[cstavaru]

So, I want some gauges but nothing seems to be what I want. Today I ran into a product which uses the iDrive screen to display video from alternate sources, and this gave me many ideas. One of them is a gauge panel.

Parts needed:

- iDrive Multimedia interface: http://www.xcarlink.co.uk/product.ph...&cat=16&page=1 ($200)

- small and cheap Car PC running Windows XP - an Atom-based PC would be nice ($300 ?)

- 4 USB voltmeters ($100)

- EGT probe, AFR probe (Innovate LC-1), boost sensor, IAT sensor.

- Software (free, I am a programmer)

Right now, my problem is that the iDrive multimedia interface does not support the new iDrive (September 2009 onwards) but according to them it will be supported "in a few weeks".

I quickly found some gauge drawing library on the Internet and made a small application with a glimpse on how I would like the gauges to look...the gauges are "real", that is not a Photoshop but a true Windows application.

So, what do you think ? Is this project worth about $1000 ?

UPDATE: Everything seems to be working as planned, I managed to get the laptop video output on the iDrive screen The output is in the Scaling Mode 0, but the ACM supports many scaling modes, including full-screen !

Pictures below...

[jpsimon]

yep, do it!

[forza1976]

That would be very nice

[MrWhite1015]

hell yeah !!! that would be sick! talk to shiv i know he mentioned doing somethign like this ... maybe you 2 can work together and come up with a cheaper alternative?

[pellinore]

That would be great.
I have a few Acura friends that did this and it looks amazing.

I was thinking of getting that unit and a carpc and have the Procede software running on the screen.
I like this unit more:
http://www.dension.com/index.php?pageID=11
But I have only seen 1 person on the forums that has it and they were not able to get the video to work with a NA car.

[TMR]

instead of the car pc we can use the hks Camp.

http://www.hksusa.com/categories/more.asp?id=1082

[stratplaya06]

Here's what problem I think you will run into, and I have already thought this through pretty extensively.

None of iDrive video adapters (which they DO make for new iDrive, reference the backup camera kits all over the B/S/T section) offer any sort of high-res input. They are all composite video based. I simply don't think you'll get the resolution you're looking for (to display carpc info) with this input. I was going to do a mac mini install into the trunk of my car and have real-time datalogging whenever I choose, but I nixed the project because of the composite in not offering enough resolution for what I am looking for.

With that said, if you do end up getting a video module for the idrive from one of the vendors (one of which is methanolguy, I believe), and the composite is good enough to be able to read text on the screen, please let me know, as I really want the ability to datalog and update software without any laptop.

[pellinore]

Originally Posted by stratplaya06

Here's what problem I think you will run into, and I have already thought this through pretty extensively.

None of iDrive video adapters (which they DO make for new iDrive, reference the backup camera kits all over the B/S/T section) offer any sort of high-res input. They are all composite video based. I simply don't think you'll get the resolution you're looking for (to display carpc info) with this input. I was going to do a mac mini install into the trunk of my car and have real-time datalogging whenever I choose, but I nixed the project because of the composite in not offering enough resolution for what I am looking for.

With that said, if you do end up getting a video module for the idrive from one of the vendors (one of which is methanolguy, I believe), and the composite is good enough to be able to read text on the screen, please let me know, as I really want the ability to datalog and update software without any laptop.

Ah good point, never thought of this. I guess we can ask in Nav section if someone has hooked up a computer to video input device and see if it's readable.

[JayKay335i]

I believe I remember I-drive screens using some very odd resolutions that didn't correlate well with the video cards that people were using. Most people used a different screen that better supported the resolutions that a computer would use.

[vasillalov]

Let me know if you need some coding help...

[mkPOTO]

subscribed

[MrWhite1015]

yeah how hard would it be to swap out that stock screen for one with higher res ?

[cotmfk]

That would be awesome. Definitely the ultimate solution. Subscribed!

[lamia2super]

isnt that what this does? http://boostedbimmers.com/datamanagement.html

I think it would look better if you can make the gauges look like this http://reviews.cnet.com/sema/?keyword=OBD-II

[JoeyFiasco]

i wanted to do something similar where the data would come from the procede and displayed on a carpc.

lamia, that wouldn't work with piggies and from what i've read there's not enough bandwidth for a smooth display of info

[continentalg5]

do it now!

[lamia2super]

Originally Posted by JoeyFiasco

i wanted to do something similar where the data would come from the procede and displayed on a carpc.

lamia, that wouldn't work with piggies and from what i've read there's not enough bandwidth for a smooth display of info

so then change the display to a lcd screen that can make a smooth display

[cstavaru]

Originally Posted by stratplaya06

Here's what problem I think you will run into, and I have already thought this through pretty extensively.

None of iDrive video adapters (which they DO make for new iDrive, reference the backup camera kits all over the B/S/T section) offer any sort of high-res input. They are all composite video based. I simply don't think you'll get the resolution you're looking for (to display carpc info) with this input. I was going to do a mac mini install into the trunk of my car and have real-time datalogging whenever I choose, but I nixed the project because of the composite in not offering enough resolution for what I am looking for.

With that said, if you do end up getting a video module for the idrive from one of the vendors (one of which is methanolguy, I believe), and the composite is good enough to be able to read text on the screen, please let me know, as I really want the ability to datalog and update software without any laptop.

Interesing. However, I don't this is a big problem for the gauges project. The gauges can be designed in whatever way necessary in order to ensure optimal view (bigger fonts, thicker lines, trial and error...). Datalogging applications are not customized for this kind of application so maybe that's a problem.

I have also seen some applications for BMW iDrive (like here: http://www.carx24.de/carxb7.htm ). Even with their fake demo pictures, if they did this application for iDrive, I suppose they found a way to make the text readable

Also look at this...seems pretty neat if the software is customized for the iDrive screen:

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/vbim...img&imgid=5045

[coolingmist]

I have been working on this for a while. I have a thread on 1addicts in the Idrive section from over a year ago. I have all of the tech needed to do this (software, write it myself), gauge controller (inputs for RPM, speed, boost, etc), but I am skeptical on how the VGA to RGB conversion will work, I am thinking quality will be bad. I plan on working on it at some point.

original thread:
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=227596

[IlChengis]

I've been thinking about the iDrive a lot too. Does anyone know what OS we're running on the newer HDD based iDrives? I've been tempted to pull the HDD, pull an image from it and mount it to poke around.

So many ideas, so little time.

-Walter

PS=lmk if you need any help with coding or general poking around.

[BuLoOoSki]

definitely worth it!

[cstavaru]

Originally Posted by Treppiede

PS=lmk if you need any help with coding or general poking around.

Thanks. Firstly, I need to find out what is a good way to connect a car pc to the iDrive screen...