new control module for the opels

[Clint]

hi everyone, been a while since ive been on here. now im not sure if anyone noticed a few months back i said i would be doing something like open windows when unlocking car, auto headlights, and i may have said some other things....


well.. after a few months of work i am almost at the end of my project. i am now into the final programming and testing of it all :) very exciting to see months of work finally coming together.

what i have made is basically a second body control module for the car. for those who dont know basically everything to do with the car electronically, excluding stuff for the engine is controlled by the body control module. i have built my own which does many things. i can control all lights, windows, etc. basically anything i want to control, i can. the brains of it all is a 40 pin PIC chip, basically a mini computer. instead of using many many complex circuits, computer programming is used to remove a lot of the circuits. there is still a fair bit to convert the car's 12v signals into 5v logic inputs and the 5v logic outputs of the chip into 12v the car can use, then there is relays, voltage regulators, fuses, etc. but.... basically once the main base circuit is developed, the rest lies on the programming. so if i want to make my car do something, its just a matter of editing the software on my laptop, download the new software to it and then my car does something new :).

at the moment ive got the base all done, so its just testing, and adding some more features.

here is the list of what i have programmed it to do at the moment:

1. close windows:
' deadlocking car
'2. close windows fully then open small bit when leaving car:
' take key out of ignition, press drivers door window down button then deadlock car
'3. open windows fully when going to car:
' unlock car, press lock once (do not need to deadlock), then unlock again
'4. open all windows fully when in car:
' press drivers window down button twice within 1 second (time adjustable via constant)
'5. close all windows fully when in car:
' press drivers window up button twice within 1 second (time adjustable via constant)
'6. turn on park, front and rear fog lights by unlocking car. lights will turn off after 60 seconds
' (time is adjustable by courtesy_light_time constant), or when turning ignition on
'7. turn on park, front and rear fog lights for 60 seconds when deadlocking the car (time is adjustable
' by courtesy_light_time constant):
' take key out of ignition and flash high beams once, then deadlock car.
'8. turn on park, front, rear fog lights and low beam for 60 seconds when deadlocking the car (time is adjustable
' by courtesy_light_time constant):
' take key out of ignition and flash high beams twice, then deadlock car.


things im going to be adding or maybe adding:
auto headlights, 2 light settings, first puts on park lights, when gets darker turns on headlights.
' automatically close windows when it gets dark if they are open when the car is parked
'automatically lock car after being left unlocked for 30 mins/1 hour
'automatically lock car after starting car and driving at 15km/h. if unlocked and door opened,
' lock again after 30 seconds or so after door shutting
' close windows if it starts to rain when car is locked.
'turn on rear fog lights when reversing (thanks matt!! recently when leaving early in the mornings and need the extra light)

does anyone have any suggestions to add to the list? any features you've seen in a car and thought that would be great, or something you've thought yourself that you want? if so just post here or pm me.

the great thing about this thing is that is will be userconfigurable, you can turn options on and off to suit what u want, or i can modify the software to suit your needs, if that means more features added or removed. the times for how long things will be on for will be modifieable via switches or something similar, but only to a certain degree, but i can modify them to anything at all via the software if you want something different.

so now what is everyone thinking of this? please post your comments, what you think of it, if a good idea or not, if you want one, any questions. i havent had time to look at what ive spent so far on this, but at a rough guess each module will cost approx $50 to build, but that is a very rough guess, it could be anywhere between $40 and $100 i would think, ill get more idea on price once i finish the board completely.

almost forgot some of the other plans i have for it, integrating into the TID line that the radio uses, stuff like tacho, spedo, temperaures, electronic fuel gauge, 0-100km/h times, 1/4mile times, i forget the rest, but thats not for a while, steering wheel control adapter for computers for now, it would be possible to make for headunits, but thats later.

thanks, Clint

[auzvectra]

damn, well done clint.
i reacon i would be in for 1.
just a sujestion, i dont think u had it there, lights (which eva u reacon, prob d parkers n fogs) on when unlock.especially good for dark area's like mine, and in garage so u dont have to turn the light on.

[R3N]

wow! good work Clint!

was thinking about how to add a few of these features to the car myself. would be interested in one of these units but worried about how it would affect the car's computer. sounds like you've covered the basic features but will add more when I can think of it.

do you think you could help me out with something? I'll PM you with the problem.

Thanks

[pred8r]

i like the auto headlight on at dusk idea.

if you can tap the datastream for the tach speedo etc signals.....What about something that can turn that info could be displayed on a laptop in realtime?
im thinking a skinnable dash cluster for a carputer would be pretty wow. eg i want lara croft on my speedo and she cant point to the speed im doing you get the idea. or a fancy speedo where the speed you are doing is always up and the speedo itself rotates.

1% of your GP for this idea :D

[stevedee3]

Good stuff Clint!

I'd often pondered how difficult it would be to write new software for some of the Vectra C modules, but it sounds like you've gone the extra mile by doing custom hardware as well.

Watch out, you may find Holden looking for you to design the electronics for the VE++ Commodore! :cool:

[Clint]

damn, well done clint.
i reacon i would be in for 1.
just a sujestion, i dont think u had it there, lights (which eva u reacon, prob d parkers n fogs) on when unlock.especially good for dark area's like mine, and in garage so u dont have to turn the light on.

oops, i just realised i missed putting some of the features on the post, ive just been making notes while programming on instructions on how to use the functions, i just copied and pasted that. stuff like what u said takes no input to work so i didnt put it in the instructions, ill make a feature list when i get the time. at the moment its set to turn on park lights, front and rear fog lights for 1 minute or until the ignition is turned on. that was one of the main reasons i made this, at my girlfriends house there is no lights so when going to and from the car its dark, i dont mind but my girlfriend gets a bit scared at times when she see's a toad or somethin like that. some other things are when deadlocking the car the windows close, to stop them closing unlcok the car, same goes for opening the windows when unlocking the car, locking the car will cancel it. theres more but i cant remember it at the moment

[Clint]

wow! good work Clint!

was thinking about how to add a few of these features to the car myself. would be interested in one of these units but worried about how it would affect the car's computer. sounds like you've covered the basic features but will add more when I can think of it.

do you think you could help me out with something? I'll PM you with the problem.

