It was widely reported last week that Carman for the Nokia 770 and Nokia N800 was released. This piece of software allows users with an OBD-II scanner to monitor the status of their car's engine "live." The hurdle to overcome in this is that the Nokia N800 does not have an external serial port. ScanTool.net overcame this by releasing a Bluetooth option to their ElmScan line of OBD-II devices.I had the opportunity to meet with ScanTool.net yesterday (Thanks for meeting me on a Saturday, guys!) and they showed me their ElmScan line of products and provided me with a Bluetooth unit to test with the N800. We went for a test drive together and saw the advantages and limitations of Carman. By meeting with them and seeing their office, I can tell that this company is in the business of innovation. They see problems and limitations then invent the right solution and put it into action.
The DeviceThe wireless ElmScan 5 ships with an OBD-II cable, a Bluetooth module, and software. Additionally, ScanTool.net provides a USB to Bluetooth module for PCs and a quick-start guide. On the disc are copies of ScanTool's own simple monitoring software and demo versions of more feature-rich commercial tools. The source code to ScanTool's software is included as well: a very good gesture to developers! The unit has serial and USB variants available as well. The entire device is powered by the OBD-II port in the vehicle and can be left attached 24/7 if the car is driven daily. Removal is simple too: Simply unplug it!
My first impression was that Bluetooth may have been an afterthought by adding an external module, but after having used the device I actually prefer that the device is convertible between Bluetoooth and Serial.
Cables:The default cable set is a straight OBD-II cable and this should suffice for any amount of testing and statistics. However, ScanTool.net also offers a right-angle OBD-II which may be more comfortable and subtle for permanent installation. The connectors and cables are high grade and I would not have any fear in leaving them in my car during hot Phoenix summers.
ConfigurationThe module contains several internal jumpers for advanced configurtion, but average users won't need them. There are also status LEDs telling the user if the module is communicating with the car and the Bluetooth module properly. The same holds true with the Bluetooth module: Both are pre-configured by ScanTool.net for optimal use toogether. Bluetooth pairing is rather simple, with a default passkey of 1234.
Installation
The toughest part of installation was bending down low enough to make sure I was getting the cable in the right way. Once plugged in, however, installation was done! All I had to do was pair the device to the PC or N800 and tell it to start scanning.
The right-angle cable in the above picture shows how easily the device can be hidden as well. The ElmScan module is hidden in my upper glove compartment with the wires routed internally. This took less than 5 minutes.
It looks like there's no device there at all, and that impresses me. The last thing I need is more gadgets sticking out of my car. That's it for the hardware side of this article: let's look at Carman!
Carman on the N800
Carman, by INdT (the same genius firm who brought us Canola,) is a very interesting and attractive piece of software for the Nokia 770 and Nokia N800. After pairing the ElmScan5 to the internet tablet, Carman allowed me to browse car statistics and display them on a rich front-end. There was a problem with the standard front-end, as shown in the video. Also, the update speed of the display wasn't quite optimal, only giving me about 2 updates per second. Even so, this is an excellent proof of concept.
Once paired, Carman shows the Scantool device as an option. Make sure the speed matches that set in the DIP switches and jumpers on the Scantool.The rest can be seen in the video below:
Overall, I say this is a fascinating pair of products. The Wireless Scantool does exactly what it's supposed to and includes everything needed to get started talking to a PC out of the box. When used with the Nokia N800, the code could be improved but, when that happens, it could become a permanent installation.
Excellent work, ScanTool.net and INdT!
8 comments:
Hey nice review! :) Carman looks very good, but the car connecor is so expensive for me :(. Is it possible to tweak some motor things with carman and the connecotr to get more power? And, Is carman opensource or is closed like canola?
Carman is open source, LGPL, please visit http://carman.garage.maemo.org/
Awesome Carman review! Nokia will sell a ton of these devices with applications such as these. I mean, the auto geeks will have a field day with this stuff.
Hi ThoughtFix,
I think we've found the problem that makes Hildon UI crash. If you're interested in the latest version, please edit your carman repository and replace the "release" directory with "testing".
Thank you, Etrunko.
The bluetooth version is a bit pricey. Is there a direct wire version rather then the blue tooth version? Maybe a J1962M to mini USB?
Great work! Do you have any wisdom on using the CarMan with the Nokia 770?
I'd like to install it on my Chrysler 2005 300.
Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom you may have.
fascinating review. I wonder if that bluetooth adapter with serial connector at one end could be adapted to that a N800 can console to a cisco router/switch's console port?
Anybody have any feelings about the less expensive OBDpros scan tools which are based on the same Elm Electronics chips, but $30.00 to $50.00 US less expensive.
Only thing is OBDPros does not have a bluetooth version.
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