I know, I just wanted to clarify. Some previous post only quoted the $75 price tag, and I wanted to explain that the actual price tag is less. And as anyone who builds something for the community surely can attest, this is a thankless job. Some of the parts are on this interface just to make it compatible with any PC. Actually, the board layout still has the provision to put a cheapo transistor in place of the level shifter, but as someone on the Fiero List commented back when I designed this thing, better be on the safe side than having to deal with people that can't get it to work on their specific hardware.
Regarding WinALDL, I really don't know, but I doubt it. WinALDL was meant for the level shifter hardware only, and does all the decoding itself. My module converts every data frame to an ASCII line in clear text. So, unless WinALDL has a switch for my module, I don't think it is supported. I've never tried that one out though...
Regarding Windows CE that someone else mentioned: I wanted to get started on a WinCE port of my stuff, because I own a PocketPC, but I could never get the "hello world" style program to download to my iPAQ, so I figured I'd spare myself this debugging hell and stick with my handheld scantool.
Regarding getting power from the Palm: this is generally a bad idea. Older units even drained their batteries quicker if you left them in their cradle, and that was only a tiny drain. The Palm isn't really designed to power anything but itself. I'd also be careful as to what I'd connect to my Palm, you can quickly fry something if you hook up the wires incorrectly. For example, I can imagine someone imagining that power=power and hooking up the Palm's power pin to the car's 12V or other circuit that carries 12V.
Best regards,
-Oliver
quote
Originally posted by edhering:
Oliver:
No insult was intended; I apologize if you thought I was ripping on your cable. I actually think your cable is a really nice piece of work. I tend to include S&H as part of the cost of anything I buy (I do the same with tax, if any) but I do know your cable is actually $60, not $75.
When I have the $$$, I _will_ be ordering one, & for the reasons you mentioned in your post... Does your cable work with the WinALDL program, at the site I mentioned in an earlier post?
* * *
Jefrysuko:
I was thinking that the Palm serial port might not (probably would not) provide 12V. 5V is probably more realistic, and I don't want to think about how quick the juice would drain even if it were 12V. I was thinking I'd have to include a set of 12V and GND leads to provide the 12V--maybe use a cigarette lighter plug for that.
Thanks for the offer!
* * *
Thanks, everyone, for your ideas and suggestions!
Ed
IP: Logged
10:14 AM
opm2000 Member
Posts: 1347 From: Versailles, Ky USA Heart of the Bluegrass Registered: Dec 2000
Any work you do towards a windowsCE or Pocket PC based handheld would be widely accepted.
I've been running AnywhereMap ( http://www.anywheremap.com ) on my Casio e-100 for about three+ years. I recently upgraded to an Ipaq. The casio is winCE and the Ipaq is pocketPC. The Newer pocket PC is much faster and more intuitive.
I have been selling these cables in the mall. If you don't end up making one let me know and I will send one out in interest in getting a program written for the Palm.
I do have a suggestion for you. I don't know what voltage levels the palm serial port puts out but I would imagine that it is a low level. You will thus need to use a 12 volt source from the car in the circuit for the WinALDL cable.
My work on this cable has been lost in a morasse of just about everything else I've been working on of late...heck, you know that; I just sent you an order for one of your cables.
Point being, if you want to send Utahfiero a cable, go ahead and do it. Don't wait for me. I have the parts for my cable laying around here SOMEWHERE but it may be Christmas before I have the time to go buy the cigarette lighter plug _and_ get my soldering iron out.
Ed
IP: Logged
08:20 PM
Jun 7th, 2003
InsaneIntensity Member
Posts: 242 From: Topeka, Kansas, USA Registered: Apr 2003
Currently there is only one way, to attach a palm to a fiero ECM.
Get a Palm (I have a Sony Clie T665C, I like it much better) between $50 (used palm III) and $800 (clie NZ90) Get a serial cable for that palm. between $5 - $30 Get a null modem and a gender changer between $5-$10 at radio shack Get Oliver's ALDL cable. $65 + $10 shipping. Get the needed software from my website free - $5 - $10 - $15 (software can be used for free, but donations for use of software are apprectiated)
Plug them together and install the software on the palm. Plug into a fiero ALDL connector run the software. Watch the data from the Fiero ECM on your Palm.
Don't forget the data can be logged to the palm and examined later on a PC with gnumeric (Unix) or excel (Windows).
[This message has been edited by rynelson85 (edited 06-08-2003).]
It's a kind of hotsync cable. Don't use the serial CRADLE; the PDA is only held in that by gravity. The cable actually snaps into the bottom of the PDA and is held in tightly.
I got one for my IIIxe at Radio Shack for $10; it was on clearance, tho, and said it was for the m100 (still works with the IIIxe tho!)
