Virtual Gauge reader
Thread Starter
Scooby Regular
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
From: Coventry
Virtual Gauge reader
Hi,
Was talking to a friend earlier who stated he was wanting to fit a virtual gauge reader (to tell him information about his car on a tablet pc) was wondering if anyone has done anything similar, what tablet, what software how much it cost overall?
Ross
Was talking to a friend earlier who stated he was wanting to fit a virtual gauge reader (to tell him information about his car on a tablet pc) was wondering if anyone has done anything similar, what tablet, what software how much it cost overall?
Ross
Scooby Regular
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 274
Likes: 0
From: Cheltenham
If you use an android tablet you can use a bluetooth dingle which is pretty cheap; the current iPads don't support bluetooth dongles as far as I know so you need a wifi one. That has advantages anyway, because the accuracy of the gauges will depend on how quickly the signal is refreshed, and bluetooth would be slower than wifi. With a wifi dongle you basically have the dongle acting as a base station, and then the iPad or phone joins that wifi network. Once it's set up it should join automatically when you're in the car with the power on. Bluetooth dongles are cheap, but you get what you pay for, as with the tablet! Do a search on ebay for ODB2 wifi and you'll find loads available, priced around £40. These are copies of the PLX Kiwi original, which is a fair bit more expensive. Not all are very good apparently, though mine seems to work okay (not sure which one of the many clones I went for).
There are a few apps out there, but they vary in how well they're supported. The one I use, DashCommand, seems to be the only one on iOS that's well supported. It's pretty good, is Universal for ipad and iphone, and has lots of downloadable skins plus a skin editor. The support forums seem to be checked regularly. Downsides are the price, £35, and that the skin editor isn't well explained and only works on windows. There are cheaper apps out there that aren't well supported, depends how happy you are with trying to get software to work I guess.
DashCommand's web site is here:
http://www.palmerperformance.com/pro...mand/index.php
Worth having a look to get a feel for how things work, even if you go for a different package
There are a few apps out there, but they vary in how well they're supported. The one I use, DashCommand, seems to be the only one on iOS that's well supported. It's pretty good, is Universal for ipad and iphone, and has lots of downloadable skins plus a skin editor. The support forums seem to be checked regularly. Downsides are the price, £35, and that the skin editor isn't well explained and only works on windows. There are cheaper apps out there that aren't well supported, depends how happy you are with trying to get software to work I guess.
DashCommand's web site is here:
http://www.palmerperformance.com/pro...mand/index.php
Worth having a look to get a feel for how things work, even if you go for a different package
Thread Starter
Scooby Regular
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
From: Coventry
I like the look of dashcommand but defiantly not wanting to buy a iPad more looking towards a Nexus 7 (Android).
Ross
Ross
If you use an android tablet you can use a bluetooth dingle which is pretty cheap; the current iPads don't support bluetooth dongles as far as I know so you need a wifi one. That has advantages anyway, because the accuracy of the gauges will depend on how quickly the signal is refreshed, and bluetooth would be slower than wifi. With a wifi dongle you basically have the dongle acting as a base station, and then the iPad or phone joins that wifi network. Once it's set up it should join automatically when you're in the car with the power on. Bluetooth dongles are cheap, but you get what you pay for, as with the tablet! Do a search on ebay for ODB2 wifi and you'll find loads available, priced around £40. These are copies of the PLX Kiwi original, which is a fair bit more expensive. Not all are very good apparently, though mine seems to work okay (not sure which one of the many clones I went for).
There are a few apps out there, but they vary in how well they're supported. The one I use, DashCommand, seems to be the only one on iOS that's well supported. It's pretty good, is Universal for ipad and iphone, and has lots of downloadable skins plus a skin editor. The support forums seem to be checked regularly. Downsides are the price, £35, and that the skin editor isn't well explained and only works on windows. There are cheaper apps out there that aren't well supported, depends how happy you are with trying to get software to work I guess.
DashCommand's web site is here:
http://www.palmerperformance.com/pro...mand/index.php
Worth having a look to get a feel for how things work, even if you go for a different package
There are a few apps out there, but they vary in how well they're supported. The one I use, DashCommand, seems to be the only one on iOS that's well supported. It's pretty good, is Universal for ipad and iphone, and has lots of downloadable skins plus a skin editor. The support forums seem to be checked regularly. Downsides are the price, £35, and that the skin editor isn't well explained and only works on windows. There are cheaper apps out there that aren't well supported, depends how happy you are with trying to get software to work I guess.
DashCommand's web site is here:
http://www.palmerperformance.com/pro...mand/index.php
Worth having a look to get a feel for how things work, even if you go for a different package
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
