Put me on the list!
I can pay in advance to support the development if needed
1. Daandaman
2. Chikinhed
3. Bry195
4. stefanom3
5. spyke
6. silverbullet21
7. jdantuono
8. NikosBMW
9. FastFreddie
10. hakhawk
11. masCh
12. driiven
13. fuggle
14. Trickle
15. Doreenerz
16. ebbano
17. Vollosso
18. tvali007
19. Rockiii
20. Rockiii
21. Rockiii
22. Mark185
23. Korath
24. gardar
Last edited by gardar; 09-15-2013 at 02:49 PM.
Do you want to Kickstarter this?
1. Daandaman PAID
2. Chikinhed
3. Bry195
4. stefanom3
5. spyke
6. silverbullet21
7. jdantuono
8. NikosBMW
9. FastFreddie
10. hakhawk
11. masCh
12. driiven
13. fuggle
14. Trickle
15. Doreenerz
16. ebbano
17. Vollosso
18. tvali007
19. Rockiii
20. Rockiii
21. Rockiii
22. Mark185
23. Korath
24. gardar
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everyone, check out the new post on http://www.facebook.com/OpenOBC
it includes some instructions regarding the ordering, to ease it up for benemorius.
It looks like my board should be arriving today! I'll take pictures when I go for the install.
A short diy for install would be awesome as I cant tell what's involved...haven't pulled the trigger yet
I was going to use this to access the OBC board: http://forum.roadfly.com/threads/119...disappointing)
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I have the board! Now I think I just need to add the appropriate connectors from the old board, eh?
Long ago it might have helped to get us to this point a few years earlier, but I'm not sure it would have any use now. At this point we need beta testers much more than we need funding. It's possible that it could become useful again in the future to help get the word out once we're past the beta stage, but not before some serious documentation creation occurs.
I quite agree. With the first shipment of assembled boards now on their way to the early adopters (for whom we must be ever grateful) I'm turning my attention to other things now. At the top of my list is documentation. I'm too well aware that the whole project in general is rather unknown and mysterious even to those who have followed this whole thread, and I want to finally get serious about correcting that.
As of a few minutes ago, I've got a wiki live and ready for use at http://wiki.openlabs.co. I want to try to fill in the two tutorials (installing the board, and installing a firmware development environment) over the next few days. It was set up hastily so if anyone has trouble with it, please let me know. Anonymous edits (without an account) are permitted for now but that may change in the future due to spam so account creation is probably desirable.
I want to take pictures and make a guide for the install, but perhaps not in time to help you with yours. It's quite straightforward once you pop the back off and take a peek inside though. Three ribbon cables must be desoldered from the old board and soldered to the new board, and two connectors must be recovered from the old board and transferred to the new board.
And yes, having to recover the white and black connectors is surely unfortunate. On the earlier prototype boards I had just used some generic .1" header pins in place of the real connectors, but that turned out to be a less than desirable solution. Someone (sorry, not 100% sure who it was right now) did apparently find a source for the black connectors, but I don't know whether I'll be able to order them myself and I still have no idea about the white connectors.
So for now we're stuck with some tedious desoldering. m2pc posted very recently a desoldering iron that Radio Shack carries which may well be worth buying even for a one-time use. If anyone wants to try it out and share their experience and some pictures on the new wiki, I'd surely not complain.
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The list has probably served its purpose by now. I may refer back to it if a new wave of early adopters from the list want boards and I need extra time to fill all the orders, but at this point anyone who wants a board can just let me know and I should probably have it shipped within a day or three of payment.
So if you're ready now and you want one, just send me a PM or email with your paypal email address and your country and you should receive an email from paypal shortly.
(sorry, paypal only for now... yes, I know, but no matter how much you hate paypal, I PROMISE I hate it more)
Understood about the Kickstarter. Perhaps with enough supporting documentation and development, you could kickstarter the next batch of boards to get the word out to more E36 guys (int'l purchases too!).
