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Roadster Charge Monitor (DIY cell phone app/hardware)

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Fuzzylogic

Roadster Sport 2.5 & S100D
Jun 23, 2009
361
96
The Netherlands
Roadster Charge Monitor V 0.3

The first version was discussed here:
iPhone app

But as i created a new version, and rewrote it in C (by popular demand :wink:), i thought it should have it's own thread.

What is it?
The Roadster Charge monitor is a DIY hardware/software project, which will send status messages from your car.
If a charge is interrupted or if your car is fully charged you will receive a SMS message instantly.
You can request the current SOC (state of charge), Ideal Range and charge mode, by calling the unit's phone number or sending a command.

The following SMS commands are accepted by the unit:

STAT <password>, send SMS message about charge status; same as dialing RCM with registered phone.
GPS <password>, send google maps map with location of roadster.
REGISTER <password>, register phone number as owner.
PASS <new password>, change password (only works for registered phone)

Password is mandatory for unregistered phones, not needed for registered phone.
default password is "roadster". passwords/commands are not case sensitive.

The project can be downloaded here

Thanks go out to Scott451 for figuring out many of the Roadster CAN bus messages used by the RCM, and the pinout of the CAN bus socket in the Roadster.
see: iPhone app

some screenshots:
RCMss1.png


RCMss2.png


RCMss3.png
 
Last edited:
This is a DIY solution to basically the same problem, is my car still charging?
It's based on a Microchip PIC microcontroller, with build in CAN interface, and a few extra components. It uses the same GPRS modem the Tattler uses (with the same problems) but modified, as i need to bypass the USB port of the modem.

RCM_mainpcb.jpg


As i see it, the Tattler is much more advanced, and can in theory do much more.
The RCM just gives you the most important stuff (charging status messages, GPS location) and if you know how, you can build one yourself.
I have no intention to sell pre-build units.

I don't really see the tattler as competition, i have created this for myself, and sharing it to the world. I know a few members of this forum who already build their own version.
But ofcourse without scott explaining the most important CAN bus messages, this project would have never started.
 
Hi Scott,

I'm Sorry, i assumed everyone here knew you figured out many of the CAN bus messages, but now that this project has it's own thread, i guess it's not that clear any more.
It was never my intention to ignore all the hard work you have done, and don't give you any credit for it.

I just updated the source, readme file, and start post.

-Michael
 
Thanks! ... and nicely done, sir.

By the way, I notice that you're using an external comparator chip. Some of the PIC models have built-in comparators, so I wonder if there might be a way to take advantage of that.

Yes, the PIC18F2580 also has two comparators and a voltage reference module, so in theory it should be possible to remove the MAX942 and the resistors.
 
To try to open this up to a wider community, myself and a group of enthusiasts are working on making something like this into a standard base platform, and building a server and iPhone/Android Apps (using a SIMCOM SIM900 module to provide the comms framework over the public Internet).

We've posted some details up at:
Open Vehicle Monitoring System

Thanks to Scott, Fuzzylogic, and others for all their contributions to this. A Tesla-approved iPhone App (using the built-in GSM modem they already have in the 2.x cars) would be the best, but without that the community can step forward to build it ourselves. We feel that with the openness of that community we will eventually end up with something much better than Tesla, or others, could offer.

If anyone is interested in participating, please comment / vote there, and/or PM me.