Thanks

the way ive got it it wont affect the car computer. most the outputs of my module go to the inputs of the car computer, so its no different to pushing a button in the car.. eg. the window buttons in the car, the way the car turns off the buttons so they dont work when the car is off, is turning off the power going to them, but the input to the computer from the buttons is still open, so on my module the output 'window_down' is connected to the input on the cars computer. at the moment nothing is finished but im going to be adding extra things to make it completely safe, even if installed wrong, so you cant damage either my module or the car.

[vectraguy01]

i want one now clint, now i tell ya, hehehe, well i put my hand up for the next test car.

[auzvectra]

and following chris's advice, d astra can be 1 too :D

[bill142]

If you can do all that, what would be the odds of you writing a tech 2 emulator?

[stevedee3]

If you can do all that, what would be the odds of you writing a tech 2 emulator?...complete with CAN support for a Vectra C please :D

Probably the hardest bit would be reverse engineering GM's protocols, especially without having access to a real Tech 2 for sniffing the communications...

[Clint]

sure its possible....

but it would not be very easy!!! as stevedee3 said you would need a real tech 2 to see how it communicates. the things ive looked at dont really use can bus or anything like what the tech 2 uses, just the signal cables. the chips i use do support can bus, and have instructions and everything there to work with can busses. i havent looked into it at all, i saw it, thought thats interesting had a quick look but i think thats can busses as a general thing, you would need to know what communications the car uses and all of that stuff, without it it could be quite difficult.

[caspers turbo]

sounds greeat clint, put me down 4 one when there made

[Turblue]

I will personally kiss you ifyou can figure out how to display the MAP sensor outputs. It does pressure and temperature.

[auzvectra]

that would be sweet, boost and/or intake temp instead of average km's or temp or sumptin like that in the multi info.

[Clint]

another suggestion ive had is to flash the headlights twice when unlocking the car. a demo of that is here:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8788941238329278911&q=the+last+race&pl=true

skip forward to 4:25 and you'll see it

just remembered something a guy at work said i should do, make the hazard lights flash 3 quick flashes, pause 2 quick flashes, pause... not sure about that one tho... lol, might look cool but doubt that is anything legal

[auzvectra]

ok here's a really important 1, send a pulse down the t/c s/w circuit like 5 sec after the motor starts to disable the t/c. it's a pain in the arse :(

[Clint]

hahaha thats gold! but surely is possible... ill remember that and add it in as an option that is turned off by default. hey can anyone suggest a way of turning features on and off? this is until i get a screen hooked up to the unit and some buttons:) but until then i was thinking maybe just make it so for example to turn on or off the feature of auto headlights, turn headlight switch on and off twice with the ignition on, then turn ignition off, turn ignition on again, then turn headlight switch on and off twice, all within 10 seconds or so. or in matts case, i will have his tc feature disabled by default, and to switch on or off the feature you will have ignition on, press tc button twice, ignition off then on, press tc twice, all within 10 seconds or so.

can anyone see a problem with what i suggested? any way it might be accidentally be used, the combination used to turn a feature on or off has to be something that you will never do, and i cant think of any time you will do something twice, turn ignition off, on, do it twice again, within 10 seconds. or to make it even more safe so that u dont accidentally do it make ignition on, [what i previously said], ignition off. that should never be accidentally done.

when i get some time i am going to get this working with the radio line on the TID display or MID or whatever screens are in these cars. that way there could be a menu to turn options on and off. much simpler

[pred8r]

hahaha thats gold! but surely is possible... ill remember that and add it in as an option that is turned off by default. hey can anyone suggest a way of turning features on and off?

dip switches

[Clint]

dip switches

lol thats right.... i have a 16 pin bank of dip switches here, i forgot about that.. in the start i was using a chip with 13 inputs/outputs, and bought a bank of dip switches, so i was running out of input and outputs as it was, definately no room for dip switches. but not i am using a different chip which should have enough ports for that.... thanks for the idea! i completely forgot i had bought some dip switches just 2 weeks ago for that sole purpose

[stevedee3]

Are DIP switches likely to move in an automotive environment (lots of vibration, etc.)?

[auzvectra]

also, another feature.
built in turbo timer, say tap the brakes twice after u switch the ign off to kill the motor, if u dont want it to keep running.
prob for about 30 sec would be enough, oh ****, coded key, i dont think u can?

