FAQ: Hacking Your Steering Wheel Buttons to Control Your PC - Page 4

Bugbyte · 11-21-2006, 11:57 AM

That sounds very cool! Please post a how-to if you get it working.

Iceman_jkh · 11-21-2006, 07:13 PM

Gredd> I had the same idea. And even bought all the parts. I then wired the outputs (LEDS) from the 3914 to some transistors which then outputted to the pins on a USB keypad interface. (ie: it pretended to trigger a keypress). Trouble was, the 3914 output rises/falls to the final value. So if the output is LED6, the 3914 will light LED 1...LED2...LED3...LED4...LED5.. then finally stopping at LED6. You can place it in DOT mode, so that it only lights 1 LED at a time, but that still doesnt stop it from lighting the LEDs in order as it makes its way to the final value, therefore triggering all the keypresses along the way

. Perhaps if you put a cap inline with each LED output it would reject any signal with too short "ON" time, but this would be a trial and error design. You would have to find the balance between a proper keypress ON time and the rise/fall sweep ON time or it would ignore your actual output value as well.

In the end I purchased an LCD8/8/8 phidget - has a million more features, easy to program and has a cool little LCD

Gredd · 11-21-2006, 09:27 PM

90 bucks for a phidget

Are you using the outputs connected to the keypad or is it able to directly produce keyboard data?

Iceman_jkh · 11-21-2006, 09:59 PM

I think it could produce keyboard data, but I'm actually getting it to talk directly to Roadrunner - it depends how you code for it. It cost me about $200 Aus

, so $90 should be peanuts for you mate

JasonWW · 11-22-2006, 07:39 AM

Has anybody gotten PC control on a car using the GM style single wire system?

I would like to be able to control RoadRunner, but I really don't know anything about Phidgets or that USB controller over on madhacker.org.

How do you tell the interface what signal should do what?

JasonWW · 12-05-2006, 09:36 AM

I'm seriously considering just sticking a tiny remote into the steering wheel and have it's tiny IR transmitter peaking out from behind the wheel and then wiring each steering wheel button to the remote buttons. Then I could mount the PC IR reciever somewhere up front in view of the transmitter and bypass the SWI-2 or X completely. Then it would work perfectly and be smooth all the time.

Iceman_jkh · 12-05-2006, 07:36 PM

Gimme a few days mate

Ive written something.. hang in there
It uses the PhidgetLCD8/8/8 and interfaces with RR.
I'm trying to get it to run with the Phidget non LCD 8/8/8 as well.

Ice

JasonWW · 12-05-2006, 08:48 PM

I'm gonna wait to see what Iceman is working on, but I did pick up an extra steering wheel. I also found that the $50 X10 Radio Frequency mouse remote control device will work. The RF reciever plugs into the PS2 port. The big remote is for seldom use. I can then pick up a tiny slim RF remote for $20 which has 10 buttons on it. I can mount it inside the wheel.

With the RF device the steering wheel angle, sunlight and reciever location becomes moot. It should always work.

http://www.x10.com/products/x10_mk19a_2.htm

http://www.smarthome.com/4012.html

I guess this will be a backup plan.

JasonWW · 12-06-2006, 09:28 PM

Iceman, will the phidget be a direct link between the PC's usb port and the steering wheel's single data wire?

What vehicle do you have?

Iceman_jkh · 12-07-2006, 12:13 AM

The Phidget will be connected to the PC via USB.

The A/D port of the phidget will connect to the single wire controls as shown in the attached JPG.

I have a Holden Commodore VY (I'm in Australia).

JasonWW · 12-07-2006, 07:48 AM

Does your Commodore use a single wire which transmits variable levels of resistance?

I forget what it's called, but in my car each button has it's own resistance value and the headunit translates it. The PAC Steering Wheel control SWI-2 and SWI-X does the same thing and then translates that to a IR signal.

I know some of the latest cars use a digital signal over a single wire.

Iceman_jkh · 12-07-2006, 07:55 AM

My car uses multiple resistors in a 'ladder' and shorts them out according to which button is pressed. I get a different resistance along the wire for each button that is pushed. To answer your question: Yes, its a single wire which transmits a variable level of resistance.

It is not a digital signal, although that would be fun to interface with

.

I've just given someone a beta copy of my app to test. I'll let you know what happens shortly.

JasonWW · 12-07-2006, 08:31 AM

Cool, that means that at least our steering wheels work the same.

Is your program specifically for the latest RR version?

I prefer a older version, but I'm still curious.

Iceman_jkh · 12-07-2006, 04:49 PM

It uses the COM/ActiveX SDK Method as specified in (http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=86680) for RoadRunner.

Therefore it will work with any "October 06" and onwards releases.

Strange · 12-09-2006, 09:25 AM

im not sure of the possiblitys of it all but somthing ive been thinking about on my f150, dosent have radio controlls but has the cruse controlls on the left and the right side of the steering wheel and heres what its like

ON --------------------------- Set Acel

------------------------------ Coast

Off--------------------------- Resume

the cruise dosent do anything unless the On button has been pushed first.
what if i could i could use the Off Button as a "Ctrl" Button and then my buttons ont he right become other buttons (like pushing 2nd on a calculator) i could have at least volume and next song

possibily there? or would it require intire reworkings of the steering wheel (not worth it)