What is ELANSCAN?????????????????

[GeoffSmith]

Don,

I have built a prototype of the circuit used by Sanjaya Vatuk and can confirm they work with ElanScan. They appear to be professionally built but the price is rather high for what you're getting.

I have been making progress (but not as fast as I would have liked as I have had a few other diversions). As a first step, I would hope to be able to offer LEC members a similar setup for ~15-20GBP. I am off on holiday on 17th August to 3rd September so we are looking to September realistically.

Geoff

[GeoffSmith]

I'm afraid I won't be able to get anything made before my holiday as Farnell screwed up on an order I placed last Wednesday. I do have a prototype (not packaged up but fully functional with ALDL plug) that I'm willing to lend out if anyone in the UK has a desperate need for one (ansam seems to me to have the most urgent need). Usual provisos: no blame and it will probably incinerate the car, virally infect you pc, get your cat pregnant and give your house woodworm.

Post your needs and urgency here and if there are more than one, you may have to pass it around.

Geoff

[ESM]

I also have a clunky old RS232 prototype I'm willing to lend out.

[ESM]

Folks,

Anyone had any experience using Sanjaya Vatuk's cables for Esprits on our Elans with Elanscan? He's located in the US (Chicago), and his adapter costs $79.05, with a 25 foot extension cable is available for $12.95. Prices include US shipping.

http://turboesprit.tripod.com/ALDL_Cable/index.html

Thanks
Don Sladek

It will work and it is well put together but its a two transistor design and as such has little inherent noise rejection or failure protection. Its a lot of money for what it is.

[GeoffSmith]

the price is rather high for what you're getting.

Its a lot of money for what it is.

If your prepared to wait a bit longer, mine has better noise immunity and will be a lot cheaper.

[donsladek]

Geoff and Alan,

Thanks for the evaluation, I'll be waiting for Geoff's cable.

Geoff, have a wonderful holiday.

Cheers,

Don

[Ghost]

If you are making up a number of leads, can you put me down for one.

Is there any minimum spec. for the laptop to run ELANSCAN?

[ailwyn]

If you are making up a number of leads, can you put me down for one.

Is there any minimum spec. for the laptop to run ELANSCAN?

Specs as requested
1. Working
2. Windows
3. Suitable port (usb/rs232)

The more powerful the machine the better as it does seem to be very system intensive when exporting to excel, but otherwise I think a basic setup is fine.

If you have an old laptop and a newer/more powerful desktop, you are probably better just using the laptop to record the data and the desktop to process it.

Ailwyn

[ailwyn]

Geoff,

Are you planning on making a discreet USB version?

No problem with ESM's USB that I already have, but if there were a smaller version then I could hide it more easily (it's currently stuck to the grey plastic panel in the passenger footwell).

Ailwyn

[GeoffSmith]

if there were a smaller version then I could hide it more easily

That's the next stage of development - I've identified a suitable box (50 × 40 × 20 cm) which should be plenty big enough. Is that small enough or should I find something smaller?

Any feedback would be useful.

Geoff

[ailwyn]

I've identified a suitable box (50 × 40 × 20 cm) which should be plenty big enough. Is that small enough or should I find something smaller?

That does sound about the same size as the ESM USB I have now.

I'll try and have a poke around in the next couple of weeks and see if I can come up with any suggestions.

Ailwyn

[Monty]

Alans USB interface box is 75x57x25

[ESM]

The interface is generally not the big item when it comes to logging, its the PC. I was going to program a Gizmondo to do logging (its got built in GPS so it would have been good for true speeds and potentially cornering Gs etc) but they went bust and its not got a future. Now I've come upon an old Sony Vaio PC (a PCG-C1F) that's 240x135x35mm. It only a pentium but it runs proper windows, is USB equipped, good enough for logging & chip buring and it'll fit in the glovebox. I just need to sort out some new cells to fix the battery pack and a car power supply (Maplin do both as it happens).

[John_W]

It only a pentium ...

Oh. So's the laptop I use for ElanScan logging. That's me told then.

I thought pentium was supposed to be good, but then I think that something which is six years old is still pretty new and I've recently performed what I consider to be a significant upgrade from Windows 95 to Windows 98 (means it doesn't crash as much ).

For logging I just put a folded towel on the passenger seat and strap the pc into the seatbelt.

John

[ailwyn]

I've currently got my USB connector box stuck to the fuse box cover in the passenger footwell with a double sided sticky pad, perfectly functional, but it does stick out like a sore thumb, and there is nowhere that I can find that can be described as discreet and easily accessible, so smaller, if possible, would be a preference.

Ailwyn

[GeoffSmith]

Evening all from the sunny Loire valley.

After the USB interface was going to be the data logger. Originally I was thinking of plugging a memory stick but the windows emulation/disk operating system overhead looks like it is too much for a micro so it will probably have onboard flash which can be downloaded via the USB interface. I was thinking that you could have it continuously logging for download at any time with a panic button to protect the latest data if a fault occurs on the road. Off for a 56p bottle of red.

Geoff

[F1 LOTUS]

If there's enough interest we could probably come up with a cool custom designed box/socket/housing thingy that wouldn't look like a plastic box stuck with velcro?
Just trying to help with your headache Geoff Sante

[GeoffSmith]

What about a diecast box stuck with blutack? Hic!

gOeff

[ratman]

if you decide to built a few, I'm in for one of them. Let me know the price!
I can pay by PayPal

[GeoffSmith]

Following some of the comments above, I had a re-think on holiday. Rather than provide a hard wired link between pc and ALDL plug, if I included a screw terminal, the whole lot could be installed via the hole in the back of the glovebox. I'll provide an ALDL plug wired up to the cable so anyone who can use a screwdriver should be able to install it. The ALDL end can be neatly tied out of sight behind the glovebox and the RS232 plug and cable can be stored in the glove box until needed. The cable could be either ribbon cable as in the previous photograph or three core with black or white outer sheath.

Any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Geoff