The CANary project

[TickTock]

Looks good. My guess is the cable is getting pinched and/or the dash is flexing quite a bit? The fit is pretty tight on mine. Probably fine - I am no-doubt being over-protective of my baby - but I didn't want to cause any distortion to the dash. I think Gary is going to fore-go the flex connectors too - I added a direct solder option to the PCB to support that. However, it sounds like Gary may make his own PCB, too, so maybe I don't need to try to accommodate everyone with my design.

 

[Turbo3]

One more thing, I noticed a reference to tire pressure. Do we know the request/response sequence (IDs data format) to get this information?

Jim

 

[Turbo3]

Just missed seeing your post before mine.

The plastic is pretty stiff so I don't think it is bending any. I may do a center dash install for someone this weekend and will look more closely at how the cable is fitting. My current install is up by the rearview mirror.

How about the board dimensions/mounting hole placement? I would like to work on the board before I get the case but that does not make sense if it will not fit the case when I get it. Or should I just wait until the cases are available?

Jim

 

[TickTock]

Board rev 2 is still WIP, so the mounting holes may move. I'll send out the new locations tonight. I think I am at 3.75 x 2.5 for the board and the holes are 0.1" offset from the edges right now but may move them in more.

 

[Turbo3]

Here is what the CAT-5 cable looks like when squeezed down to 1/8” thickness. The wires are 0.038” and the covering is 0.024” thick so total is 2 x 0.038” + 2 x 0.024” = 0.124”.

Here you can see that the left side of the center console does not actually sit flush leaving just enough room for the cable to fit. You cannot really tell that the console left top edge is not seated from inside the car and you have to look really really close from the outside to see it.

You do not want to run the CAT-5 up the center as then that would leave a much big gap at either edge.

 

[TickTock]

How about the board dimensions/mounting hole placement? I would like to work on the board before I get the case but that does not make sense if it will not fit the case when I get it. Or should I just wait until the cases are available?
Jim

OK holes are at:
0.1, 0.1
0.1, 1.9
3.65, 0.1
3.65, 1.9
1.6, 1.3

All are 0.1" diameter. My board looks like will be 3.75 x 2.0 after cutting off the breakout boards.

I moved the mbed to the back side since I had to space the PCB off the back wall anyway for the USB. This also exposed the LCD connections to the top side for easier connection using direct solder or .1" headers. Makes the USB clear the LCS, too, for easier debug connection.

 

[Ingineer]

Ingineer,
Did you see how many uH's the LEAF's systems were using to protect themselves?

This is the most commonly used choke in most of the Leaf's systems.

-Phil

 

[garygid]

On the Rev3 board, are the dashed lines actual "snap" break-apart perforations,
or are they just cut-here (saw cut) guide lines?

If the former, then the upper and left side of the small board do not
need to be perforated, and it would be easier to "snap" them apart
if the right-side vertical went all the way down to the long horizontal
"break" line.

Do you want a similar break-apart line on the OBD connector board
(very nice idea, by the way) in the upper right corner?

This little board saves a LOT of time, and eliminates most potential mistakes,
in building the OBD connector, and it provides a convenient place to mount
the 3 chokes, if they are needed/desired at this end of the cable.

 

[garygid]

Assuming that the cable is going to be about 6 feet long, is it
best to put three of these chokes at both ends of the cable (6 total)?

 

[TickTock]

Assuming that the cable is going to be about 6 feet long, is it
best to put three of these chokes at both ends of the cable (6 total)?

Many of us are using shielded CAT5 and Ingineer has indicated that all the internal systems have these filters on their inputs so I doubt it is necessary. However, it doesn't sound like a bad idea to be safe - only adds $5 to the cost.

 

[Turbo3]

TickTock,
Do or can you issue the request command without turning on the car?

In other words, without the key or pressing the car ON button will the car respond to requests you make. Power for CARNary comes from OBDII pin 16 which always has +12 volts so no need to press the power button.

If you have not tried this can you check it out and report if it works or not. Thanks.

Jim

PS: Got the displays today from MikroElecktronika and the mbed is scheduled for Monday delivery.

 

[garygid]

TickTock,
Did your v1 PC boards for the CANary come in yet?
If so, do they work or need minor/major mods?

 

[TickTock]

TickTock,
Did your v1 PC boards for the CANary come in yet?
If so, do they work or need minor/major mods?

They have not arrived :-(. Said it was shipped a week ago but probably coming by boat. Next time, I'll spring for the expedited shipping... As far as I know there is only one mistake on them (no power to the USB port when powered from the debug USB). They are also missing the additional connectors and the speaker amplifier I added. The output port can drive the piezo cell directly but it is pretty quiet. I never really expected R1 to be the final version - I just sent it out quickly so I could make sure I understood which layers were used for the silk, drill, etc.

 

[TickTock]

Looks like several of you are building your own version and have ordered the touch screens. CANary source code to be published soon, but meanwhile, I thought I'd publish touch2. This is a paint program developed by Peter Dreshner (original here) which I modified to work with my dual display setup. This is an excellent program to test the LCD and touch panel connections (I included a schematic of the LCD connections on the mbed site).

 

[TickTock]

The can bus does not wake up if I send the request - it must already be active. If you press the charge timer override button (whether or not the car is plugged in), this wakes up the canbus and the request does get a response. Similarly, if the car is charging, the canbus is already active so the request is accepted.

TickTock,
Do or can you issue the request command without turning on the car?

In other words, without the key or pressing the car ON button will the car respond to requests you make. Power for CARNary comes from OBDII pin 16 which always has +12 volts so no need to press the power button.

If you have not tried this can you check it out and report if it works or not. Thanks.

Jim

PS: Got the displays today from MikroElecktronika and the mbed is scheduled for Monday delivery.

 

[garygid]

Sweet, perhaps battery good, and battery dead?

 

[garygid]

In the schematic for Touch2...
RSTB goes to pin 7 of SV1, but nothing to pin 7 of SV2?

Presumably one can look in the program to find
which Mbed bins that SV3 should connect to, but showing
them in the schematic would be a helpful double-check.

Thanks for the nifty two-display test program.

 

[TickTock]

That is a mistake - RSTB should go to both.

In the schematic for Touch2...
RSTB goes to pin 7 of SV1, but nothing to pin 7 of SV2?

Presumably one can look in the program to find
which Mbed bins that SV3 should connect to, but showing
them in the schematic would be a helpful double-check.

Thanks for the nifty two-display test program.

 

[garygid]

Have you thought of any simple way to connect
one of these displays to a breadboard, for testing
the display and touch before including it is included in a kit?

 

[TickTock]

Have you thought of any simple way to connect
one of these displays to a breadboard, for testing
the display and touch before including it is included in a kit?

It does take a little time with the soldering iron to connect all the ground and power connections.. Besides a dedicated PCB, I can't think of any quick way. When I first got one, I soldered on a big 2x20 header so I could use the breadboard jumpers but had to remove it later since I put it on the top and it interfered with installation in the enclosure. Even on the bottom, I suspect there will be clearance issues so anything you add you will likely have to remove.