Energy information page for non-stock head-units project

[Pyrofer]

So I recently gave up on struggling with the fitted head unit in my 2015 and replaced it with a new one that has wireless carplay etc.
Sadly, as anybody that has replaced the head unit in one will know, you lose some information that is only really accessible on the Nissan provided unit, including stuff related to the climate control status.
The new one however had a composite video input for back and front cameras as well as AV in. This spawned a project to use the "front" camera input for something useful.
This small box connects to the can bus, is USB powered from the USB socket on the head unit so it goes off when the car does. A composite out goes to the Front cam in on the new stereo. This is a first "live data" test getting real values from the car. Lots more work to do, but it works and looks pretty good so far. I would appreciate thoughts, especially if you are good at low res UI design
Please ignore the 0 values, I just didn't fill them yet.

 

[jimboleaf]

hi -- I am not a car electrician, and no idea how to do what you have done. I have a nissan leaf 2015, 24KW, and the only thing I do not like is the head unit... I wish i could change it... im watching with interest how you get on... I am on the verge of getting a carpuride w905..

 

[FinnishCoffee]

This is great, and something I myself have thought about doing. If you can implement the vehicle settings etc. into it as well, it would finally be a full solution to Leaf head unit replacement.

Also, as the panel buttons both sides of the radio also communicate via CAN, you could maybe make use of them? Left side into radio controls and right side to interact with the box, maybe?

 

[Pyrofer]

This is great, and something I myself have thought about doing. If you can implement the vehicle settings etc. into it as well, it would finally be a full solution to Leaf head unit replacement.

Also, as the panel buttons both sides of the radio also communicate via CAN, you could maybe make use of them? Left side into radio controls and right side to interact with the box, maybe?

Sadly, the buttons on the side have their own bus. They are not on the main CAN bus. I just purchased a plug connector for the left side (volume/aux/power etc) and will wire them up with resistors so they appear on the Steering wheel control resistive bus which the head unit reads. There appears to be some kind of bus converter chip in the right side controls and I am NOT getting into decoding that and getting the data so I will just ignore them as there isn't an easy plug to remove to access the buttons directly.

I hadn't considered the vehicle settings.... Damn. That is going to be a whole new scope of work to implement.

This is going to be a simple "box" with power in, a couple screw terminals for the CAN bus and a composite video out. As such it should work with literally any head unit that has a reversing camera input (or more than just that). I made a load of progress, shown at the bottom.
My main goal was to get the Climate control information that you lose by replacing the head unit but I intend to make it far more useful than just that.
It correctly reads all the CC status and temp setpoint now, I am adding outside temp next then I have to work on making it "pretty".

 

[Pyrofer]

Another update. I completely changed the look. Sorry about the ghosting I caught the frame just as it changed from one page to the next.

 

[gregory.opera]

Sadly, as anybody that has replaced the head unit in one will know, you lose some information that is only really accessible on the Nissan provided unit, including stuff related to the climate control status.

I wonder if the iDatalink Maestro will be any help here? It usually retains all this stuff with after-market / third-party head units... That's what it's purpose-designed for.

 

[Pyrofer]

New font! Better?

 

[vvitecd]

What kind of MCU are you using?