oleg71

Hi.How will you control the computer with buttons on the steering wheel and joystick ( I-Drive)?
How to display indications of the onboard computer?

ccr0ss

The computer is going to be connected to a touchscreen panel, which is going to serve as the main way to control it (like a tablet). Both the steering wheel controls and the original iDrive controller need an interface that will connect to the computer and let it computer know they are programmable controllers. For know, I will be using an interface called JoyCon Ex (there are several versions depending on the kind of steering wheel control signal your car uses). The JoyCon interprets the signal from the control and and using USB interface allows you to program the buttons as you please. Apart from the screen, the steering wheel controls and the iDrive control, I will be using a personal assistant to handle the computer through voice commands.

You can also buy a cheap gaming controller, take it apart, and use its USB or wireless interface (depending on wich one you get) to connect the buttons to your computer. The most difficult task would be to take apart the steering wheel/iDrive controls and replace the switches for the ones that came with your gaming control. After that, the only thing you would need to do is to program the buttons to do whatever you want them to do.

Getting the new computer to display the car's onboard messages is the most difficult task I have at the moment. I will eventually tap into the car's CAN bus and get a script to interpret the network codes and have them displayed by the operating system's message board. For now, however, I will be using a CCC main board connected to the touchscreen to read iDrive messages. But since all relevant messages for the proper function on the car are already displayed in the instrument cluster panel, I am not too worry about it. After all, I am going have on-board live diagnostics and data logging anyways.

oleg71

buy a cheap gaming controller!-this is a good solution! Thanks for the advice.
When reverse gear is selected, a visual image sensors will be automatically displayed on the screen?

ccr0ss

If you get a JoyCon, it will allow you not only to control either the steering wheel or the iDrive (you can only use one control per JoyCon), but a rear-view camera as well. Check the demonstration video in youtube:
There are other ways to do that (afte all, you are playing with computer equipment with endless possibilities), but this is the easiest way to do it. It is not particularly cheap (the JoyCon itselft being anywhere from US$60 to US$100), but it is effective.

oleg71

Thanks for the information.I also plan to install CarPC.JoyCon really easy interface!

BostonJon

this will be impressive if you have that level of ability. i think you've just lost most DIYers....even the experienced ones.

ccr0ss

I say it is the most difficult task i have only in comparison to the other ones on this diy (soldering, cable routing, dashboard modification, etc.), Not because it is extremely complicated to do. Several people have done it for other vehicles, especially GM's. It only take one person to develop a simple script that other people can benefit from. I am not really concerned about this since all important messages are already displayed in the instrument cluster panel, but i will tackle the issue later on. I believe those who want to do something like this will weight the benefits against the possible complications and go on with it, just like I am doing.

ccr0ss

Alright, guys. I have smuggled some time to work in the car this week. The power supply is already mounted inside the CCC head unit. The reason for this is that the CCC head unit will allow me to start using the new infotainment PC without waiting to figure out the CAN signals for the speedometer's reading mpg and some other minor stuff that I like. Since the DVD player in my old CCC unit was not working properly, I decided to take it out together with the Navigation DVD player and the RF antenna (the one with the blue connector in the back of the CCC unit). I drilled wholes for the screw nut stand-offs and locked the stand-offs with red threadlocker and routed the cables through the bottom left side of the unit.



Top view without the top cover


Bottom view without bottom plate


The phone with the good camera recently died on me recently, so I could not take any more pictures. I will upload more as soon as I can.

ccr0ss

I have been playing a lot with the computer. Today I installed the GlobalSat BU-353S4 and tested it with Microsoft Maps. To get Windows 10 to access information from the GPS unit, I had to download and install a small program called GPS Direct. It works simulating a GPS sensor similar to those found in tablets and smartphones.

Here I was installing the sensor itself


Here I clicked on Get Ilocation to test GPS functionality.


Here is are some pictures of Microsoft Maps working perfectly



And this is how the main visual interface for the computer looks like so far. I have made some custom icons but I have not had the time to change them yet. I am using the infamous Windows Start Menu (Metro) in Tablet Mode.


The Audio Player (AIMP3)


The Media Player (MPC-HC)


JB4 Logging Software

efy

Hey how's it going, any progress so far?