Posted by angrycamel at August 20th, 2007

I finally got it all together and working tonight. Here is a run down of where I am at now on the IEBus project:

Dom’s video converter unit is installed and mounted cleanly in the trunk next to the navigation unit
I have a carpc built and working (it’s still very rough around the edges, so I will not be permanently installing it just yet)
The IEBus sniffer breadboard is put together and working

So now I will begin to work on the firmware. I want the ability to control the carpc by using the stock navigation’s touch screen events which are passed over the IEBus. I also plan to generalize the code base to allow for implementation in vehicles other than just mine.

I put together a video from the first tests tonight. Pictures and data log files will come later. (If the embeded video doesn’t load click here for a direct link to the video page on YouTube.)

Posted by angrycamel at August 18th, 2007

I have been working on the IEBus project a lot these past few weeks and I realized that I have been updating the forum thread, but never updating the site with my progress, so we are.

Just to recap where I am on the project… I found research that others have done regarding the AVC-LAN (Toyota’s name for the IEBus) and have been working towards building a circuit of my own based on their designs. I received most all of the parts from Digikey yesterday and the programmer for the ATMega8 arrived this afternoon, so I have been getting familiar with the it’s programming procedures and installing the IDE’s this evening. I must say, this thing is really fun and easy to work with. I can’t believe I am only just now getting into working with IC’s! This stuff is cool. I feel like a kid in a candy store; like I can make anything do anything now. Well maybe not anything, but world domination is coming soon, so look out Bill Gates, I am learning how to program IC’s!

Seriously though, I have the (IC -> MAX232 -> PC -> MAX232 -> IC) circuit all setup. Its pretty damn cool to see it working and without much of a learning curve either. Well, a background in the C programming language doesn’t hurt.

I will continue working on the circuit tomorrow, actually putting it in the car to start building the (Acura specific) IEBus message table (I hope I make it that far tomorrow). I will have to run and grab a PCI video card in order to get a video out port to go into dom’s unit, or else I wont be able to see anything!

Wish me luck!

Here is a shot of the board as it is now (I reorganized it, and took some stuff out for now):

Posted by angrycamel at August 5th, 2007

I have added a new page in the HowTo’s section. It will walk you through all of the steps necessary to wire power from the battery to the trunk of your car for use with a carpc, amp or whatever else may need 12v DC.

You can check it out by clicking on the HowTo link in the menu above or by following this link: running-power-from-your-car-battery-to-your-trunk/

Posted by angrycamel at June 8th, 2007

Click here to see the details or…

If you already know your interested in buying a harness for the TVandNav2Go Video Nav Converter then send me an email at robbienewton@gmail.com

I am always getting into off the wall projects. Check my projects page to see what kind of stuff I have gotten into lately.