[Clint]

yea not sure exactly about that one.. otherwise i would already have remote start on my car.. i really want that.. press a button in the morning then when i get to the car the heater is blasting full force and the car is nice and warm :) it can be done, ive seen it on uk forums but i have not had a second to look into it.. there is many many things i have to look into and figure out just have to get some time :( i hate not having enough time!

also the problem with that i guess is it compromises security.. the chip in the key prevents anyone hotwiring the car (or even starting it with just the key withou chip), if u make it so the car can run without a key, therefore without this chip, then its possible to hotwire the car. now you could be discrete with wiring or somethin so that my chip says when to give the signal to disable the immobiliser and enable the immobiliser at all other times but if someone got to my circuit board and knew which wires ti use it would be quite simple to disable the immobiliser then. i am confident this would never happen, but say someone was reading this, knew who had my circuit installed, looked on my website, say the wiring configuration it would simply be a matter of connecting those wires and bingo they have disabled the immobiliser/alarm in anyones car which has my device, potentially any opel car if it were just a potential of knowing the right wires..


probably very uinlikely but u can see what i mean about it decreasing security

[Clint]

Are DIP switches likely to move in an automotive environment (lots of vibration, etc.)?

nope, i am confident to say not a chance, they are a very smal switch, and require a bit of force to move them, much much more than vibration or anything could do

[MatsHolden]

Just another thing with remote start, it would only be able to be used on automatics, with a manual you would have to always leave it in neutral otherwise you may send your car firing into the car parked in front of it. lol.

[Clint]

there are steps that be taken to make it work on a manual, i would work something out

[MatsHolden]

Ahhh, nice, there's always a way.

[Clint]

ofcourse there is always a way! :)

[mr_sikma]

can u please get a diagram for a 1.4ltr barina?

thanks

[Clint]

what sort of diagram are u after? i have many many wiring diagrams for the barina c, basically every single wire in the whole car is covered

[Clint]

after changing to a new chip with has a lot of extra inputs and outputs i had to change the code and im just finishing that now...

ok now can anyoen think of any inputs or outputs they think will be good to have, just so i can get an idea on how many inputs / outputs i need to allocate for.

heres what ive got so far:

inputs:
ICSP programming clock
ICSP programming date
unlock
lock
deadlock
drivers window up
drivers window down
ignition on
high beam flash
light depedant resistor
brake pedal
spedometer
door switches
reverse switch


outputs:
window up
window down
park lights
front fog lights
rear fog lights
low beam
high beam (still wondering if this one will be used)
door lock
dead lock
unlock
traction control switch
ignition wire (for turbo timer)
auxillery light controller (neons, led's ect.)


i might have missed some, not sure cause i havent written everything down yet. there are about 5-10 inputs/outputs left that i can use so if anyone has any ideas on this or additions to the features list just post them here.

thanks!!
Clint

[pred8r]

can you tap the tach as an input?
from there you could trigger a shiftlight

but then if you flat shift at the revlimiter, who needs a blinky light :eek:

[Clint]

sure can, that wouldn't be too hard, i looked into the wires for tacho, and speed today. anyone know what revs the shift light should come on for which cars?

[mr_sikma]

no one has hooked one up in a 1.4 barina yet

so i wana know what colours on the unit go to what on my car!

[pred8r]

sure can, that wouldn't be too hard, i looked into the wires for tacho, and speed today. anyone know what revs the shift light should come on for which cars?

between 5700 and 6000 for the 1.8 barina (id assume astra too)

[Clint]

no one has hooked one up in a 1.4 barina yet

so i wana know what colours on the unit go to what on my car!

your talking about this module im in the process of making now? or the total closure units?

this one im in the process of, i should have a working model today!! very excited... I have all the software done for the things i have listed so far, to add things should come easily, most the hardware is done, should take me another half hour to get that done then ill be moving outside to the car!

yesterday while at work i looked thru all the tis and found the wires and colours, and how they work, so installation should be easy. thats in my vectra.. well actually it was in an astra h, but from everything ive seen so far the vectra b and astras are the same.

after i get it working in my vectra successfully i will make a few more boards, they will most likely go to vectra and astra owners, i have friends in qld who have a vectra and a astra turbo who want one so id say they will be the next to get one. once i confirm that they worked without a trouble then i can give them to other people with astras and vectras in other states.

i also have the barina wiring diagrams in tis 2000 so i can work out how the wires are there, its just a matter of installing it in one here in qld.

the installation will be considerable harder for this then the total closure unit. thats my only concern when i install mine im going to aim for installing it behing the fuses. in the vectra, u press on a bit of plastic and the fuse board hinges down and u can get behind it, there is quite a bit of room back there, also can take the 2 screws out and the hinges and fuse part comes off the dash.

from there u can access all the fuse wires, and i believe also the wires going to the instrument panel (spedo tacho), all the wires going to the light switches, brake pedal switches, drivers door switch. hopefully the MID wires go to there too.. i can hope. the last thing is i have to find where the hell the window wires go to !!! i had a little look a while back and cannot find it at all!! just thought now ill have a look in tis200 for it when i finish this. in the vectra the 4 switches are between the front seats, from there they run straight down into a hole in the carpet and who knows where they go from there!, ive looked behind the glove box and fuses, both footwells but havent looked hard enough obviously. the astra will not be a problem there, the switches are all on the drivers door? if so u will also find those wires behind the fuse panel.

can anyone confirm the following is the same for the the astra?

i pull the cover cover off the fuse panel. at the top, closest to steering wheel there is the hinged side, with 2 screws into it. at the bottom there is a little platics bit which when i push towards the fuse panel i can then pull that side down as it hinges on the top side. then there is a bit of room back there? there should be enough to fit say this is real rough guess measurements, 140 x 90 x 50. thats only a rough guess, it probably wont be that big.

[Clint]

seems there is no control unit or anything that the switches go to before they go to the windows. the switch goes straight there, so in my vectra when it goes under the carpet it probably runs straight to th doors, not anywhere near the dash :( oh well. its quite easy to run wires from the fuse panel to the centre console between the seats anyways. only takes a min

[woody]

Wow clint you rock...

So along with this development have you developed an easy to use gui interface fo us all to play with when we want to buggerise around with our cars?

[Clint]

i have thought about using the radio line on the MID for that....