Ed
IP: Logged
05:15 PM
PFF
System Bot
Jul 3rd, 2003
FieroSTETZ Member
Posts: 1742 From: Orange County, CA Registered: Aug 99
wonder about IR - what about oliver's cable, and plugging in an IR/serial adapter into the end, running power from the accessories in the car or something, it would be cool to mount the ir pod inside one of the vents on the dash or something... interesting...
IP: Logged
11:38 AM
rynelson85 Member
Posts: 2178 From: Wichita, KS Registered: Aug 2002
What is this nullmodem and gender changer? Is there anyway you can post pictures or a more detailed explanation of what I am going to need to buy for those? I have the palm, am going to buy the cable, have the software (not working yet), and will be buying a cable. Thanks, -RyYan
IP: Logged
03:02 PM
utahfiero Member
Posts: 244 From: Kingsport, TN Registered: Jan 2002
The cable the comes from Oliver's aldl cable will not physically plug into the cable from the palm, both have holes in them, one needs holes one needs pins. The gender changer makes the two plugs fit together physically.
The electrical signals that come from olivers cable are in the wrong order for the palm. The 2 and 3 wires are swapped. This is proper when connecting to a computer but serial port, but the palm serial port is different. The null modem swaps these electrical signals and allows the two devices to properly communicate.
That sounds more compilcated than it is. If you go to radio shack and ask for those two things they will know what you are talking about.
Martin D. White
IP: Logged
03:33 PM
rynelson85 Member
Posts: 2178 From: Wichita, KS Registered: Aug 2002
Has anyone written software yet that would use these measured valued to calculate things like horsepower and torque so you could use your palm pilot as a kind of portable dyno?
A while back in this thread (on 4/21/03), it was mentioned that if Martin (utahfiero) got a cable that worked with WinALDL, you were going to write a Palm version of it. Did this ever happen?
I just built a circuit that I believe works very well with 160 or 8192 baud ECMs. It's workign with my laptop & WinALDL. But I want to get it workign on a Palm as well. I see the data hitting the Palm, but there is no software to interpret it.
Steve
------------------ 1988 Formula 3.4L 1/4 mile ET: 15.514 86.27 MPH
IP: Logged
09:04 AM
PFF
System Bot
utahfiero Member
Posts: 244 From: Kingsport, TN Registered: Jan 2002
I have yet to receive such a cable. The offer still stands, if someone sends me (for free) a WinALDL capable cable (and lets me keep it) I will try to write the palm software to use it.
I have yet to receive such a cable. The offer still stands, if someone sends me (for free) a WinALDL capable cable (and lets me keep it) I will try to write the palm software to use it.
Martin D. White
Done, send me your address and I will send you a cable.
I have yet to receive such a cable. The offer still stands, if someone sends me (for free) a WinALDL capable cable (and lets me keep it) I will try to write the palm software to use it.
Martin D. White
Any news on this? Did you get a cable? Is this underway?
IP: Logged
09:46 PM
utahfiero Member
Posts: 244 From: Kingsport, TN Registered: Jan 2002
I have received a cable from J. I will be starting the programming within the next month. Things are personally very busy right now, so please don't expect something this week.
I have received a cable from J. I will be starting the programming within the next month. Things are personally very busy right now, so please don't expect something this week.
Martin D. White
OKOK, won't hold my breath, but thank you very, very much (both you and Jeff) for this!
just a check up on whats going on with the new palm program....not that i expect it done yet, but just wondering if there is any progress or if its been started...sorry if this seems bothersome, im just interested in doing this setup and want to know if it will actually work before i buy everything
I could write the software for the winaldl connector for the palm, if i had one. If someone wants to donate the cable, I can get it up and running in a weeks time.
I regret to inform that I have not made progress on the Palm version WinALDL. - I replaced my laptop and the new laptop and it has NO serial port. - My old palm (Palm IIIxe) broke and was replaced with a clie-T665C, but it does not have a serial adapter. - I have moved from Utah to Tennessee. - I have/am starting an SCM software company. http://www.ouraysoftware.com - I (really my wife) had a baby boy.
excuses, excuses, excuses, ....
I will go out next week and buy the needed hardware to complete the project. I will dedicate some time to the project and will try to finish it by June 2, 2004.
I for one thank you for your dedication to this. I don't blame you for not having the time to finish something that won't pay any of your bills or help out with the new baby (congratulations!) so take your time. Don't kill yourself to get this done, and don't apologize for not having it done. It seems to me that you're prioritizing correctly.
Good luck with the baby, the business, and everything else!
Still ready to test anything you develop. In fact, I now have CodeWarrior 9. Don't know if you're using this same environment, but if you need any help, I'm available.
Does your cable work with the WinALDL program, at the site I mentioned in an earlier post?
