BA/BF owners - Freeware vehicle monitoring project

[donno]

Hey guys, I’m just starting my fourth year engineering thesis, undertaking a little project that’ll benefit all BA/BF and future model drivers, and I need your help! First some details on the project.

"Acquisition of Drive Cycle data within the freeware community"

The aim is to create a freeware PC based program that takes data off the future 2008 standard CAN bus, and uses it to display on a monitor the current engine operating parameters, and to log relevant drive cycle data.

The objectives of the freeware program are as follows:

1: Create a user orientated interface that is visually impressive and easily read, which displays basic data such as tachometer, speedometer, engine temperature, brake application, fuel level, throttle position etc. An advanced menu may include short term graphs of both basic and advanced data such as injector pulse widths,
ignition advance etc.

2: Log drive cycle raw data, and store them into a format which can be directly imported into a database for analysis. This data would include velocity, throttle position, brake application and any other data deemed necessary. After a predetermined period of driving (eg: 20h), the data will cease to be collected, or a new cycle started, and the user prompted to upload the data to a web server, as an act of
good faith for the freeware availability of the software.
Additional objectives of the project may include the implementation of a database to store the collected data, and a web server to upload it to.

At the moment, marketed packages which contain a reasonable GUI, plus the CAN bus to USB hardware with drivers are around the $400 mark. Most CAN bus to USB hardware with drivers retail for around $200, meaning an average $200 saving using the proposed program for the consumer. Most other freeware programs are extremely basic, and offer little along the lines of useability for the average person, as their interfaces seem to be based upon displaying hard data codes or just numbers, rather than displaying data in a palatable manner.

Why do we want this data you may ask? At the moment the University of Queensland is putting a lot of research into direct drive electric motors for electric vehicles (i.e. no gear ratios) under the UltraCommuter project (http://www.itee.uq.edu.au/~serl/UltraCommuter.html). In order to achieve the best performance in both power and efficiency, an ideal torque spread must be found. How do we find this ideal torque spread? We log people’s driving, and based upon the collected data, we can get an idea at which velocities acceleration is needed and throttle applied the most to find where the bulk of torque is needed, in addition to the mostly used cruising speeds to achieve high efficiency. For more information on drive cycles, have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driving_cycle.


This is where I need your help and support. During the project I’m going to need testers and access to a BA at different times over the next year, so if there are any Brisbane based BA owners willing to let me play with their toy every now and then (no driving by myself is needed, but I won’t turn it down if offered :p), I’d be very appreciative. For beta testers you’re going to need a CAN-PC interface cable. BPT sells one, but don’t rush out and buy one yet, because I have to work out all the hardware specifics (a lot including the BPT model are rs232 based, and the CAN bus is at 500kbps). Other assistance will most likely be needed in the development of the GUI. There are a lot of talented photoshoppers here, and I need some nice gauges and other features made up along the track.

If my aim is successful, and the project is ready for full release, I will need peoples continuing support to upload logged data to a web server or email it to me. This is completely voluntary and you don’t have to do it, but by doing so you’re helping to create an almost emissionless car of the future. If the drive cycle data logger is incomplete but the GUI functional, I’ll release the freeware regardless so some good can come of the 10 odd months spent on the project. I’ll try to post in this thread any relevant major updates or requests for help along the way.

I'm very open to any suggestions you may have, and if you have any questions regarding the project, please don't hesitate to ask. Cheers!





Just a quick note for the mods, sorry I put it in the pub, it should really be in the ECU and Engine Management section, but hardly anyone would read it there. Feel free to move it after a few days, or right away if deemed necessary.