[woody]

Ahh.. you're an ideas man clint.. top work!

[CAL.16V]

so whats the go with these?? do you have thses or just the basic ones with auto windows up for the cally?? wouldnt mind to have the feature that pops the window back down a little or even opens out of the car ect??

[Clint]

i have one siting on my desk, its on a breadboard not a soldered PCB. i havent had a chance to touch it for the past 2 months or so, work and tafe has been very busy, but it is on my list of things to do.

[auzvectra]

we're waiting patiently clint :D.

[Clint]

its on the list , ill get to it soon i hope :) i would like to get my car out back together !

[Nem]

Hey Clint,
I thought I'd give your thread a bump as I've been reading a thread thats started on A-S (http://www.m1gst.com/vb/showpost.php?p=738534&postcount=1). Hope it offers some other input and ideas for your project. Perhaps you can even contact the guy and share ideas.

Cheers
Ben

[Alfonzo]

I've only just had the opportunity to read through the other pages here, and I must say - that's some awesome work you're doing. Keep it up!! :)

Forgive me for asking, but I can't remember if you've mentioned this or not - how are you attaching this device to the car/s?

[Clint]

thanks for the bump! my current total closure unit, i can change the delay to anything i like, and the new control module i am working on has much more advanced things, also has basic features like those on that thread

[windy]

G'day Clint,

Sounds like you've been a busy bee of late :)

Just a suggestion for you, dunno if it's a big deal to anyone or not, but when I deadlock the car, I'd like the indicators to stay on constant for a little longer, like the Commodore.

Cheers
Windy

[Clint]

the control module connects mainly to 2 main places, the electric window buttons (in the cars with these buttons on the drivers door you can probably connect it to those wires behind the fuse box or kick panel. the second place is behind the fuse box, from there is all the ignition, lights, instrument panel and other wires i need. connection is simply via splice connectors, just sit the splice connector over the wire, place the second wire to be spliced in over the connecter, and push the conenctor closed. done!

as for the indicators, i will look into it for you, im going to say it could go either way to whether it is possible or not (well i say it is possible, but may be slightly difficult)

[Bill_G]

There is the following safety issue with Vectras which is a major concern IMO, especially for women living in suburbs with high crime statistics. When unlocking Vectras, all four doors unlock simultaneously, which can be a bit dangerous if returning to a car that has been parked in, say, a dark underground car park, as it is all too easy for somebody who is hiding behind the car to jump in an unlocked door and attack or abduct the driver. In fact, this has happened at least twice in the last year (that I'm aware of) at nearby shopping centres, with the female drivers' robbery and rape being the result on both occasions. :(

I note with interest that the later Fords will open the driver's door only with the first press of the controller, with the other three doors opening on the second press. Obviously, this is much safer, and I'm wondering if there is any reason that the Vectra's central locking controller can't be configured to do the same thing? In fact, I would go so far as to suggest that doing so should be a priority, and as you only live just down the road, if you need another Vectra to try it on, you're more than welcome to one of mine. :)

[Clint]

that is very true, i do that is an essential feature, i will see what i can do. that should be a standard feature by law i believe.

[Bill_G]

that is very true, i do that is an essential feature, i will see what i can do. that should be a standard feature by law i believe.It may well be by now, and if not, it certainly should be. The other problem is that most women, after unlocking their cars and driving off, simply do not bother to relock their doors, which makes it very easy for dodgy bastards to open their passenger doors at traffic lights and grab their handbags. I'm forever telling my wife to lock her driver's door when she leaves for work every morning (on Vectras, the driver's door lock also controls the other doors and the tailgate), and she has finally made it a habit to do so.

An alternative might be to program the controller so that once all doors have been closed, all door locks will engage after a predetermined period, say 10 seconds or so. However, there might be a safety issue involved here, so it may not be a bad idea to look into the legalities of this one first.

[Clint]

i have thought about this it is on the list of things to add. i was planning on making it so that a certain time after all doors shut and the engine started it would look, and unluck once the engine is stopped, or the driver does something like taps the brake pedal quickly 3 or 4 times, or something similar. i think it is legal, as there are car alarms which do this, and in the event of an accident there is no difference between my module locking the doors when the car starting or he driver locking the doors themself when starting, either way the doors are locked. and i believe these cars unlock themselves in the event of an accident? im not 100% sure on that but i think so. i do know when the battery fails they car unlocks, we had this trouble a few years back, the battery dies on the car in beenleigh at the bowling alley and everytime we locked the car it unlocked itself! thats something do to with the battery failing in an accident, im not real sure why.

[Bill_G]

Whilst it would clearly be nice to have all of those functions available, you then run the risk of overcomplicating things so much that people have to stick a note on the dash so they can remember them all. :) The fellow at totalclosure in the UK has up to 3 different functions on his current offerings, and he's charging something like 30 pounds each function! I'm not suggesting that you charge the same, but it might be a wise move to keep the number of available functions to a necessary few.

I'd like to see something relatively cheap and simple, which aside from total closure, will allow the user to open the driver's door only, and maybe lock the doors within a specific time of their being closed, occupied or not. The more safety oriented it is, the more consumer appeal it will have, IMO. And who knows, Clint, we may even see you on the ABC's New Inventors one day... ;)

[MatsHolden]

Yeh the Commodores have had the feature of only the drivers door opening with the first press of the button for a number of years now, very good feature as you say. My Barina also has that too. Also the Commodores doors automotically unlock and all interior lights illuminate in the event of a crash. Also on the Commodores (at least from VY onwards) you can set the doors to lock when placed in drive and to open when placed in park.

