AMP Wishlist Thread

**sdashiki** · 10-12-2006, 10:14 AM

I still wish to emphasize the far reaching aspects of adding OBDII support.

/slinks away for he is no coder

**Sharkbite86** · 10-12-2006, 01:23 PM

Originally Posted by LightningMac

now see that doesn't make sense to me, Skype offers free calls with in the US and Canada, how can you beat that? Granted you'll have to pull over when you have a good signal, but in Calif, in the next year you won't be able to talk or hold a phone while driving (I don't think people should anyway) Skype is a free program that offers video calls folks! How many front ends can do that right now? It could be ground breaking! Otherwise why not just use your cell phone, most have the capability to just hit a single digit and dial a number. My Treo and other phones have voice dial built in, so having the computer do it for you is redundant.

As Carputer users we must realize that some functionality of the computer must be used while we are NOT driving. i.e. GPS (unless it is giving you voice directions) Playing Games. Watching a Movie, etc.

Also most of the suggestions I have been making are free ones (i.e. Using Google Earth, and Skype.) I just think the Mac has such an advantage of having so much free software to utilize in the first place, just makes sense to add more free functionality to it.

I know Aychamo has worked his butt off and we have done what little we can to offer suggestions (and in some case programming). I think this would be a simple thing to implement until the cell phone integration is possible. (and video would be cool!) Aren't you glad I didn't ask for ichat with video integration as well?

I never said it was a bad idea. I was just wondering how feasible it can be with a limited wifi connection. When I get around to installing my system I plan on adding wifi, but you would have to pull over and stop at a wifi zone to get it to work... At that point you might as well use your cell and stretch your legs. And it would defiantly not work on major highways.

However, having said that if there is a way to get some kind of large area internet connection (like from these internet PC cards that I keep hearing about on TV) then it might be feasible.

Originally Posted by sdashiki

I still wish to emphasize the far reaching aspects of adding OBDII support.

/slinks away for he is no coder

I too like this idea and i think someone needs to really seriously look into this. I have no idea really how OBDII works so im not much help here. What we need is some real code from somewhere so that aychamo has something to look at and play with...

**sdashiki** · 10-12-2006, 01:40 PM

all i have seen, and have posted here and about 5 other threads, is a python script, which I hear is a total nightmare.

OBDII is a serial interface, meaning youd need a serial ---> USB converter

then youd need to write some code to actually read this USB converter, and then more code to interpret the data that will start to flow.

i think once one could actually get ANY data from an OBDII--->serial--->USB it would only be a matter of figuring out what data means what and then some sort of graphical representation of each data stream.

or whatever, i sound smat!

**Jirka Jirout** · 10-12-2006, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by sdashiki

then youd need to write some code to actually read this USB converter

Of course you would not need to do anything that silly... Just use -writeData and -readInBackgroundAndNotify methods of NSFileHandle. The USB adapter comes with a driver, that maps it to some /dev/cu... file, which you can read and write as easily as any other file on your disk.

But ok, let's see how badly you guys really want this...

Euro 1.000 and an OBDII to RS232 adapter will get you the software, including source code and documentation in two weeks... :-)

**LightningMac** · 10-12-2006, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by Sharkbite86

I never said it was a bad idea. I was just wondering how feasible it can be with a limited wifi connection. When I get around to installing my system I plan on adding wifi, but you would have to pull over and stop at a wifi zone to get it to work... At that point you might as well use your cell and stretch your legs. And it would defiantly not work on major highways.

However, having said that if there is a way to get some kind of large area internet connection (like from these internet PC cards that I keep hearing about on TV) then it might be feasible.

Well it would certainly be a "usage while parked" thing . But then again, so is pulling over to check your email (again unless you have a voice reader, read you your mail). If you have a mini, you have a wifi card in it (or should have gotten it installed!

)

The only problem with the solution you name the internet PC cards is there is usually a $49 a month subscription fee to do that, and that again strays from the "keeping it free" approach.

The problem with a solution I see for expample Route Buddy, is you'll spend all this time to make it work with AMP, but will find no one is going to shell out $99 + $69 for the maps. So how many people using AMP will want to spend 1/4 of the amount they spent on their mini to buy software JUST for GPS? (I wouldn't)

Again, my thoughts are A. Using existing programs that are free, and B. integrating them into AMP with minimal effort. They may not be perfect ideas or suggestions, but then again, they are worth the price

and add functionailty until more options are available.

**LightningMac** · 10-12-2006, 02:22 PM

[QUOTE

But ok, let's see how badly you guys really want this...

Euro 1.00 and an OBDII to RS232 adapter will get you the software, including source code and documentation in two weeks... :-)[/QUOTE]

sounds like a good price! Euro 1.00!

**Jirka Jirout** · 10-12-2006, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by LightningMac

sounds like a good price! Euro 1.00!

ups :-) I have forgotten you use comma to separate thousands. So to make it more clear: Euro 10E3.

**JakobMetzger** · 10-12-2006, 03:32 PM

Ok, well I have talked to this guy and he might be willing to help us out if anybody wants it, I certainly do. He is making an ALDL (ODBI) program for BSD and OS X but he says its not ready for release. Maybe he can help with ODBII also but I would really like ALDL since my truck is an 89.
http://www.goumba.net
(he had a bunch of screenshots etc... and a blog on his project but recently got jewed over by his hosting company so he had to start over. Anyway, any coders willing to help can probably send an email to him and start something on ODB software while Aychamo hammers out the GPS that he's working on.

**sdashiki** · 10-13-2006, 12:00 PM

OBD not Ol Dirty Bastard (ODB) i make that mistake sometimes!

Anyway, adding OBDII support to any carputer app pretty much makes it a HUGE force on the market just because it now can do more than entertain, it actually is part of the car and can display/read real time info.

I truly wish people interested in doing this would just stick with OBDII and nothing else, because the vast majority of cars use this and anything else is only for a small number of vehicles.

**JakobMetzger** · 10-13-2006, 02:26 PM

i realize that my truck is one of a few that would benefit for this but if you wouldve seen his progress on the ALDL program then you would understand why i think it would be easy to integrate into AMP