OS on iDrive?
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Joined: Feb 2009
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I said it before, and I will say it again:
Stupid iDrive.
Why can't BMW be more intelligent about
this and just put a stupid OS on a basic
hard drive that enthusiasts can break into
to monkey around with various settings.
In fact I'm willing to be if I walk in BMW's
CEO's front door, I will find him using
a Commodore 64 as his home personal
computer.
Stupid iDrive.
Why can't BMW be more intelligent about
this and just put a stupid OS on a basic
hard drive that enthusiasts can break into
to monkey around with various settings.
In fact I'm willing to be if I walk in BMW's
CEO's front door, I will find him using
a Commodore 64 as his home personal
computer.
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From: New Jersey
My Ride: '05 545 Titanium Silver, Black Leather - Nav, Logic 7, Cold weather.
Mods:
Carbon filter removed.
M5 iDrive knob.
Umnitza license plate LEDs.
MP3
40% 3M tint
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RPI Scoop
G-tech Pro RR
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The iDrive uses a Renasas Technology 240-MHz SH775x, and an HD64404 for 2D graphics , video input and communication.
http://america.renesas.com/fmwk.jsp?cnt=sh...tion%20Examples
It's capable of running various operating systems but you would probably have to remove the chip and memory from the car before you could load a new one.
http://america.renesas.com/fmwk.jsp?cnt=sh...tion%20Examples
It's capable of running various operating systems but you would probably have to remove the chip and memory from the car before you could load a new one.
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From: Bristol UK
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does the idrive control the car?
as in if u remove it does the car just not work?
or does it work in parallel with the cars main cpu?
as in if u remove it does the car just not work?
or does it work in parallel with the cars main cpu?
Contributors
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,596
Likes: 0
From: New Jersey
My Ride: '05 545 Titanium Silver, Black Leather - Nav, Logic 7, Cold weather.
Mods:
Carbon filter removed.
M5 iDrive knob.
Umnitza license plate LEDs.
MP3
40% 3M tint
ACS Anti-Roll(sway) bars
RPI Scoop
G-tech Pro RR
CF Roundels
CF Wheel caps
Originally Posted by russdx' post='840479' date='Apr 8 2009, 12:35 PM
does the idrive control the car?
as in if u remove it does the car just not work?
or does it work in parallel with the cars main cpu?
as in if u remove it does the car just not work?
or does it work in parallel with the cars main cpu?
Will the car not work without iDrive? I suppose that depends on what the other microcontrollers do when they detect a problem with the iDrive. The iDrive is on the MOST bus with CD changer etc... whereas the others microcontrollers are on the CANbus I believe. I know there's a handshake between devices on the MOST bus but I'm not as familiar with the CANbus. I would hazard a guess that the car itself would work fine but I'm not ripping out my iDrive to prove it!
The ECU is a separate microcontroller system controlling the engine and works independently of the iDrive.
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From: The Netherlands
My Ride: '04 530d Executive, all options except sunroof and comfort seats
ECU remapped by ZipTuning to 260+bhp.
The car will run fine without the iDrive computer, however, you won't be able to control most of the cars systems.
The iDrive, to put it simply, will send out commands to the other computers in the car to change a particular setting (for example, the climate system or the lights system).
Without the iDrive, most of the systems will work, but you can't change any of their settings.
@ynottony:
That's done for a couple of reasons. One is that you can't screw up any system other than iDrive.
Since iDrive controls most of the systems, sending out bad commands to those systems could damage them.
iDrive also sends out controls to the ECU (this is very visible in the M5 and M6, since that iDrive version controls the engine output power), which could potentially be an easy entry for chiptuners or uncappers without it being visible. (Warranty issues)
The other is very simple: it may not be obvious, but iDrive is a very advanced system. They have put a LOT of work into it and it's programming.
They want to protect that. Copying or editing the iDrive software isn't easy and that's what protects their intellectual property.
The iDrive, to put it simply, will send out commands to the other computers in the car to change a particular setting (for example, the climate system or the lights system).
Without the iDrive, most of the systems will work, but you can't change any of their settings.
@ynottony:
That's done for a couple of reasons. One is that you can't screw up any system other than iDrive.
Since iDrive controls most of the systems, sending out bad commands to those systems could damage them.
iDrive also sends out controls to the ECU (this is very visible in the M5 and M6, since that iDrive version controls the engine output power), which could potentially be an easy entry for chiptuners or uncappers without it being visible. (Warranty issues)
The other is very simple: it may not be obvious, but iDrive is a very advanced system. They have put a LOT of work into it and it's programming.
They want to protect that. Copying or editing the iDrive software isn't easy and that's what protects their intellectual property.
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