What you have to be careful of I think with an aftermarket feature that automotically locks the doors after a certain amount of time is that in the event of a crash the occupants are locked inside the vehicle, unless of course the cars aftermarket system has the feature stated earlier in my post that unlocks the doors after a crash.

[stevedee3]

Unlike Vectra Bs, Vectra Cs already have two stage unlocking.

[auzvectra]

as the ah astra has the unlockable feature, after a certain speed, say 15kmh, the doors could lock, and i think the door unlocks if u pull the inside door handle, cant remember, but i think they did, or that might have been a totally different car :).

[Clint]

What you have to be careful of I think with an aftermarket feature that automotically locks the doors after a certain amount of time is that in the event of a crash the occupants are locked inside the vehicle, unless of course the cars aftermarket system has the feature stated earlier in my post that unlocks the doors after a crash.

yes that is true, but what is the difference between my unit locking the doors when starting to drive or the driver locking the doors when starting to drive? either way they are still locked. its good to hear other peoples opinions, i think it is ok, but it also might not be ok to make that feature.

and yes bill i dont want to make things too complicated or send people broke just paying for it. i plan to make it customisable to what the customer needs, say have a list of what it can do and they select the features they want, with a certain number of features probably standard, eg total closure, park and fog lights turn on when unlocking the car at night, flash high beam after turning ignition off and before leaving car and the park/fog lights will stay on for 60 seconds, or any length of time, there is many many more features, but some will be ones that not all people want. eg auzvectras suggestion, turn traction control off after starting engine lol :)

[auzvectra]

but tc off is important isnt it :D

[stevedee3]

yes that is true, but what is the difference between my unit locking the doors when starting to drive or the driver locking the doors when starting to drive? either way they are still locked.So long as your unit uses the same method to lock the doors as the original car electronics there shouldn't be a problem. i.e. As long as your unit doesn't disable the safety feature it should be OK.

[caspers turbo]

Clint, a while ago you mentioned the ability to start the car from the remote, ie to warm up the car whilst finishing the morning coffee inside, are you still planning on putting that in?

[auzvectra]

that 1 still needed to be tested, i should tst it 1 day for ya clint :).
just too lazy, with not enough time :).

[Nem]

Clint, a while ago you mentioned the ability to start the car from the remote, ie to warm up the car whilst finishing the morning coffee inside, are you still planning on putting that in?
From a legal POV this option (remote start) is only allowed to be installed in automatic vehicles.

[auzvectra]

or with a neutral switch installed.

[Clint]

sorry for the delay in replying, i have been at tafe and will be for another week so i dont get onto the internet very often, but i will try to answer any questions as often as i can.

regarding the auto lock:
it is wires to the central locking system in a similar way to the drivers door lock, when u push the drivers door lock down it send a signal to the central locking unit to lock all other doors, mine will be wired in a similar way so from the point of view of the central locking unit, it cant tell any difference between my module sending a signal or the drivers foor sending a signal. i do not believe this will compromise safety or security in any way. if anyone else thinks any different please do say so! i like to hear everyones comments.

regarding the auto start:
i have decided for the moment i will not include auto start via remote, but will include something similar. the reason being, there is a chip inside the key, when turning on the ignition the ecu sends a wireless signal to that chip,the chip recieves and generates a complicated code, sends this back to the ecu and te ecu checks thia against its algorithms and if it fits the ignition is turned on, anything else and the fuel turned off, and the engine light blinks. for remote start to work that security system must be deactivated, or the chip left somewhere near the ignition barrel within range of the transmitter/reciever. this WILL void insurance. as is these cars cannot be hotwired, but with that security disabled they can then be hotwired. basically if my module can start the car without a key, any thief could too. i have thought about this and have not found a safe solution, even if there was something, if they got to where my module is located they could possibly use that to hotwire the car if they knew the wiring.

but what i will be doing, whether or not it is included with the module, i will make it for myself definately efore next winter! i will make it so that you start the engine, do something take the key out and the engine keeps running. after the engine is started you do not need to have that chip present, in fact you can trn off the ignition, take the key out and for the next 12 seconds the ecu does not check for the chip when turning on the ignition.

once the key is out my module will hold the ignition circuit on but turn off the accessory circuit with the key being taken out. this means that all things like radio will be turned off, and the normal central locking circuits will be turned on. you will notice when you have the key in the ignition with it turned on if you press the buttons you cannot lock or unlock the car.( if you press lock within a certain time of turning on the ignition the car will lock then unlock a second later, that is to verify that you have just reprogramed the key to the car.), but if the ignition is turned on,,the acccessory off, everything still works as if the key is out, you can then lock the car like normal via the door or remote.

as a safety feature it will stop the engine if a number of events happen, handbrake taken off, clutch touched, automatics taken out of park, i believe that covers all circumstances.


regarding the legalities of remote start:
there is a procedure to use remote start to stop the dangers. remote start will only work if you put the car in neutral, foot off the clutch, handbrake on, press a button on the alarm system to tell it you are going to use remote start, then take the key out, the engine will stay running, close all doors, lock the car at that point the engine stops. reason being if the engine is left running until everyone is out of the car and the car is locked, it must then be safe to remote start.

to start the car must be locked, if you unlock the car before trying to remote start it will not work. then the usual stuff, touch the handbrake or clutch and the engine will stop.

they are designed to be fairly safe regarding those points, but regarding security, if a module can start the engine without a key, so can a thief. i am sure there are remote starts that will be safe, but i dont want to know how much they will cost.

[auzvectra]

but all t a thief has to do, is plug in their own ecu with their chip from the key, n it will start while trying to hotwire it!!!
i beleive this is correct.

