Custom USB tyre pressure monitoring interface - Page 67

Lok · 06-16-2009, 10:49 AM

Hello Steven, I am not a Road Runner user so I would not know much about the skins on the road runner side, Robby is the creator of RRTMS so I would send him a PM to see if he has any skinning tips...

lacning74 · 06-23-2009, 09:47 AM

Are the sensors already learned in the kits from Portal Media?

WuNgUn · 06-23-2009, 10:03 AM

No...they have to be learned after installation, because you need to inflate/deflate the tires to trigger the learning sequence.

lacning74 · 06-23-2009, 10:36 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by WuNgUn

No...they have to be learned after installation, because you need to inflate/deflate the tires to trigger the learning sequence.

I was just wondering if Portal Media pre-learns the sensors with the pesticide sprayer set-up, but i guess it would reset after the tires are installed/inflated anyway?

Lok · 06-23-2009, 11:00 AM

Just to clear up some confusion. We do pre-learn the sensors before shipping them out, the only time we don't is when a customer purchases only a reciever board or a spare sensor as it would be impossible to pre-learn the sensor in that case. We provide a sensor location chart with each 4 sensor kit that will let you know where to mount each sensor (i.e front passenger, etc...). If a customer purchases a spare sensor with their 4 sensor kit we also go ahead a pre-learn the spare sensor into tire location 5. The picture above shows how we actually pre-learn the sensors, basically we have 5 pesticide canisiters hooked up to a compressor, we pop in a sensor in each cansiter, make sure each one is at least a meter apart, and quickly go thru the learning procedure.

The sensors may not be appear to be working correctly when the pressure is close to 0 but that is due to the sensors going into 'storage mode', where the sensors do not send out data as frequently. These sensors are pretty advanced and have several modes of operation to ensure long battery life yet fast accurate alerts when there is a tire problem. There is more information in this thead about the different modes of operation for sensors but you will have to do a search as I can't locate the post.

Also once a sensor is learned to a position on the reciever board it will store that specific sensor ID to that specific tire postion. The only way to clear the sensor ID is to re-learn a sensor to that position or clear the reciever board of all IDs by using TPMS Doctor, holding shift and clicking on the BMW logo, and clicking on Master Reset. Changing the computer and unpluging/repluging the reciever will not clear the sensor ID's, that is why we are able to prelearn sensors.

Robby BMW · 06-23-2009, 12:03 PM

I think the post mentioned by Lok, about the behavior of the sensors, should be this: http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/1172221-post273.html

lacning74 · 07-08-2009, 01:07 AM

well i got my portal media tpms set installed. i'm having problems with sensor 4 getting stuck on old data despite me deflating and inflating quite a bit. i did a data reset and it hasn't been able to post a pressure since. i tried to learn the sensor again if that was some strange issue depsite it being able to post initial data/psi/temp/battery. if a same sensor is already assigned, i guess you can't relearn it anyway to the same position?

also, my sensor 3 has an audible and palpable leak when the cap is off. guess i need to try the core tightening tool? my pressures are at 35psi. the others seem fine, but may be slowly leaking.

Lok · 07-08-2009, 10:24 AM

Hello Lacning,

As far as sensor 4 goes I would first try to re-learn the sensor to the same position. You can only assign one sensor ID to a location but you can still relearn the same sensor ID to the same position. I know its a bit tedious, go ahead and do a full master reset using RRTMS to clear out all the sensors. Then go through the learning process again, this time start with sensor 4 and ensure that it is working correctly before moving on to the other sensors. There is no predetermined order that you need to go through to learn the sensors.

We just had a tire technician do a review on this product and he was kind enough to
point out some areas that cause leak issues. Basically if your tire shop doesn't use a torque wrench to tighen the cores it is possible that the threads can be stripped and cause a leak. Its no problem though, just shoot me an email with your order number and address and I will send you a replacement right away.

Also, on a side note, be sure to check out the USB TPMS review on the Mp3car blog on July 13th. It will help those of you that have had small issues along the way.

lacning74 · 07-08-2009, 11:45 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Lok

Hello Lacning,

As far as sensor 4 goes I would first try to re-learn the sensor to the same position. You can only assign one sensor ID to a location but you can still relearn the same sensor ID to the same position. I know its a bit tedious, go ahead and do a full master reset using RRTMS to clear out all the sensors. Then go through the learning process again, this time start with sensor 4 and ensure that it is working correctly before moving on to the other sensors. There is no predetermined order that you need to go through to learn the sensors.

