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MeatPi WiCAN on Ford Transit

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Discussion starter · #41 ·
andyl said:
OK I'll jump on the WiCAN train. Should I get WiCAN-Pro ($89) or WiCAN ($42)?

Here is the comparison.

I don't care about WiCAN-Pro's USB interface. SD Card logging might be nice. Would the other supported protocols be useful?
Click to expand...
No functional difference for me going from non pro to pro right now. I haven’t accessed ms-can bus.

Would you like to buy my non-pro? 🙂
 
#43 ·
I'm in - I have a WiCAN Pro on order and it claims to be shipping 6/20, but it was also supposed to ship 6/2 and didn't so I'll see it "sometime soon" I guess. Have HASS up and plan to integrate the WiCAN Pro into it via mqtt following some of Mike's Smartyvan video. Really want to get parameters on the ford factory alternator, engine temp, transmission temp, etc.
 
#44 ·
OldChubbyKnuckle said:
I'm in - I have a WiCAN Pro on order and it claims to be shipping 6/20, but it was also supposed to ship 6/2 and didn't so I'll see it "sometime soon" I guess. Have HASS up and plan to integrate the WiCAN Pro into it via mqtt following some of Mike's Smartyvan video. Really want to get parameters on the ford factory alternator, engine temp, transmission temp, etc.
Click to expand...
I don't /think/ Anthony has tagged anything regarding the alternator... but that would be really cool if there's something in there.

FWIW, I'm un-decided on whether I'm going to stick with MQTT or use the "native HTTP" that is available with the Pro unit. Good news is that the work to go between them is actually in the WiCAN-Pro config / web interface. Choose MQTT then it's all manual; choose the "native" thing and anything done in the web config magically shows up in Van Assistant.
 
Discussion starter · #45 ·
Only a subset of SAE standard PIDs work in WiCAN on the Transit for reasons I don't understand.

@OldChubbyKnuckle - I'll have coolant and trans temp on my next release. Maybe in a week or two.

I haven't come across useful alternator data as of yet. I'm reverse engineering FORScan and OBDwiz to get PIDs and make sense of them. 😅

If someone knows of an interesting alternator PID, please let me know. They say I can be bribed with coffee money... ☕
 
Discussion starter · #46 ·
gregoryx said:
I don't /think/ Anthony has tagged anything regarding the alternator... but that would be really cool if there's something in there.

FWIW, I'm un-decided on whether I'm going to stick with MQTT or use the "native HTTP" that is available with the Pro unit. Good news is that the work to go between them is actually in the WiCAN-Pro config / web interface. Choose MQTT then it's all manual; choose the "native" thing and anything done in the web config magically shows up in Van Assistant.
Click to expand...
By design, all of my expressions that I use to parse the PIDs result in a metric unit. All modules natively measure in metric because... science. I then use MQTT sensor definition to convert those into US Imperial units.

If you use HTTP native, you'll need to define template sensors to do the same if you want non-metric units. That or update the expressions parse your desired unit.

When I release my code, I'll provide PID configuration for WiCAN and the complementary MQTT YAML for US Imperial.
 
#47 ·
IT Nomad said:
I was able to pull up some interesting data and log the ELM327 traffic from the Car Scanner app. Unfortunately, I couldn't reproduce those results from the WiCAN itself. There's a specific sequence of AT initialization commands that light up the modules that provide the data. For example 0x221E1C posts back the trans temp on CarScanner. If I run those sequence of init commands and then 0x221E1C I get 'no data'.

Here's the sequence I'm running in ELM327: ATZ;ATE0;ATH1;ATSP0;ATS0;ATM0;ATAT1;

Anyone have experience with this sort of thing or am I off in the deep end?
Click to expand...
That sequence brings back many memories of Hayes Smartmodem 1200 baud command strings from the 80s!
 
Discussion starter · #48 ·
Ford use a LIN-controlled alternator which communicates back with the PCM.

Ford use this for to limit current output at idle (to prevent alternator overheating) and also for "SmartRegen" which basically runs the alternator at full duty cycle whilst in deceleration. This harvests electrical energy that would have otherwise turned into heat via engine braking. I can hear this happen in my van. I hear the voltage increase in the blower fan if it's turned up high and begin to decelerate.

