[sal_park]

Hi everyone,

I've been working on a hardware/software project for my E91 and now it's time to share. It's still a work in progress but is getting close to the point I'd like other people to try it out and let us know what they think
(and possibly contribute, comment or just use it. )

In a nutshell it's a computer attached to the cabin canbus that can be programmed to do 'stuff' (NB: I'm only reading NOT writing to the canbus).

Currently I'm working on a spotify client adapter so that you can control and play a spotify playlist using the buttons on the steering wheel. This is all being written in a pluggable/extendible way so that other adapters can be written. I think next on my 'to-do' list will be a streaming radio receiver and local mp3 storage player.

The software that I've written for this is really quite complex and taken over a year to write so far as this is a hobby and not my day job. I do plan to make this all open source when I release it for real.

Enough of this jibber-jabber - have a look at this to see what I'm talking about:

So, back to the task in hand. I'm hoping there will some people on this forum who would be interested in trying / using carstain in their cars. You'll need to be able to agree with the below points, but that's it ! No need to be able to write computer code (although if you want to get involved in that and know java then I'm all ears !)


Please get in contact if you can say yes to all of these:

1) I like to modify my car

2) I'm happy writing an SDcard image

3) I know which end of a soldering iron to hold (don't worry, there is hardly any soldering)

4) I like to make stuff !

5) Everything in life is dangerous: take part in this project at your own risk.

6) Happy to spend about 50 quid / $100 on hardware
(raspberry pi, canbus reader, sd card, usb memory stick and bit's of wire)

I'll put updates in this thread when they happen and please say below if you're interested in taking part in the beta.

Finally, if anyone want's to help with documentation, making install video's etc that would also be smashing !


thanks for looking.

sal_park.

[csu87]

I'm interested, but would like more info.

[ctuna]

You might want to put this in the Stereo Section
Also since this applys to the entertainment section have you
factored in the fact that the blutetooth and stereo stuff
often comes through the MOST Bus .

[sal_park]

Originally Posted by csu87

I'm interested, but would like more info.

Sure, what would you like to know ?

[Dylanize]

Intriguing...

[sal_park]

Originally Posted by ctuna

You might want to put this in the Stereo Section
Also since this applys to the entertainment section have you
factored in the fact that the blutetooth and stereo stuff
often comes through the MOST Bus .

Thanks, done that.

It only connects to the K-BUS and not not MOST: audio is sent via the aux in. The K-BUS is used to detect events that we want to action, for example next track on the steering wheel pressed.

[eoddom]

I'm interested, and I've hand wired matrices for mechanical keyboards. If my car explodes it's on you though.

[csu87]

Originally Posted by sal_park

Sure, what would you like to know ?

This it's basically taking the inputs from the steering wheel and controlling an auxiliary audio component? I guess i need more of an explanation. And what devices are you using as the auxiliary?

[sal_park]

Originally Posted by csu87

This it's basically taking the inputs from the steering wheel and controlling an auxiliary audio component?

Yes, that's pretty much it. We can also use any other event on the K-BUS to trigger and action - for example each key has a unique id (1-4) so we can use this to trigger a different playlist starting when different keys are inserted.

Originally Posted by csu87

And what devices are you using as the auxiliary?

The raspberry-pi produces the audio. It has a built in sound card that works but sounds a bit rubbish. Currently I'm using this for audio.

[ctuna]

Aux in is noted for low quality audio in a BMW
But streaming audio in general is to.

[sal_park]

Originally Posted by ctuna

Aux in is noted for low quality audio in a BMW
But streaming audio in general is to.

Everything is relative I guess. Streaming audio can be low and high quality, it depends on the encoding used. Also, note that currently the spotify client can do BOTH streaming and local playback.

Also I'm no expert, but I don't think the aux in is the weakest link on my setup, but then I have the standard headunit without the amp upgrade*. At the end of the day, this will be heard in a car that is a less than ideal location for hifi listening (road noise etc).

I guess the point I'm making is that it sounds alright to me.


sal


* someone here once described the standard head unit as 'sounding great until you turn it up when you want to listen to a track you know well'

[Meeni]

I think if you could make a BT controller that can take the CANBUS inputs from the buttons, and transform them into BT commands for say a phone, it would be awesome. If you make the blueprints for such an assembly, I am fully committed to build one and test it.

[Sample]

Originally Posted by Meeni

I think if you could make a BT controller that can take the CANBUS inputs from the buttons, and transform them into BT commands for say a phone, it would be awesome. If you make the blueprints for such an assembly, I am fully committed to build one and test it.

Yes this would be better. Some way to control an iPhone using the steering controls via Bluetooth would be awesome. I know the tune2air plugs into the iPod cable and makes a Bluetooth connection to your phone. It displays what's playing on the idrive and enables steering controls. Doesn't work well with Siri and seems to force audio to only go through it is why I returned it.

I use a modified airport express and it works good to AirPlay. .i would consider purchasing a Bluetooth adapter that let me control it with the steering wheel and display track info on the idrive. Since you're using a raspberry pi I assume you could get rid of the airport, and AirPlay directly to the pi.

[sal_park]

Originally Posted by Meeni

I think if you could make a BT controller that can take the CANBUS inputs from the buttons, and transform them into BT commands for say a phone, it would be awesome. If you make the blueprints for such an assembly, I am fully committed to build one and test it.

Hi,

Currently carstain does the first half by connecting to the car and reading the button presses from the CANBUS. Given that it is a linux computer and there is a bluetooth stack available (http://www.bluez.org/) then it should just be a case of configuring it all to work together. Having said that, I've not got much interest in bluetooth atm but if that's your itch then you've got half the problem solved already by using carstain...


sal