We just had a tire technician do a review on this product and he was kind enough to
point out some areas that cause leak issues. Basically if your tire shop doesn't use a torque wrench to tighen the cores it is possible that the threads can be stripped and cause a leak. Its no problem though, just shoot me an email with your order number and address and I will send you a replacement right away.

Also, on a side note, be sure to check out the USB TPMS review on the Mp3car blog on July 13th. It will help those of you that have had small issues along the way.

well, i moved the antenna further back by a foot and it recognized it. so it was still "learned". i guess the stuck data issue was a receiving interference/saturation problem with the sensors so it never refreshes? i'll let you know if it starts acting up again. my mini cooper is small (only 3.7 meters long and 1.7 meters wide) so finding a good place to position it and hide it was tough. also, my device antenna is a red wire sticking out of the box. would cutting it shorter help in small cars?

also, the core wasn't over tightened and stripped, it was actually loose! in fact, 3 of them were loose. if i forgot to cap em, my tires would have been flat. i just used a non-torque cheap valve core tool from autozone to hand tighten them. you would figure a tire install shop should check the valves. i wouldn't know any better without reading this thread. in the future if the core needs replacement, is it a standard type?

HiJackZX1 · 07-08-2009, 01:31 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by lacning74

well, i moved the antenna further back by a foot and it recognized it. so it was still "learned". i guess the stuck data issue was a receiving interference/saturation problem with the sensors so it never refreshes? i'll let you know if it starts acting up again. my mini cooper is small (only 3.7 meters long and 1.7 meters wide) so finding a good place to position it and hide it was tough. also, my device antenna is a red wire sticking out of the box. would cutting it shorter help in small cars?

also, the core wasn't over tightened and stripped, it was actually loose! in fact, 3 of them were loose. if i forgot to cap em, my tires would have been flat. i just used a non-torque cheap valve core tool from autozone to hand tighten them. you would figure a tire install shop should check the valves. i wouldn't know any better without reading this thread. in the future if the core needs replacement, is it a standard type?

I also wonder if its other devices like Wi-Fi, BT, GPS and what not causing interferance. I really hope not because I have Wi-fi, BT, GPS, alot of RF devices, and a Acess Point. I know when I had the Wi-fi dongle to close to the GPS, the GPS did not work correctly. It wasnt until I moved the GPS to the rear of the car, and the wi-fi dongle to the front of the car that the issues cleared up. Rememer I drive a big car too.

lacning74 · 07-13-2009, 01:19 PM

well, no leaks so far after i tightened the cores. it is so addictive monitoring the pressures/temps.

one issue, the TPMS doesn't work in my non-powered usb hub (i've tried a Logitech and Belkin one) with my other devices plugged in (XMPCR, touchscreen, usb modem). with the other devices plugged in, the TPMS disappears from the device list. can this be fixed? does it need a powered hub? kind of a pain with my laptop's limited ports.

also, i think i'm having issues with the audio buffer Centrafuse plugin problems mentioned here. or has this been resolved?

Robby BMW · 07-13-2009, 01:34 PM

Yes, you need a powered hub or a free USB port in your PC.

HiJackZX1 · 07-13-2009, 02:44 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Robby BMW

Yes, you need a powered hub or a free USB port in your PC.

Lok, maybe this is why mine never worked on a Hub, if I am not mistaken, the hub I have been trying was not powered at the time. Now that all my hubs are powered, I will go ahead and try this again. In the past when I try connecting to non powered hub, I get a "Device not Recognized" prompt.

fixerofallthing · 07-13-2009, 04:13 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Robby BMW

Yes, you need a powered hub or a free USB port in your PC.

I installed mine on a powered hub and one day the power plug fell out and the receiver wouold not work and the only other item on the hub was bluetooth.

lacning74 · 07-13-2009, 06:30 PM

oh well, no biggie. anyway, it's been a champ with hibernation.

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