[Clint]

yes that is true i guess, but what thief is going to go to that trouble lol

[auzvectra]

well our cars r worth it :D.

[Clint]

hmmmmm not sure if i would go to all that trouble for stealing one of these cars! they're good but ahh if i was going to go to that much effort i would steal something worth a bit more money! but i dont think there is much worry about these cars being stolen, i cant say ive heard of one being stolen, has anyone on here known of one being stolen? ive just heard of break ins but not the actual car being stolen.

[bill142]

Never hurts to have a second one laying around when you need some parts.

[Clint]

that is true.

i have had an interest from some people about total open. this is included in the module i have designed, but i cannot confirm any dates regarding release. even after i finish it, (im so close!!! but just havent had the time in the past few months to turn the finished project on breadboard to a working model on a soldered pcb suitable for the car) it will be at least a month or so before i make it available publically, it will need extensive testing before i feel it is worthy for others to use. i have a select few who will also recieve one after i havedone my initial testing so i can get greater results and tests on reliability. this will be months away, *possibly* i really hope not but possibly early next year.

what i can do is make a much simplier version if people are interested, the only feature being total open. if i have enough interest in this i am happy to do this.

installtion will be slightly harder, but nothing extreme, if you can install a total closure unit, you will be able to do this, it will take a little more time but installtion will be similar in diffficulty, same deal, just a matter of removing the panels and connecting wires, there will be a few extra wires to connect with this unit.

at a very rough approximation the price will be around $20, plus or minus, just a guestimation at this stage.

postage will be $4 anywhere in australia.

umm cant think of any other details at this moment, these details very well may change as i have just done this in 5 mins on my lunch break at tafe and am rushing to get back to class!

ahh one other thing i was thinking of, if people want to buy this now and buy the complete module at a later date with all the features i will offer a discount of about half to 75% the cost of buying this total open.

people may say this is stupid, windows opening when you unlock the car! what if its raining!? i have designed it so that you unlock the car, single lock it, and unlock a second time within a set time period, ive got it set at 10 seconds at the moment. that way if you dont want the windows to open just unlock as usual, if you want them to open, lock and unlock a second time. that is the best method i can think of as i am limited by only a lock and unlock button on the remote, and i havent had time to pull the remote reciever in the car apart yet and see if i can use things like just press unlock twice instead of unlock-lock-unlock. but thats for another day when i work on the full module with all features.

if people could please give an expression of interest and if there are enough people interested i will be able to do it.

[btm]

Clint, as discussed earlier, I am super keen!!

Please put my name on the list :)

[woody]

Hey clint.. you know i'm in for it mate... cheers

Woody

[caspers turbo]

please put me on the list Clint, could u out line some of the features the other module might have pls

[btm]

please put me on the list Clint, could u out line some of the features the other module might have pls
see page 1 :)

[Clint]

on page 1 is some of the features the module will have that i am in the process of designing and testing, but people have asked if i can do something in the meantime. so i have done some thinking and from what testing i have already done on the other module i can take a small part of that and produce a control module for the windows.

this window control module will also be included in the final module i am designing, but for the mean time for the impatient people :p :) (only teasing) i will release a smaller version and cheaper too!

i was thinking about this on the way to tafe this morning, and i will have details about it at lunch time, for now i have to get back to class!

just briefly:

Total Closure when locking the car,
Open windows when you press unlock, lock, then unlock a second time,
and if you press the drivers window down button less than 1 minute before locking the car all the windows will close, then open a small bit to help keep the car cool on a hot day.

[Clint]

ok so heres what im thinking...

you people have already bought a total closure unit, a lot of you have expressed very positive interest in the future module i am currently designing and testing, and the same people have expressed interest in the window control module i mentioned yesterday and today. all of these basically replace the last unit in the line, this one now will do what the total closure unit does, and the future module will do what this one does therefore if you have any previous units of mine you will remove them to install the new one. i have been trying to work something out about this because it seems a bit much to buy each new thing when it comes out and replaces the last. i am going to make an offer to you people on opelaus as you have been the ones inspiring and helping me along the way! i will refund half the amount of the first unit you bought when you buy the new one if you return the old one to me. therefore if people buy the new one now i will give $7.50 (or half of what you paid, most people paid around $12) discount on this new window control module if you return your old total closure unit to me. and when i release the next control module i will offer a discount on that of half the price you paid for this module now if you return it, but you may want to keep it (ill explain this later)

now the details of the new Window Control Module:
Total closure when locking the car. if anyone has any problems with the following please comment, please comment anyways what your opinion is negative or positive, constructive or anything else! I i will be changing the total close from closing with deadlock to closing with normal lock, just one press of the button. the reason for this is i can do all the features said here on a programmable chip inserted in a circuit i have designed. this chip has only 5 inputs/outputs so i have decided to remove the deadlock from the circuit, to have it trigger from deadlock instead of normal locks would mean i have to use another chip which is triple the price, plus requires more circuitry increasing production cost again. the idea is this little unit was to offer total open at the smallest price possible. please let me know your comments on this.

next is the whole reason for this module, Total open. press unlock, lock, then unlock a second time and windows will open. pretty simple really.

finally is a variation of total close. when leaving the car press the drivers window down button, just a small press, dont need to hold it so that the window opens or if its already down it doesnt matter it still works. then lock the car and the windows will fully close, then open a small crack to let out the heat on a hot day.

i have some thoughts and questions for you all, the more responses from people the better idea i can get from people.

1. i can increase the production cost slightly (roughly $2 or $3) and then the unit will work in any modern car, not just limited to opels, i am thinking of doing this, but if people want i can make two models, opels and not opels.

