w121BENZ

Hello,

I've messed with my cars for years - and I bitterly resent the difficulties in working with newer cars- where users are mostly locked out of the electronics. I have a fair amount of computing experience as well, so I've been exploring both the OBD and CAN-BUS side of my more recent mercs.
I have been systematically sniffing the CAN-BUS, mostly through the diagnostic connector, working out what CAN ID's are what- and how some of them communicate. Not easy. I'm using a Lawicel CANUSB interface with the traffic observation via CAN-MON PRO from WGsoft (germany).
Has anybody else had a go at this kind of project?
The software can write to the BUS as well - so I can mimic other CAN IDs - once I decide which commands do what..
Any help would be useful!
thanks
Graeme

scottgs

I've been tossing around the same idea for a while. Just now getting my Carpc in my G-wagen and would love to do Canbus integration, particularly the audio and instrument display. I've got some factory docs on the various MB canbuses and what they do and the different device addresses etc., Unfortunately, I don't have a canbus interface yet. I know there are a few USB varieties out there, but they were pretty high priced. I only have few seconds before my laptop battery dies. I'll try to gather up my info in case it will help.

Garret

w121BENZ

Thanks,
I'm mainly interested in my ML, but the A class looks very similar inside the electronics. Anything you can post on addresses / functions I'd be interested to see. The big problem is the volume of traffic - whic is why the USB devices score- the serial/Can Converters may not be up to the 500K traffic.
Once I have enough sensible stuff I'll post it up. You can find out a fair bit from the WIS (electronic version of the Factory workshop manual). There are copies on Ebay for reasonable cost. (2 DVD's etc - 5GB install if you want it all).

Graeme

Lukeyson

I've been doing the same sort of thing, but using an ELM327 tool (with lots of filters!) on an Australia Ford BA Falcon.

So it's only our techniques that will be similar.


Lukeyson

chipa

Lukeyson, I'm very interested in this, mainly to allow my volume buttons to control the carputer volume, but the others would be handy 2.

mgazza

i am also very interested, iv been snooping about on CANBUS. i wrote and built a I2C->LPT adaptor for my old car for the HU. but my new car has CANBUS HU and Auido controls. im looking into doing much of the same thing write software and make abit of hardware for raw interface with the bus. but i lac information on the physical design of the bus. as i understand it so far its two wires with a 120ohm resisters terminating them. using pnp and npn transistors to post states on the can hi- can lo. i belive there are also chips out there too that could save some work.