THE FINAL ANDROID & CARPLAY SYSTEM FOR BMW E90-91-92 without Idrive

gamesfrager · 05-29-2018, 01:56 AM

I made a promise, and I will keep it.
All I can say right now at 1am is that a project of 5 years is coming to an end....a good one that is.

Finally got the the controller working, just few minutes ago.
I'm tired, I need a shave, and I have to wake up at 6:30am for work. But I'll make a post and I'll share all the information I have.

Good night everyone.

Mirco1994 · 05-31-2018, 10:50 AM

Hi it's your idrive working? What do you do for USB interface ?

PaKii94 · 05-31-2018, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gamesfrager

I made a promise, and I will keep it.
All I can say right now at 1am is that a project of 5 years is coming to an end....a good one that is.

Finally got the the controller working, just few minutes ago.
I'm tired, I need a shave, and I have to wake up at 6:30am for work. But I'll make a post and I'll share all the information I have.

Good night everyone.

Any updates? All (3) of us are anxiously waiting

.

gamesfrager · 05-31-2018, 05:36 PM

Sorry for not posting anything.
I have been doing over time at work and not much sleep.
Yes it work, since I have it with the bluetooth module on the controller board; it's basically a wireless remote

but you can use it wired as well.

The android side uses an app called Serial Manager, where you can map any button action (press, long press, key down or up) to anything you want on the android side (launch an app, do shell commands, launch a Tasker task). But, the app doesn't recognize the button presses and crashed on android 8, but works fine on android 6. So that's my next task, is to find how I can react to the button presses on android 8.

By the way, the controller board sends each press as a serial command (hence the need for a serial app).

I hope this is enough info until I manage to sit down this weekend and write my post. Sorry for the delay

gamesfrager · 05-31-2018, 05:44 PM

All I can find is bluetooth serial terminals. Serial Manager is the only app I found that allows me to react to the serial commands/messages the controller sends. If anyone know of another app or away to react to those serial messages, please let me know and I'll test.

gamesfrager · 06-01-2018, 07:58 AM

Well good news. I reached out to the Serial Manager developer and he said within few days he will be updating it for Android 8

. Let's hope for the best.

PaKii94 · 06-01-2018, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gamesfrager

Sorry for not posting anything.
I have been doing over time at work and not much sleep.
Yes it work, since I have it with the bluetooth module on the controller board; it's basically a wireless remote

but you can use it wired as well.

The android side uses an app called Serial Manager, where you can map any button action (press, long press, key down or up) to anything you want on the android side (launch an app, do shell commands, launch a Tasker task). But, the app doesn't recognize the button presses and crashed on android 8, but works fine on android 6. So that's my next task, is to find how I can react to the button presses on android 8.

By the way, the controller board sends each press as a serial command (hence the need for a serial app).

I hope this is enough info until I manage to sit down this weekend and write my post. Sorry for the delay

Cool you are successfully able to take in the idrive buttons as serial commands? and connect with bluetooth? Can you link me to the controller you bought? How much was it?

gamesfrager · 06-01-2018, 01:02 PM

Yes, it works by sending serial commands through bluetooth. The idrive controller I bought it from ebay, it's the cic model, so I don't have touch, though the controller board does support it.

I lucked out and got it for $55 USD. You can probably grab one from the junkyard for same price if not cheaper?!

Edit:
I see now, you're asking about the arduino board. Sorry, 12 hours of work last night fried my brain a bit.

I'll make a full post. The guy is in Ukrain. Just wait until I make a full post so you know more about it. I'll post his contact info. In the mean time

^ that's him not me by the way.

PaKii94 · 06-01-2018, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gamesfrager

Yes, it works by sending serial commands through bluetooth. The idrive controller I bought it from ebay, it's the cic model, so I don't have touch, though the controller board does support it.

I lucked out and got it for $55 USD. You can probably grab one from the junkyard for same price if not cheaper?!