2. about the last feature: do people prefer to press the window down button a bit to open the windows a slight bit, or would you prefer to press lock, unlock, then lock again to close then open a slight bit. if i make it the later option, i am thinking about doing this, i can either have windows close on deadlock or i can include a feature to close sun roofs aswell, or another feature of some sort, maybe lights on when unlock. its up in the air at the moment what the last feature will be.

3. what do people think is a safe distance for the window to open when locking the car to let heat out, 1cm, 2cm? it needs to be small enough that no one can get in or get hands or anything in, but needs to be able to let heat out.

that is all for now, thanks again people, ill be back tomorrow to check the results.

Clint

[btm]

total closure - I would prefer the 'double/dead lock' feature to close

total open - what you suggested is fine

safe distance - remember the glass probabaly goes up into the window by about 1cm so you may have to make the total distance moved about 3 - 4cm

thanks mate :)

[caspers turbo]

Clint, total closure sounds fine the way you said it ie, just press lock once, but what would happen if i pressed deadlock straight after lock, which is the way i always do it since i got my first total closure device:D ,

With total open
(press unlock, lock, then unlock a second time and windows will open) does this mean that the car doors are also unlocked, as i was hoping to be able to have the windows all the way down but the doors still locked, great for summer when you are about to drive the car, also i would love to have some way of having the main driving lights stay on for about a minute on unlock & lock, to make it easier to see where i am going at night, is this possible:confused: ?

Oh and what BTM said
safe distance - remember the glass probabaly goes up into the window by about 1cm so you may have to make the total distance moved about 3 - 4cm, might be a trial an error thing, but i think no more than a 2cm gap would be safest, cheers Clint

[Clint]

With total open does this mean that the car doors are also unlocked, as i was hoping to be able to have the windows all the way down but the doors still locked, great for summer when you are about to drive the car, also i would love to have some way of having the main driving lights stay on for about a minute on unlock & lock, to make it easier to see where i am going at night, is this possible:confused: ?

is there much difference between having the car unlocked or locked if the windows are all the way down? either way someone can still reach int he car, even climb in if they want, just means they cant open a door if its locked. i would trust leaving my windows completely down with the car locked, people could still take things from inside if they wanted to.

but if you like i can make an additional press of lock afterwards to lock the car again with the windows all the way down, its no hassles. so that would be unlock-lock-unlock for windows down and unlock-lock-unlock-lock for windows down car locked, you can also deadlock it after that so that people cant unlock it.
i cant see why i couldnt make it put the windows down on the second lock, so unlock-lock windows go down, unlock-lock-unlock would still have the same effect.
reason i say the last thing is, you cant use something to put thw windows does that you might use in everyday use of the car, but i dont think you would unlock then lock the car immediatly ever so it shouldnt be a problem. i think that is what i will do, that will solve your question caspers turbo without interfering with anything else.

regarding the total close on normal lock, pressing deadlock afterwards, eg 2 clicks on lock will not affect total close, windows still start closing on first lock and the car will be deadlocked as per normal on the second lock.

and finally the distance for the slight open, i was thinking about 2cm aswell, but i will probably make this distance adjustable, so you can change it to suit what you want. it will most probably be about a nothing to half cm gap which then can be extended to suit your likings via dial, i think that will be the best solution.

i was thinking myself about adding the lights on when unlock feature, its something i really want! so i think that is a high possibility. only reason i was slightly holding back from adding it was this unit was for window features, but i can add lights to that.

i can have 5 inputs and outputs with the circuit i have designed, thats the most i can squeeze in before cost dramatically increase.

so i have:
1. unlock input
2. lock input
3. windows close output
4. window open output
5. --still deciding--
possibilites are
1. deadlock input to close windows when deadlocking - i do not believe i will use this option
2. sunroof close output - only will be used by a selected few people that have sunroofs - i can do this option for people that have sunroofs instead of the lights on.
3. turn on park, front and rear fog lights for 1 minute when unlockign the car. my only concern with this is i have no other inputs left, on the other module i am working on i have made it so that when the ignition turns on the lights turn off. on this unit there is no ignition input so the lights will stay on for 1 minute even if you start the car and drive off. just a thought now i can turn the lights off if the car is locked, which some people do before driving.

- this is something people need to comment on, do you have any concerns with the park, front and rear fog lights turning on for 1 minute when unlocking the car, staying on while driving until 1 minute after unlocking??

i will add a switch allowing you to turn off this feature if you wish, also a switch to turn on or off the same feature when locking the car, it can be handy to have lights for 1 minute when leaving the car at night too. ill have a think about it, i think it should be ok having the lights turn on and stay on for 1 min.

everyones input is appreciated! the more the better!

[woody]

reason i say the last thing is, you cant use something to put thw windows does that you might use in everyday use of the car, but i dont think you would unlock then lock the car immediatly ever so it shouldnt be a problem.
Hey clint, let me give you a situation i'm in alot.. I park my car and lock it, then deadlock.. always do. i walk ten feet then think "did i lock my car"? so i turn around and hit the lock button.. nothing happens, now i'm paranoid that the battery has gone in my key so i walk towards the car and hit unlock, the car unlocks, so i hit lock and deadlock and walk away safe in the knowledge my car is locked.

Now you might all laugh at that scenario but i do it almost daily!! i'm getting old and my memory aint what it was.

As long as nowhere in that little scenario my windows start going up and down i'll be totally happy with your product.

