputs.
However if the code were available, understood and modularized it should be possible to extend the displays & functions to add your own extra pre-defined displays. The trick is figuring out what you'd monitor to sense these new things...
If you had a few inputs you could use as direct or coded inputs e.g. hijack something you no longer need and then delete that code & displays (like RDK - 5 inputs). Then you could sense (somehow) your radar detector alerts and have the LCD disply do its bright red warning thing and say something like "RADAR ALERT [KA] KA BAND"
This makes it sound way easier than it is - diassassembling and making sense of the code would be very hard - but once done and understood - making further changes probably wouldn't be that hard for a good programmer (not me!).
My idea on RDK is much easier than that - to simply to mimic the RDK alerts the RDK unit would normally send to the dashboard.
In practiuce I'd probably do this by feeding a working RDK unit some erroneous data derived from the ABS sensors to compare to the ABS sensors for the no-alert case or half rate or missing data for the desired alert cases...
Problem to start with is I need to monitor the ABS sensor data and RDK sensor data to see what they are supposed to look like....
Alan
The newer vehicles have the advantage of CANbus digital communications busses in the car and interfaces to the dashboard controls allow remote devices to directly drive the displays in a kind of pass though mode.
There is no way the 928 system could do that since there is no display interface (or even data interface) into the dashboard - the displays available are quite limited and can only be driven by the dash controller itself based on how it reads the sensor inputs.
However if the code were available, understood and modularized it should be possible to extend the displays & functions to add your own extra pre-defined displays. The trick is figuring out what you'd monitor to sense these new things...
If you had a few inputs you could use as direct or coded inputs e.g. hijack something you no longer need and then delete that code & displays (like RDK - 5 inputs). Then you could sense (somehow) your radar detector alerts and have the LCD disply do its bright red warning thing and say something like "RADAR ALERT [KA] KA BAND"
This makes it sound way easier than it is - diassassembling and making sense of the code would be very hard - but once done and understood - making further changes probably wouldn't be that hard for a good programmer (not me!).
My idea on RDK is much easier than that - to simply to mimic the RDK alerts the RDK unit would normally send to the dashboard.
In practiuce I'd probably do this by feeding a working RDK unit some erroneous data derived from the ABS sensors to compare to the ABS sensors for the no-alert case or half rate or missing data for the desired alert cases...
Problem to start with is I need to monitor the ABS sensor data and RDK sensor data to see what they are supposed to look like....
Alan
06-27-2007, 07:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Alan
How do you like the Smartire - seems to deliver pretty well to me (until recently anyway....)
Alan
Alan
It's "gone random" on me a couple of times, too, where it would display incorrect information (really low pressure for a tire, and then I'd discover that it's incorrect and it would reset to something reasonable later).
I'm curious how long the transmitters will last before needing replacement, too. Do you know? I assume they're lithium battery powered.
Other than that, I really like it. Nice to know the tire temperatures, too.
06-27-2007, 09:35 PM
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Heinrich - I have thought that for those of us with a manual the digi-dash does have some spare bulb locations P R N D 3 2 bulb locations appear to be driven ~directly from the dashboard input pins and although there are no front panel indicators implemented on a manual - seems one could create some pretty easily then have either illuminated icons or colored (LED's/gel) indicators located there...
Andrew - maybe some Valentine arrows and band indicators. There are also usually on most years/equipment warning indicators that are not used e.g trailer turn signal is usually vacant too.
Alan
Andrew - maybe some Valentine arrows and band indicators. There are also usually on most years/equipment warning indicators that are not used e.g trailer turn signal is usually vacant too.
Alan
06-27-2007, 10:56 PM
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Alan thank you for your clear explanation!! That is a shame but hopefully you will feel motivated to do it at some point 
Originally Posted by Alan
Heinrich - I have thought about this... but its certainly not possible without totally changing the firmware for the dashboard controller.
The newer vehicles have the advantage of CANbus digital communications busses in the car and interfaces to the dashboard controls allow remote devices to directly drive the displays in a kind of pass though mode.
There is no way the 928 system could do that since there is no display interface (or even data interface) into the dashboard - the displays available are quite limited and can only be driven by the dash controller itself based on how it reads the sensor inputs.
However if the code were available, understood and modularized it should be possible to extend the displays & functions to add your own extra pre-defined displays. The trick is figuring out what you'd monitor to sense these new things...
If you had a few inputs you could use as direct or coded inputs e.g. hijack something you no longer need and then delete that code & displays (like RDK - 5 inputs). Then you could sense (somehow) your radar detector alerts and have the LCD disply do its bright red warning thing and say something like "RADAR ALERT [KA] KA BAND"
This makes it sound way easier than it is - diassassembling and making sense of the code would be very hard - but once done and understood - making further changes probably wouldn't be that hard for a good programmer (not me!).
My idea on RDK is much easier than that - to simply to mimic the RDK alerts the RDK unit would normally send to the dashboard.
In practiuce I'd probably do this by feeding a working RDK unit some erroneous data derived from the ABS sensors to compare to the ABS sensors for the no-alert case or half rate or missing data for the desired alert cases...
Problem to start with is I need to monitor the ABS sensor data and RDK sensor data to see what they are supposed to look like....
Alan
The newer vehicles have the advantage of CANbus digital communications busses in the car and interfaces to the dashboard controls allow remote devices to directly drive the displays in a kind of pass though mode.
There is no way the 928 system could do that since there is no display interface (or even data interface) into the dashboard - the displays available are quite limited and can only be driven by the dash controller itself based on how it reads the sensor inputs.
However if the code were available, understood and modularized it should be possible to extend the displays & functions to add your own extra pre-defined displays. The trick is figuring out what you'd monitor to sense these new things...
If you had a few inputs you could use as direct or coded inputs e.g. hijack something you no longer need and then delete that code & displays (like RDK - 5 inputs). Then you could sense (somehow) your radar detector alerts and have the LCD disply do its bright red warning thing and say something like "RADAR ALERT [KA] KA BAND"
This makes it sound way easier than it is - diassassembling and making sense of the code would be very hard - but once done and understood - making further changes probably wouldn't be that hard for a good programmer (not me!).
My idea on RDK is much easier than that - to simply to mimic the RDK alerts the RDK unit would normally send to the dashboard.
In practiuce I'd probably do this by feeding a working RDK unit some erroneous data derived from the ABS sensors to compare to the ABS sensors for the no-alert case or half rate or missing data for the desired alert cases...
Problem to start with is I need to monitor the ABS sensor data and RDK sensor data to see what they are supposed to look like....
Alan
06-28-2007, 05:01 AM
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Been thinking about this on and off for long time but there has been more important jobs so far. Will eventually try to do the mod if no one else does it before and start selling decent priced kit.
