Question, can the supertuner #1715 widget (technical term there) that I've ordered read out the engine temperature? I'm going to be purchasing the electric fans shortly and the info page says that I have to set up the controller temperatures for the fans. So I'm hoping that I can use this programmer gizmo (another technical term) to read the temperatures that the computer sees to get a more accurate reading than with an infrared scanner, which I don't want to buy. Yes, I'm a cheap SOB.

Sorry if this has been covered before but I couldn't find it in the search thingamabob (last technical term).

Russ

 

Hi Russ,

I like your "technical" terms!

No, you can't do that with the widget, sorry, it's not a PID-display device, nor can any other tool do what the Micro Tuner does *and* read all the PID's for anywhere near the cost of the Micro Tuner.

The Micro Tuner has an OBD-II code scanner on board so you can read & clear any OBD-II DTC's. It's not designed to read PID's, if that capability were built in it would have to cost significantly more. Superchips is the first company to offer such a device with a built-in OBD-II code scanner, and they're the only company that provides an OBD-II code scanner FREE in every one of their MAX Micro Tuners.

By the way, using an infrared or laser point & shoot thermometer aimed at our temperature probes is at least as accurate as reading the ECT PID for calibration of the fan turn-on temperatures. If you have any questions about our Troyer Performance Electric Fan Kit (or anything else we offer), feel free to give us a call & we'll be happy to go over any questions, cover any details, etc.

We recommend for anyone who can't get access to a scan tool to read the ECT (engine coolant temperature) sensor, just pick up an infrared point & shoot thermometer from an auto parts store, Lowe's, Home Depot, etc., they're usually in the HVAC (heating, ventilation & A/C) sections in the home improvement centers, where those types of devices have been used for years & years. You don't have to have a $100 Fluke unit to do that, the $35-$40 units will work just fine.

Good luck!

 

BEWARE!!! If you get one of these things, you'll be reading temps on EVERYTHING!! Neighbors roof, lady next door, refrigerator, ears, cars at stop lights, it's an endless list and goes on and on and you can't stop!!!!

 

LOL! FamilyRide is correct! We have these laser pointer temp readers where i work. I now know the temperature of every machine in the shop, every part of every machine in the shop, my arm, my leg, my friend's arm, the wall, the floor, the water fountain, the ceiling, the fork lift at rest, the fork lift after use, the break room wall, the vending machines, etc, etc. You just can't stop!

 

OK, so now my second technical question. Maybe Mike can shed some light on this for me.

I'm going to assume that the supertuner 'talks' to the onboard computer via some type of serial bus most likely a 'CAN' bus. I know Ford was very interested in this bus protocol several years ago when we looked at it for our use. I looked at the connector under the dash and I think I can get my hands on a mate up to it.

How hard would it be to make a device to readout some of the parameters from the computer like temperature? I'm thinking that I could use an embedded controller with whatever communications UART to do this.

My biggest problem would be to get my hands on the protocol specification that the computer and the supertuner uses. Is it proprietary or public domain? If it is public where can I get a copy of it?

I suppose I could borrow a scope from work and do some poking around. Is the data passed back and forth in ASCII format?

My thought is to make a display unit that will show me all of the engine parameters in real time. Maybe even mount the display on the dash somewhere instead of multiple analog gauges.

Russ

 

Hi Russ,

Generic OBD-II communications protocols & hardware specs are available to the aftermarket, but that isn't going to teach you how to build a device to read manufacturer-specific PID's. Scanning for generic OBD-II DTC's is one thing, reading sensor output is another, and reading manufacturer-specific data still another.

Personally, I wouldn't waste time reinventing the wheel to build a PID reader from scratch, as for less you can pick up a hardware or hardware & software package that allows you to plug right into the OBD-II port & read all the PID's.

However, you may feel like this would be a fun project perhaps, and if you want to pursue this, I'd suggest starting off by talking to the folks at B&B Electronics - the makers of AutoTap. They make all kinds of automotive & OBD-II specific hardware connectors & etc. you'll need for this project. They also make a complete package so you can just plug in & read everything immediately - we sell it, in fact, it's called "AutoTap."

Drop by B&B's web site at: www.bb-elec.com

If you decide you want to go the AutoTap route instead of building it yourself from scratch, give us a call.

Good luck!

 

Russ -

Here's a link to get you started...

OBD-II & Windows Software Information

Let us know what you come up with...

 

OK, now I've got the keys to the candy store. I spent a good part of the weekend doing a lot of reading about this and it's really pretty simple for the most part.

I've already started working on the user interface which will be PC/laptop based using LabView. This way I can build analog gauges for all of the readings rather than just numbers on the screen. I find it easier to watch a temperature gauge go up and down rather than tracking a bunch of numbers in my head. Plus I can set up limit alarms on most anything.

The hardware is fairly simple and I'll start working on board layout either today or tommorrow. With any luck I'll be milling prototype boards on our mini-CNC machine in the next week or two. There are several sites that have schematics published and I've picked out one that I think I can improve on with fewer and cheaper parts. One big improvement will be using surface mount parts instead of through-hole parts. Hopefully this will allow me to shrink the board down to less than the size of a matchbook which I can make inline in the cable rather than a seperate box. Just think, one cable going from the OBD II connector right to your laptop. Straight shot.

So far I only have one problem, I have all of the generic codes for powertrain, chassis, body and network but I don't have the Ford proprietry codes. Anyone know where I can get these? I would like to incorporate all the code definitions in the user interface.