Following on from the 8" Tablet thread...
Is it possible to stick one on the dash, connect it to the ECU and use it as a digi dash?
It is if you have a megasquirt
8" tablet + bluetooth obd dongle + torque app connects fine to Ford ECU for me
[Edited on 29/12/12 by monkeyarms]
I think I asked a similar question a while back as part of another thread;
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=166866
It talks about using GPS as a speedo, but I took it a bit further and asked about using Torque.
However, in practice I have noticed Torque + bluetooth is quite unreliable. I don't know where the weak point is (Torque app, Bluetooth comms,
even the dongle itself), but it doesn't stay connected for an entire journey (half an hour or more). It can take various things to reset it, such
as cycling the bluetooth connection on the phone or unplugging the dongle. It's not something I would use as a primary source of information.
I have only got a 'copy' ELM327 dongle though, the official ones might be better. But they're £60+ last time I checked, whereas I paid
£12 for mine.
ive used cheap dongles and they are not as reliable as the better ones. I bought a laptop ith a serial port in the end though as i drove over two
laptops in the garage, on two seperate occasions after forgetting they were there!
I now use a toughbook in the garage which works in the car, so i suppose it is possible to have one as a dash if you can get it to boot quick
enough.
[Edited on 29-12-12, by MakeEverything]
quote:
Originally posted by MakeEverything
ive used cheap dongles and they are not as reliable as the better ones. I bought a laptop ith a serial port in the end though as i drove over two laptops in the garage, on two seperate occasions after forgetting they were there!
I now use a toughbook in the garage which works in the car, so i suppose it is possible to have one as a dash if you can get it to boot quick enough.
[Edited on 29-12-12, by MakeEverything]
Wow, I thought I'd made every mistake in the book, but running over computers is a first! I'm sorry, but you made me feel much better.
Doesn't your IVA forbid use of GPS as the primary speedo? I love the idea of using tablets as gauges though.
quote:
Originally posted by RK
Wow, I thought I'd made every mistake in the book, but running over computers is a first! I'm sorry, but you made me feel much better.
You probably won't be able to read the tablet in sunlight.
yeah 2 things concern me, visibility in sunlight and odometer....
Odeometer is not a requirement for IVA or MOT AFAIK. The MOT tester record it but if you don't have one then its ignored not a failure. My
odeometer never worked and it went through IVA without comment, although my car is sorned at teh moment so haven't tried the new MOT yet. The
problem is without odometer is the sales information on the mot will read no miles but if you aren't intending to sell it who cares?
You must have a speedo though and I know you cannot use a sat nav as it doesn't measure speed of the wheels (ie it measures your speed as a
distance across a "flat map" rather than the speed the vehicle is travelling along the surface) The IVA measures your speed using a rolling
road. If your tablet is attached to the dash and uses wheel/gearbox or similar speed measurement, I don't see it as any different from a digital
dash you can buy.
The tablet would have to be part of the dash IMHO. You wouldn't get away with it being temporary fitted.
Anyway thats my opinion and my understanding of the law.
Paul