The install looks pretty straight forward, but my laptop at the moment has OS X. I'll look into getting the firmware compiled in that environment. I can help out with documentation; I definitely write plenty once I've completed a project and the components are being made for my assembly. Any chance the center to center separation of the ribbon cable points are standard? I'd love to be able to add one of my many headers laying around and have it be a snap in style cable.
I wouldn't be against that.
I'll try to see about doing the OS X section today. That's what my laptop runs as well. Things have changed a bit since I set mine up, but this might be what we want now unless someone has already added something equivalent to macports or homebrew.The install looks pretty straight forward, but my laptop at the moment has OS X. I'll look into getting the firmware compiled in that environment. I can help out with documentation; I definitely write plenty once I've completed a project and the components are being made for my assembly.
Indeed. The factory OBC board had 2.5mm spacing but I made it 0.1 inch (2.54mm) on the openOBC board. I believe this is a more standard spacing even outside the US, so I'm pretty sure the measurement gods will forgive me for this backwards evolution. The headers that everyone has lying around should fit. The same goes for the white and black connectors, but as I indicated before, I ultimately got tired of not having the real connectors on there.Any chance the center to center separation of the ribbon cable points are standard? I'd love to be able to add one of my many headers laying around and have it be a snap in style cable.
So are the obc warnings in the works? (Washer fluid low, brake light out, etc)
1989 535i - sold
1999 M3 Tiag/Dove - sold
1998 M3 Turbo Arctic/black - current
2004 Built motor TiAg/Black - Sold
2008 E61 19T Turbo-Wagon - current
2011 E82 135i - S85 Swap - current
1998 M3 Cosmos S54 swapped Sedan - current
1998 Turbo: PTE6870 | 1.15 ar | Hp Cover, Custom Divided T4 bottom-mount, 3.5" SS exhaust, Dual Turbosmart Compgates, Turbosmart Raceport BOV, 3.5" Treadstone Intercooler, 3.5" Vibrant resonator and muffler, Arp 2k Headstuds | Arp 2k Main studs | 87mm Je pistons | Eagle rods | 9.2:1 static compression, Ces 87mm cutring, Custom solid rear subframe bushings, Akg 85d diff bushings, 4 clutch 3.15 diff, , Poly engine mounts, UUC trans mounts W/ enforcers, 22RPD OBD2 Stock ECU id1700 E85 tune, 22RPD Big power Transmission swap w/ GS6-53
1989 535i - sold
1999 M3 Tiag/Dove - sold
1998 M3 Turbo Arctic/black - current
2004 Built motor TiAg/Black - Sold
2008 E61 19T Turbo-Wagon - current
2011 E82 135i - S85 Swap - current
1998 M3 Cosmos S54 swapped Sedan - current
1998 Turbo: PTE6870 | 1.15 ar | Hp Cover, Custom Divided T4 bottom-mount, 3.5" SS exhaust, Dual Turbosmart Compgates, Turbosmart Raceport BOV, 3.5" Treadstone Intercooler, 3.5" Vibrant resonator and muffler, Arp 2k Headstuds | Arp 2k Main studs | 87mm Je pistons | Eagle rods | 9.2:1 static compression, Ces 87mm cutring, Custom solid rear subframe bushings, Akg 85d diff bushings, 4 clutch 3.15 diff, , Poly engine mounts, UUC trans mounts W/ enforcers, 22RPD OBD2 Stock ECU id1700 E85 tune, 22RPD Big power Transmission swap w/ GS6-53
Received mine!
Ok, so there is indeed something in macports that will probably do the trick (arm-none-eabi-gcc) but I'd forgotten that it is nontrivial to get OS X running in virtualbox so I've not been able to play around with it yet. It's probably as simple as `port install arm-none-eabi-gcc` and off you go, but I can't be certain of that without trying it on a virtual machine to see if anything else needs installing on an untouched OS X install. I'm busy making ADS interfaces but I'll get back to it when I get caught up.
