Aftermarket Heater Controller For Ba/bf

[MrBean]

Don't worry, mine hurt writing it :(

[MrBean]

Hello Again,

@ Turbocorty: Maybe you want to pop over to Mp3ar to have a looky at Herk's thread, where he is using the Fusion Brain USB interface (with analog and digitals) to build something similar you are planning to.

Yes, his interface is different, but I think his graphics for the HVAC looks very good - have a looky on the first page, it does look good.

I have one of the Fusion Brains, pity it doesn't have a CAN interface on that PIC - maybe we coul;d chat to 2k1Toaster......

[tab]

WOW!

[turbocorty]

Hi,

Mr Bean thanks for the info. Regarding your coments on Factory nav, telephone inputs ect.. this is not part of the HVAC controller. It will be the responsibility of the owner to pick a replacement headunit that has all the features and options to cover what they need. In terms of the BUS communications, I have already tested a circuit on my dodgy test bench!!

Herk's thread shows exactly what we will need for the carputer option. (A nice HVAC user graphic with simple rs232 command attached to each button press. My external controller will handle the rest). Unfortunatly I cannot remember how to write s/w for PC applications so someone else will need to do that!! (+ I don't have the time to re-learn)

I am hoping that the final product will be compatible with both the high and low series HVAC's with the option to work with either a stand alone HVAC control panel (Supplied in the kit) or via the RS232 command sent via the carputer.

The HVAC controller will be directly on the 500k BUS with all the Smarts built into the S/W to keep it out of trouble - especially when ford service tries to connect the diagnostic tool!

Anyway..so far we need to get alot more positive feedback that such a product is wanted out there, otherwise it wont be worth the effort.

Cheers

[austcro]

Hi turbocorty. PM sent.

Writing PC applications is something I do everyday for crust. No need to relearn. I can also do this in C# if need be. Those that would want this to work with Centrafuse; I could build a plug-in that allows this to happen. I haven't built a CF plug-in before, but how hard could it be?

Let me know what you want me to do and I'll look at it. The graphics would be easy to do if you like the look of programmer art I just do not have any artistic flair whatsoever.

MrBean, interesting read. Where did you get all this info from? I have to agree, option 3 is definitely the optimal solution.

Agreed. We definitely need more interest if I'm to consider spending time on this.

[MrBean]

@ Austcro: Mmm...I am an industrial control systems specialist, and as a rule work with industrial networks, like Profibus, and DeviceNet - DeviceNet is based on the CANbus, only difference is the much tighter specifications for the transceivers - but, a DeviceNet dongle could work on our vehicle's CANbus......

The rest of the info is bits here and there that I studied (from Ford manuals) to get the wiring side sorted, again reading/decoding schematics is what I do quite often in my work environment, so as long as we have the data available, it's easy enough to do.

I am sure we would very much appreciate your input on this, and something like this should go ahead, if Turbocorty decides not to pursue it due to lack of interest - my experience often has been that people don't know the value of something, or what they want, unti they see it

And this may be one such case - so, if there's an initial lack of interest, and the original poster feels it's not worthy of the effort, which would be understandable, we can make this a community/open-source product, as there would be quite many interested.

@ Turbocorty: Ah, you're welcome - we're all there to help where we can, just give us a holler. I have to agree that the installer/owner will have to take care of issues like phone and audio signals, as long as your interface plug has provision for these, it would be all good.

Referring to one of my earlier posts, we could not easily have a seperate lower-speed CANbus for the HIM anyway, as we need the signal from the SunLoad sensor, which talks to the BEM directly.....and the only way to get this would be to be connected to the HS-CAN, so 500kbits it will stay

We anyway have most/all of the identifiers for the HVAC system on the CANbus, mainly due to the hard work of Luke Plaizier over at FordMods.

Once we know the addressing, it all becomes very easy, as we need people like Austcro to do their magic on the software bits and bytes

Yeay - this may still go somewhere yet!

edit:

  Quote

Those that would want this to work with Centrafuse; I could build a plug-in that allows this to happen. I haven't built a CF plug-in before, but how hard could it be?

This here should answer all your questions, have a look at the first 3 threads, and David, the author/owner/programmer etc of CentraFuse can answer all your questions....

I hope mods don't delete this linky, as it's for the good of our forum-members

Edited 21/12/07 10:45 PM by MrBean

[Headsex]

Turbocorty, Have you spoken to Lukeyson on fordmods forum? he has alot of wealth of knowledge of the can talk between all the ford modules...

[Dagabond]

Just to throw 2c in.... if your going to hook up a carpc why would you want an external controller anyway. Isn't the idea to make everything nice and compact, within easy reach and not all cluttered...

[straughsberry]

I would definitely be interested in this too. That ICC is a monstrous waste of valuable and hard to get realestate in the XR6.

[turbocorty]

  Dagabond said:

Just to throw 2c in.... if your going to hook up a carpc why would you want an external controller anyway. Isn't the idea to make everything nice and compact, within easy reach and not all cluttered...

The external controller is responsible for the CAN bus communications. The car pc does not have CAN bus capability built in thus it must be external.

The CAN contoller must be active as soon as the ignition key is turned - the car pc would take too long to come online.

This plus more resons...

Cheers