[Clint]

i am exactly the same woody!! but since getting total closure i have been better lol, if i was driving with the windows open, which is rare if they arent open, then after locking the car and walking off, i turn round and see the windows are shut i know its locked. i dont know how i can forget if i locked my car or not between leaving the car and being a few meters away but i do somehow!

thanks for that! i will have to reconsider, i didnt think of that.

maybe i need to add an audible sound to locking, a quick beep when you lock, and a second when you deadlock :) might help us with bad memories.

[woody]

Yeah but you're in QLD - it's warm up there ALL THE TIME

i like the beep thing.. that would work.. or maybe we could use a recording that says:

"Hey Jerkoff.. you didn't lock your car! IDIDOT!"

if you close the door but don't lock it within 5 seconds???

just a thought...

[Clint]

the cold doesnt stop me driving with windows down! i always drive in winter with windows down and the heater on, only time i have windows up is if im trying to listen to the 2way radio or on the phone.

well for this release of the module i wont be able to add the audible sound, but i will have a quick play around on the weekend, i might be able to make a circuit for about the same cost as peanuts! only problem is that would really annoy me as i never lock my car at home so i would have the horn going off all the time haha. i guess i could start locking my car.. that could work too.

[auzvectra]

how bout parkers n front fogs, i always turn my lights on ne time of the day neway when i'm driving. shame u cant get that 1 more input/output.
why dont u remove the windows up output, add the t/c circuit into it, like the 1 we all got now, then u can add like ign and the lights ect, just adds an extra input/output. most of us already have the t/c circuit in our cars neway, so even if u just sell it seperate to it, or in a package, whateva u reacon, i also still have 2 or 3 t/c circuits sittn here too :) might be able to palm em off, but havent tried.

[Clint]

that is true, i don't actually have to include the total close, it could use the original total closure. thanks for that suggestion.

[auzvectra]

a cheap way to add an extra :)

[Clint]

Hey everyone,

ive got some news, but its not the kind people want to hear.

didnt have much success with a cheaper version to just do the windows and stuff listed above, bought the chips while i was at tafe, got home and found my software couldnt program them, searched the net for a long time and found no other software can program them either... only way to program those chips is hex or assembly, but thats like learning to walk again so i dont have the time to learn that at this stage.

i have officially decided work on the control module will stop for some time. i havent had any time to work on it in the past 6 months and dont see any spare time coming up soon either.. instead of hoping to get time for it every now and again i will concentrate on other things for a while and come back to it later on, most likely sometime next year. dont think it wont happen as i promise it will! as it stands now ive already spent months and months of hard work and late nights getting it to this stage, a working model, but simply havent had time to get it all soldered up on a pcb ready for testing in the car.

for a date when i will finish it, i cant even guess,between work, and other commitments i dont have a great deal of spare time, doing an apprenticeship also means very little money. the sooner i move out of home, ill have much more spare time and can get back to this sooner!

i will still be open for business, total closure units, LED lights, glo wire, LED underbody kits, etc, i will still be selling all of this, and some new products to come.

[Nem]

the sooner i move out of home, ill have much more spare time and can get back to this sooner!
More time but less money. ;) Such a pity that you're going to stop with development of this but I guess life has got to have its priorities.

Cheers
Ben

[btm]

*cries*

nah, kidding... i'm happy with my total closure for the moment - thanks clint

[auzvectra]

hey clint, u left out the girlfreind :).
we understand, it's the same reason i've done nothing on my car for months. i havent even finished the intercooler pipeing.

[Clint]

haha nah matt i dont want to blame it on her! another reason if i get my own place i will have more time, no travel time back and forwards between my place and hers.

as i said its not finished/cancelled gone, but jus delayed for a little while. ive still got the working model here, just need to make that into a working prototype for the car. and dont think i wont do that, cause there is a lot of features in it that i really want for my car, mostly for auto lights at night so i can see when going to the car or leaving, and few things like that, i will add some features for my car pc into it, and most importantly, turbo timer, not that i have a turbo but i just want to be able to run my engine without a key with the doors locked, and because of that feature it will definately will be finished before next winter! i want a nice warm car when i have to get up for work, even if i have to run out start it and run back inside, its better than starting it and leaving it unlocked with the keys in the ignition like i do sometimes, i hate doing it at my girlfriends house as she her house is right on the road unlike minbe with is 300m off the road so it doesnt matter.

[auzvectra]

where waitin patiently, n eagerly clint :).
if u need ne help just ask, not that i would be much help to ya :P.

[RudeOne]

haha nah matt i dont want to blame it on her! another reason if i get my own place i will have more time, no travel time back and forwards between my place and hers.


You will find other things to do in that spare time :p:p:p:p:p:p:p

[Clint]

hahaha yea that has been said too... hmm if we had our house wonder what we would do ALL day long hahahha.

[auzvectra]

clints gonna get in trouble if flick reads this :)

[Clint]

hehe :) all good! her internet is next to useless, very slow dialup on a very slow computer so she only uses the internet if she must. she never goes on acceleraton due to that and she isnt registered on this forum.. so i think im safe :p hehe

[auzvectra]

she doesnt have to be registered to read the forum, i might send the link to her, oh i dont have her email :P

[Clint]

why did i have to post this in the general section haha

too bad you dont have her email isnt it? but i reckon u could find it if u tried, i know of at least one place it is on the net

[btm]

so i think im safe :p hehe
famous last words.... :D

[Clint]

lough out loud!!! hahaha

[auzvectra]

yeah i could, but who can be bothered :)

[ZC_74]

Clint

I'm keen as.

When I got out of my last car and into the Vectra, I really did miss a couple of things from that car. One was the lights coming on when it started to get dark and the fact that as soon as you opened a door it would cut the lights. Once you locked it, the lights would then come for a brief time.

Reading the possibilities you have already mentioned I think you have it nailed.

Good work