I've also got another factory OBC on the way that I'm going to convert to an openOBC while taking pictures this time for the installation tutorial.
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Have any fun with it yet?
Current status:
Old pcb desoldered, Connectors on the openobc board, just waiting for you to reply my email
sooooooooo excited!
But am I correct we just have 2 inputs for sensors?
Because i wish to see the following:
I've got 2 wideband lambda signals (innovate LC1 programmable outputs) (for each exhaust line 1)
Oil temperature (duh)
Oil pressure (duh)
Coolant pressure (to detect blown headgasket/lifting head when boosting!) 0-5v signal
I'm on it. I had been up for several days so I've been asleep for the past 24 hours or so. You want the wires on 12v, main, and clock. Aux is there in case anyone wants to convert the LCD to RGB LED backlighting and needs a total of three PWM outputs.
Yes, just two analog inputs on the main board. They're configured by default to read sensors that function as variable resistors (that covers most of them) but by removing some parts they can be configured to just read a 0-3V signal. Some time after things settle down with the main openOBC board, I can see myself designing a separate analog input expansion board to read more and different kinds of sensors, but I'd also cooperate with anyone who wants to make one sooner. The SPI and I2C headers are completely unused and exist precisely for this kind of expansion.sooooooooo excited!
But am I correct we just have 2 inputs for sensors?
Because i wish to see the following:
I've got 2 wideband lambda signals (innovate LC1 programmable outputs) (for each exhaust line 1)
Oil temperature (duh)
Oil pressure (duh)
Coolant pressure (to detect blown headgasket/lifting head when boosting!) 0-5v signal
Are the installing instructions in wiki page going to be updated soon?
Can someone of you 1st owners post pictures of various display functions, would like to see this artistic work in action, please. Soon to place an order as well.
Probably this week. I'd say today or tomorrow but I'm trying to break my habit of estimating time based on wishful thinking. My new OBC is arriving today and I'll use it to illustrate the installation instructions.
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Ok, here's the installation guide. Let me know if I need to add or clarify anything, but as you can see it really is pretty straightforward once you take a peek inside.
Nice! Thank you!
The only part that was semi-confusing was this line :
Solder the openOBC board to the OBC, ignoring the extra connection in the BACKLIGHT header labeled AUX. It will be necessary to cut off or bend the tabs at each end of the plastic ribbon cable supports since the openOBC board does not have holes for them.
I eventually understood what you meant. But I had to read it a few times and look very closely at your photos to understand it.
Two quick Q's,
1) I PM'ed you but haven't heard back. What number on the list are you up to serving? no rush, just curious.
2) Can we change the bootup display, or will it always show openOBC and git hash?
1995 OBD I Cosmos Black M3 - RIP: gone but not forgotten
Ok thanks. I'll see about clearing that up.
I'm really sorry. I dropped the ball again. I see your PM and indeed I don't see a reply. You should have been one of the first. I'm heading out the door but I'll take care of it first thing when I get back.Two quick Q's,
1) I PM'ed you but haven't heard back. What number on the list are you up to serving? no rush, just curious.
2) Can we change the bootup display, or will it always show openOBC and git hash?
Yes the bootup can and should change, at the very least to remove the delay. Do you not want the version or anything displayed at all? Developers will surely appreciate the utility of having the git hash but I don't see why it couldn't be an option in the configuration file.
Its fine. I'm excited that this project is really developing into a professional, tangible product.
By signing up on the list I consider myself a beta tester, but I'm not a developer, so I have little interest in the git hash or logo; I would appreciate if it were user configurable. I'm sure everyone will want something different [Nothing, the date "September 31st", "BMW", "Hello", "Hi Dave", "Lets Roll" or the name of their car.] However, if updating the firmware becomes so easy that many people are doing it (semi-regularly), I can see how a fractured landscape could develop with many different versions existing in the wild, and having the version info available would help troubleshooting while we squash bugs.Yes the bootup can and should change, at the very least to remove the delay. Do you not want the version or anything displayed at all? Developers will surely appreciate the utility of having the git hash but I don't see why it couldn't be an option in the configuration file.
