Wireless ALDL interface

[ESM]

I think I might be able to lash together a system where you have a very low power transmitter permanently connected to the ALDL port and a USB (or RS232) receiver to plug into your laptop. All you'd need to do to datalog is have the laptop run ElanScan in or near the car....<br><br>It'd cost around £100 to make - any interest?

[Doug]

yes.      [smiley=bowdown.gif]

[F1 LOTUS]

Sounds great until I figured out the exchange rate

[ESM]

It is a bit pricey. It has advantages for track day types who can't log unless the PC is bolted down because the PC could go in the boot. It also has convenience advantages for me but I reckon the price-tag coupled with the relative ease with which a wired system can be used will put most off. It would be a lot of cash to write-off if it doesn't work....  So I'll see what the poll says before I order anything or spend any time on it.

[Nige]

Alan,<br><br>My wired interface works fine and whilst I can see the (significant) benefits of a wireless version, I'm perhaps unlikely to move from wired to wireless at that kind of price.<br><br>Nige

[delta]

The price tag a litle to high for me.... :-/, but it's a great idear.

[Monty]

If the wireless crappy thing on Dico`s broadband is anything to go by then NO  :-/ he loses connection  and that cost 100 squid???<br><br>I still haven`t got round to get the cable and interface yet for dico`s laptop  ::)

[Costas]

Cant wait to see what data can you get from a Laptop connected to the Elan, Its all alien to me. All I know is Lotus Teck1 interface data feedback connection.

[Sy V]

Alan.<br><br>I've got a mile straight service road outside my house.  perhaps you could store ECU data and design a PC data downlink for drive-by data gathering.  Encrypted of course...wouldn't want Nick Whale to glean my precious data.<br><br> ::)<br><br>Am I too far out of the box here...?  ;)

[ESM]

No problem Sy, I'll need a budget of £2k though  ::)

[Sy V]

...just a thought.  :-|

[51mon]

Wireless ALDL interface sounds great but the price is rather high.  May I suggest that you consider producing a USB interface and making the necessary cahnges to Elanscan as virtually all new laptops don't have the RS232 socket on the back and the RS232/USB converters are notoriously fickle.<br><br>Simon

[ESM]

I made a USB-ALDL interface a while back - I really should post the circuit details....

[51mon]

Don't you also need to make some changes to the Elanscan programme to make a USB interface to work properly?<br><br>I spoke to our Russian electronics wiz kid and he said that it was not as straightforward as all that so if you can do a basic USB design I will get him to check it out and I will produce these at cost for all who are interested.<br><br>So far I have bought 2 RS232 - USB converters plus the Andy Whittaker interface, over a £100, and it will not work with my laptop.  Any RS232 converter that uses the 'Prolific' chipset will not work and the problem is that you can not tell which chip is in the converter until you load up the software driver.<br><br>P.S. anyone want to buy a RS232 converter?<br><br><br>Simon

[ESM]

I posted details of RS232-USB converters that use the FTDI chip in the ElanScan topic. Look here for suitable gear. The best way to be sure a converter uses the FTDI chip, where the blurb doesn't say, is to download the drivers and have a look at the files - some have 'FTDI' included in their filename.<br><br>I didn't need to rewrite ElanScan with an interface based on the FT232BM chip because it has virtual port drivers for it - so it looks like a serial port in software even if one doesn't physically exist.

[51mon]

If I have read thinks correctly, using the DLP-USB232M package would only require an ALDL plug, a USB plug and a box!<br><br>Reading through the tech' details it looks as if the evelauation package available for about £15 can take straight TTL data from the ECU without the need for any sort of interface to convert the TTL stream to RS232 levels.  If this is the case then this looks like a realy cheap way of getting data out and more importantly, for all of those who have not previously purchased an interface a prefared option.<br><br>If all of my assumptions are correct then this package could be sold for about £35 (including ALDL plug, box and USB fly lead).  What do you think?

[ESM]

[quote author=51mon link=board=project;num=1108498419;start=15#15 date=02/17/05 at 03:41:36]If I have read thinks correctly, using the DLP-USB232M package would only require an ALDL plug, a USB plug and a box![/quote]<br><br>Not quite - the ALDL data line switches 0 to 12V instead of 0 to 5V as in a normal TTL system. The DLP-USB232M can't support IO levels more than 0.5V above Vcc (which has a max value of 5.25V). I based my interface on a similar pre-made circuit to the DLP-USB232M with a small home made level converting board to handle the voltage difference.<br>

[Sy V]

Anyone else get the impression that ESM's found someone who understands him at last? <br><br>Welcome 51mon, just try to keep things simple for us thick b*st*rds, please!<br><br>

[51mon]

Can't and wouldn’t even try to hold a candle to what Ellanscanman (ESM) has achieved already and they do say that a little knowledge is dangerous.<br><br>Anyway, FTDI are sending me the development module and I will keep you all posted on the outcome of my efforts but it should still be reasonably cheap as the level converter that ESM refers to is a piece of cake. <br><br>Now telemetry would be a cool thing to set up for the track day.  I don’t know what is provided these days as I’ve not been on a track for the best part of 20 years!  I guess ‘racing’ is not allowed so measuring lap time and top speed would make things a little more interesting.  <br>

[ESM]

The level conversion isn't quite as easy as you might think because the ALDL data line is half duplex...