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  • Author Author: dougw
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Vehicle Simulator Project

dougw

blog entry #2

see also Blog #1 Vehicle Simulator - VTR / RTR    and blog #3 Vehicle Simulator Project - update

 

This is an update to the initial blog on a vehicle simulator here:

http://www.element14.com/community/groups/internet-of-things/blog/2014/05/02/vehicle-simulator--vtr-rtr

 

This simulator looks like an operating vehicle to any instrumentation or application that can interface to a normal vehicle via its OBDII connector. The data supplied by the simulator is real trip data collected by the Trip Recorder function of the system. There is additional sensor data available that is collected directly from the Car Cape sensor suite during the same reference trips, such as GPS position, compass heading, accelerations, angular rates, barometric pressure, temperature and ambient light.

The system is built around a Beaglebone Black with a "Car Cape" mounted on it to provide an OBDII interface, a sensor suite, a user interface and a wireless communications interface. The system may be used as either a simulator or as a stand-alone trip recorder.

 

Since the introductory blog, we have been busy designing hardware, ordering parts and building hardware. We have also been setting up a Beaglebone Black development environment and configuring an operating system build and experimenting with CAN bus communications.

 

Status

We have built 3 capes with CAN bus capability and a suite of functionality appropriate for our vehicle applications. The various features are outlined in bullets around the Car Cape image below.

The software and hardware are currently functional enough for 2 Beaglebone Blacks, with installed capes, to communicate over the CAN bus.

Not shown are a separate keypad card and a separate OBDII connector card which also has a DC-DC converter to supply 5 volts the BBBs. These cards are built, but not fully tested yet.

  • in reply to shabaz

    Hi Shabaz,

    All those peripherals required most of the available pins on the BBB, although I refrained from using the pins allocated to the BBB internal HDMI cape - so HDMI should still be functional. I actually ran out of ports - that is why there is a CAN bus / K-Line switch - they cannot be used at the same time - hopefully vehicles don't require both at the same time.

    The GPS is a ublox neo 6m with a ceramic patch antenna. This is not the latest and most sensitive GPS, but it is much lower cost. I was trying to make sure the cape could be fully populated for less cost than the price of a BBB. However this GPS still has great performance - it can track signals at -161 dBm. (compared to the latest crop which seem to track at -165 dBm) This performance easily allows it to lock on in the concrete basement of my 2-story house. This is significantly better than both of my expensive name brand GPS devices.

  • Agree with Shabaz - so many additional use cases!!!

    Perfect development environment for getting ready for connected cars. People can start using it for experimenting to develop new apps for the upcoming mass market. Early adopters always have higher chance for success

  • Hi Doug,

     

    This has an incredible amount of sensors, GPS, and so on. Probably, people could use it for many purposes even beyond vehicle apps, just use the bits of functionality they need :-) You may have broken a record for most feature/sensor-packed PCB ever.

    And I see it has a K-line/CAN switch on-board too. Very neat : )

    What's the GPS receiver like? Did you find some modern sensitive one? I'd like to buy a GPS module too for some work stuff, just not decided on which one.