My $0.02 : I suppose while this project seeks to reach a stable version and get back to 100% factory functionality, having some indicator of git hash or version would be useful. But I hope once it is prime-time, we can program what we want the boot-up to say (if anything) in the config file.
1995 OBD I Cosmos Black M3 - RIP: gone but not forgotten
Ok you're right. It hadn't occurred to me that people would really care that much exactly what it displays while you're busy starting your car, but I see that that was a rather silly oversight. Knowing exactly what firmware you're running is essential for good bug reporting but that doesn't mean the bootup display can't be customizable.
Count on it.My $0.02 : I suppose while this project seeks to reach a stable version and get back to 100% factory functionality, having some indicator of git hash or version would be useful. But I hope once it is prime-time, we can program what we want the boot-up to say (if anything) in the config file.
Here are some quick pictures of most of the current functions. They may be a bit boring with everything reading zero since it isn't hooked up to my car, but still better than nothing I think. The URL of each image will reveal what the function is in case any of them aren't obvious.
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I've made a few updates to the firmware: https://github.com/benemorius/openOB...b673f2f1bcaac4
The bootup display is now configurable. I also optimized the boot process a bit and reduced the boot time to about 0.3 seconds, so I then added a configurable delay so you can actually read the bootup text if you want to. The boot time is longer with no SD card inserted - about 3 seconds. Not having an SD card is still a supported configuration, but not a recommended one.
Brilliant work mate - looking really good and am itching for my board to arrive now.
The biggest PITA for installing this seems to be desoldering those black and white connectors and I shared your frustration that they did not seem to be available. I have done some rooting around and chatting to a TE rep and the genuine part numbers for the connectors on our boards are restricted BMW parts and TE wont supply to anyone else. But there DO seem to be some workable alternatives.
For the black connector, TE have suggested part number 1-1355154-1.
http://www.te.com/catalog/pn/en/1-13...PN=1-1355154-1. This seems to be correct and is stocked by Mouser.
For the white connector, TE couldn't suggest an alternative but I found 953264-1
http://www.te.com/catalog/pn/en/953264-1?RQPN=953264-1
Looking at that link, it does look like it will do the job. Mouser also stock this part although they show a black connector in their picture. TE do make a black connector in the same format but the correct part number for that is 953264-2. It would be nice if the ones that arrive are white.
There is an option of "post selective" and "post no selective" for this connector but I don't know what the difference is and forgot to ask the rep. The part number for the "post selective" one is 1-953264-1 - http://www.te.com/catalog/pn/en/1-95...QPN=1-953264-1
I really couldn't see any difference between them from those links I posted but in any case, Mouser only have stock of the "post selective" one.
The only thing that I did notice that was different is that all these connectors seem to have clips that are designed to clip through mounting holes in a pcb. Maybe that is the difference with the "post selective" thing? But if they do come with them it'd be a quick jib to just snip them off.
I have never bought from Mouser before and their UK office (which is only 30 minutes from here) seems to have shut down. But I have gone ahead and ordered a few of each and will report back when they arrive. I am not clear if they are shipping from the US or their German location so don't know how long they will take to arrive - soon I hope.
In the meantime, if any of you guys in the US buy regularly from Mouser and are too impatient to wait for my findings I suppose five bucks for one pair of connectors won't break the bank if they turn out to be incorrect.
I did find someone in the US who claims to have stock and on the face of it seems cheaper but he has a minimum order value and shipping costs to the UK were crazy expensive ($160) but maybe a completely different story if you order from within the US? Here is a link to the black connector if anyone is interested in checking it. He also has the white ones in stock. http://www.connectorpeople.com/Conne.../1/1-1355154-1
Hope this helps.
Cheers, Mark
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