Edit:
I see now, you're asking about the arduino board. Sorry, 12 hours of work last night fried my brain a bit.

I'll make a full post. The guy is in Ukrain. Just wait until I make a full post so you know more about it. I'll post his contact info. In the mean time

^ that's him not me by the way.

Thanks! I'll wait eagerly for your full post. This is exactly what I want for my car

. It does already have an idrive controller. I want to be able to wirelessly mirror my phone screen and control it with idrive controller lol.

EDIT: looked more into the links on the yt page. The controller info page (after google translate) says some stuff about steering wheel controls also. Were you able to get those to work? Also do the CIC e90s support the touchpad idrive controller? That would be a good upgrade also from the current manual one

gamesfrager · 06-01-2018, 07:08 PM

I don't have iDrive system in my car (actually prefer it that way). And yes, it seemd you can connect this board to tap into the car system (CAN/IBus) to do all sorts of things.

I don't plan on doing that for the steering controls, I'm watching the other post here about that ebay bluetooth box, or I might go with tune2air since that doesn't involve coding the car, and I haven't done any coding, and honesly don't want to deal with new thing. Already got enough on the to-do list

As for upgrading your existing CIC iDrive controller into touch; that I have no clue about. Better search online or here, and if nothing then post a question.

gamesfrager · 06-01-2018, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaKii94

Thanks! I'll wait eagerly for your full post. This is exactly what I want for my car

. It does already have an idrive controller. I want to be able to wirelessly mirror my phone screen and control it with idrive controller lol.

EDIT: looked more into the links on the yt page. The controller info page (after google translate) says some stuff about steering wheel controls also. Were you able to get those to work? Also do the CIC e90s support the touchpad idrive controller? That would be a good upgrade also from the current manual one

I just went back and read what you said, and I stopped at iPhone

I'm an android guy and I have 0 knowledge on iOS. If you find an app that can react to serial commands, then you are set. Otherwise, welcome to the Android family

Edit: I don't know why I thought you said iPhone! Sorry, my bad. Still tired from work.

gamesfrager · 06-02-2018, 02:45 AM

Well, a promise is a promise.
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...9#post23274279

masterh · 06-02-2018, 08:19 PM

Is Italy as safe as some asian countries?

It looks like an Ipad on a holder. It will be gone when parked in even nice cities in U.S.

BAHO_1982 · 06-12-2018, 12:38 PM

Hello Nick.
I'm working on a similar project. But I have problems to initialize the touch controller. Could you please help me with the Arduino code??
Currently I use Arduino Leonardo with idrive (without touch), but I would like to change to touch controller.

williamwilliamwilliam · 05-30-2019, 06:20 PM

This looks great!
I like it a lot better than the Avin solutions which require cutting the dash.

Can you show pictures and include details of how it is attached to the dash?

05-29-2018, 01:56 AM	#23
gamesfrager Banned 198 Rep 709 Posts Drives: 2011 328i Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Calgary iTrader: (0)	I made a promise, and I will keep it. All I can say right now at 1am is that a project of 5 years is coming to an end....a good one that is. Finally got the the controller working, just few minutes ago. I'm tired, I need a shave, and I have to wake up at 6:30am for work. But I'll make a post and I'll share all the information I have. Good night everyone.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

05-31-2018, 10:50 AM	#24
Mirco1994 Registered 0 Rep 2 Posts Drives: 320 e90 Join Date: May 2018 Location: Italia iTrader: (0)	Hi it's your idrive working? What do you do for USB interface ?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