From what I can tell, Ford prefer if the duty cycle is <65% under constant load at idle with occasional peaks up to 80% OK. By reading this via WiCAN, I think we can develop logic (with appropriate hysteresis), to control DC-DC charger(s) by load shedding to stay under that duty cycle threshold. Either by switching one or more charger on/off or by controlling the output current (available on newer DC-DC chargers).

Monitoring duty cycle is more accurate than a proxy (RPM, speed). I think this with combining trip duration and/or estimated solar output could be an interesting way minimal load the alternator whilst achieving ones charging goals.
 
Discussion starter · #49 ·
My initial WiCAN Transit release will go out tomorrow. 🎉

To celebrate, I've asked AI to visualize my work:

Image


I couldn't get everything I wanted working, but it will be a starting point. For example, all the AWDM PIDs in FORScan and OBDwiz don't provide anything of value. Also, how many folks here have dual rear wheel van?

I'll be sure to post here once released.
 
#52 ·
IT Nomad said:
If someone knows of an interesting alternator PID, please let me know.
Click to expand...
Not sure if you saw this post from @Sparky961 when you were gathering your info, but it looks like he has several alternator (aka generator) entries in his compilation, in case that is helpful info.
 
Discussion starter · #53 ·
NealCarney said:
Not sure if you saw this post from @Sparky961 when you were gathering your info, but it looks like he has several alternator (aka generator) entries in his compilation, in case that is helpful info.
Click to expand...
There may be something there. I think he had a 2018 with a 3.7L so things may be different. If I have time I’ll poke around. If you have something you want me to try first, let me know.
 
#54 ·
#55 ·
IT Nomad said:
It's probably a little rough around the edges, but I thought I'd at least get it out into the world. 🌎
Click to expand...
I noticed a mention of an implementation Start/Stop inhibit in your GitHub post on WiCan, but could not find anything on it.
Is that a TBD or just (tech challanged) me being inept in looking around on that repository. Thanks
 
Discussion starter · #56 ·
njvagabond said:
I noticed a mention of an implementation Start/Stop inhibit in your GitHub post on WiCan, but could not find anything on it.
Is that a TBD or just (tech challanged) me being inept in looking around on that repository. Thanks
Click to expand...
The project is focused on read-only. Writing (changing a setting) like start/stop could be an option in the future.
 
#57 ·
#58 ·
@IT Nomad are you still using these for your Tire Pressure? I'm seeing numbers lke 117.3 and 149.5... and that seems to line up with the KPI or PSI on my tire placard.


Placard
FRONT​
235/65R16C 121/119R​
390 KPA, 57 PSI​
REAR​
235/65R16C 121/119R​
520 KPA, 75 PSI​


Vehicle Profile

Code: 
    {
      "pid": "222813",
      "pid_init": "ATSH000726;STCAFCP726,72E;",
      "parameters": {
        "TYRE_P_FL": "[B4:B5]/10"
      }
    },
    {
      "pid": "222816",
      "pid_init": "ATSH000726;STCAFCP726,72E;",
      "parameters": {
        "TYRE_P_RL": "[B4:B5]/10"
      }
    },
    {
      "pid": "222814",
      "pid_init": "ATSH000726;STCAFCP726,72E;",
      "parameters": {
        "TYRE_P_FR": "[B4:B5]/10"
      }
    },
    {
      "pid": "222815",
      "pid_init": "ATSH000726;STCAFCP726,72E;",
      "parameters": {
        "TYRE_P_RR": "[B4:B5]/10"
      }
    },
 
Discussion starter · #59 ·
The unit reported by the TPMS is inHg (Inches of Mercury). Then convert to your preferred unit when defining your sensor in YAML for MQTT.

117.3 inHg = 57.6 psi
149.5 inHg = 73.4 psi

psi = inHg * 0.491154

🙂
 
#60 ·
IT Nomad said:
The unit reported by the TPMS is inHg (Inches of Mercury). Then convert to your preferred unit when defining your sensor in YAML for MQTT.

117.3 inHg = 57.6 psi
149.5 inHg = 73.4 psi

psi = inHg * 0.491154

🙂
Click to expand...
I had no idea, thank you !
 
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