05-31-2018, 05:36 PM	#26
gamesfrager Banned 198 Rep 709 Posts Drives: 2011 328i Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Calgary iTrader: (0)	Sorry for not posting anything. I have been doing over time at work and not much sleep. Yes it work, since I have it with the bluetooth module on the controller board; it's basically a wireless remote but you can use it wired as well. The android side uses an app called Serial Manager, where you can map any button action (press, long press, key down or up) to anything you want on the android side (launch an app, do shell commands, launch a Tasker task). But, the app doesn't recognize the button presses and crashed on android 8, but works fine on android 6. So that's my next task, is to find how I can react to the button presses on android 8. By the way, the controller board sends each press as a serial command (hence the need for a serial app). I hope this is enough info until I manage to sit down this weekend and write my post. Sorry for the delay Last edited by gamesfrager; 05-31-2018 at 05:46 PM..
	Appreciate 1 PaKii948.50 Quote

05-31-2018, 05:44 PM	#27
gamesfrager Banned 198 Rep 709 Posts Drives: 2011 328i Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Calgary iTrader: (0)	All I can find is bluetooth serial terminals. Serial Manager is the only app I found that allows me to react to the serial commands/messages the controller sends. If anyone know of another app or away to react to those serial messages, please let me know and I'll test.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-01-2018, 07:58 AM	#28
gamesfrager Banned 198 Rep 709 Posts Drives: 2011 328i Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Calgary iTrader: (0)	Well good news. I reached out to the Serial Manager developer and he said within few days he will be updating it for Android 8 . Let's hope for the best.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-01-2018, 01:02 PM	#30
gamesfrager Banned 198 Rep 709 Posts Drives: 2011 328i Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Calgary iTrader: (0)	Yes, it works by sending serial commands through bluetooth. The idrive controller I bought it from ebay, it's the cic model, so I don't have touch, though the controller board does support it. I lucked out and got it for $55 USD. You can probably grab one from the junkyard for same price if not cheaper?! Edit: I see now, you're asking about the arduino board. Sorry, 12 hours of work last night fried my brain a bit. I'll make a full post. The guy is in Ukrain. Just wait until I make a full post so you know more about it. I'll post his contact info. In the mean time ^ that's him not me by the way. Last edited by gamesfrager; 06-01-2018 at 01:25 PM..
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-01-2018, 07:08 PM	#32
gamesfrager Banned 198 Rep 709 Posts Drives: 2011 328i Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Calgary iTrader: (0)	I don't have iDrive system in my car (actually prefer it that way). And yes, it seemd you can connect this board to tap into the car system (CAN/IBus) to do all sorts of things. I don't plan on doing that for the steering controls, I'm watching the other post here about that ebay bluetooth box, or I might go with tune2air since that doesn't involve coding the car, and I haven't done any coding, and honesly don't want to deal with new thing. Already got enough on the to-do list As for upgrading your existing CIC iDrive controller into touch; that I have no clue about. Better search online or here, and if nothing then post a question.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-02-2018, 02:45 AM	#34
gamesfrager Banned 198 Rep 709 Posts Drives: 2011 328i Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Calgary iTrader: (0)	Well, a promise is a promise. http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...9#post23274279
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-02-2018, 08:19 PM	#35
masterh Second Lieutenant 54 Rep 291 Posts Drives: bmw 328i Join Date: Oct 2017 Location: Los Angeles CA iTrader: (0)	Is Italy as safe as some asian countries? It looks like an Ipad on a holder. It will be gone when parked in even nice cities in U.S.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-12-2018, 12:38 PM	#36
BAHO_1982 Registered 0 Rep 1 Posts Drives: e90 Join Date: Jun 2018 Location: Berlin iTrader: (0)	Hello Nick. I'm working on a similar project. But I have problems to initialize the touch controller. Could you please help me with the Arduino code?? Currently I use Arduino Leonardo with idrive (without touch), but I would like to change to touch controller.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

05-30-2019, 06:20 PM	#37
williamwilliamwilliam New Member 0 Rep 5 Posts Drives: 2012 335i coupe M sport 6mt Join Date: May 2019 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (0)	This looks great! I like it a lot better than the Avin solutions which require cutting the dash. Can you show pictures and include details of how it is attached to the dash?
	Appreciate 0 Quote