great post!
I wonder if it would work with the ipad/iphone?
I wonder if it would work with the ipad/iphone?
Bluetooth Serial Adapter for Zilla/Elithion - Android
How to access Elithion or Zilla via an Android tablet (instead of having to connect a PC via USB/serial cable):
I bought 2 serial-bluetooth adapters from here:
http://www.rovingnetworks.com/products/Bluetooth_Adapters
About $59 each. These ones allow the baud rate etc... to be set via the serial port, via bluetooth, or to be defaulted to 9600 via external dip switches.
The software also allows the bluetooth device name to be customized, and the PIN to be changed (important - don't want drive-by changes to my controller!).
I then installed a spp bluetooth serial terminal app for android - there are a bunch of them that are free... I use "Blueterm", "Bluetooth SPP" and "Sena BTerm". It is nice to find one with a usable "esc" key...
Zilla setup with 9600 baud - Elithion setup with 19200 baud - both work great. Now I can see what's happening from my Android phone.
The reason I did this was I got stuck once. The BMS will give an error for an over-charge condition (ie charger fails to stop) or for an over-discharge condition. I trigger on the error signal to create a ground for a relay - ie if there is an error, you cannot charge (this is not good for an over-discharge condition). I suppose I could wire in a switch to the relay to force the ground (and allow charging) - with the Android/bluetooth serial option I can now remove the error and start charging... Way better than those Palm solutions for Zilla too....
I would love to see Android apps that make better use of the Zilla/Elithion data stream via bluetooth - a removable dash android tablet would be great in my car!
I bought 2 serial-bluetooth adapters from here:
http://www.rovingnetworks.com/products/Bluetooth_Adapters
About $59 each. These ones allow the baud rate etc... to be set via the serial port, via bluetooth, or to be defaulted to 9600 via external dip switches.
The software also allows the bluetooth device name to be customized, and the PIN to be changed (important - don't want drive-by changes to my controller!).
I then installed a spp bluetooth serial terminal app for android - there are a bunch of them that are free... I use "Blueterm", "Bluetooth SPP" and "Sena BTerm". It is nice to find one with a usable "esc" key...
Zilla setup with 9600 baud - Elithion setup with 19200 baud - both work great. Now I can see what's happening from my Android phone.
The reason I did this was I got stuck once. The BMS will give an error for an over-charge condition (ie charger fails to stop) or for an over-discharge condition. I trigger on the error signal to create a ground for a relay - ie if there is an error, you cannot charge (this is not good for an over-discharge condition). I suppose I could wire in a switch to the relay to force the ground (and allow charging) - with the Android/bluetooth serial option I can now remove the error and start charging... Way better than those Palm solutions for Zilla too....
I would love to see Android apps that make better use of the Zilla/Elithion data stream via bluetooth - a removable dash android tablet would be great in my car!
1 - 20 of 39 Posts
So you just need monitoring? (I highly doubt you'd need to set things up while driving)
For the Elithion (only if it's PRO) Why not just use Torque for Android + Bluetooth OBDII dongle:
http://lithiumate.elithion.com/php/torque.php
Not sure of anything for Zilla though, it's not CAN.
For the Elithion (only if it's PRO) Why not just use Torque for Android + Bluetooth OBDII dongle:
http://lithiumate.elithion.com/php/torque.php
Not sure of anything for Zilla though, it's not CAN.
I've got the Lithiumate Lite.
I can connect to the Zilla with my ipad and configure it and view some parameters. (No graphic gauges though) The ipad app just acts like a PC hyperterminal.
I THINK I can do the same thing with the Lithiumate Lite.
It's no biggie if I can or cannot, just kinda curious. It would help keep an eye on things.
I can connect to the Zilla with my ipad and configure it and view some parameters. (No graphic gauges though) The ipad app just acts like a PC hyperterminal.
I THINK I can do the same thing with the Lithiumate Lite.
It's no biggie if I can or cannot, just kinda curious. It would help keep an eye on things.
Lithiumate lite is USB only.... so your iPad would need to support USB Host, which it likely does not.
The iPhone software stack was intentionally limited to work only with Bluetooth audio devices. It's part of Apple's closed design strategy\.great post!
I wonder if it would work with the ipad/iphone?
It's possible to jailbreak the iPhone and add additional Bluetooth profile support, but that leads to a whole set of additional problems, including the lack of applications.
Andriod was designed with an open ecosystem, and has long supported the Bluetooth serial profile.
I thought I had seen that you can connect a computer (via USB) to the Lithiumate Lite and get a text data stream to it. It is only text (no-graphical). The Zilla has the same capabilities.Lithiumate lite is USB only.... so your iPad would need to support USB Host, which it likely does not.
I have used the ipad with the Zilla using the 'Get Console" app and a special iphone to USB cable. The app mimicks a PC's hyperterminal. I have used it succesfully with the Zilla. I am guessing that I can likely use it with the Lithiumate Lite too.
I'm out of the country now, but when I get back, I'll be able to report if it can do this.
You can connect a computer via USB to the lithiumate lite.... because your computer supports the ability to install a USB driver and act as a USB host. iPad and android devices do not neccessarily do so, and if it's Apple, it's very very unlikely that you'd ever get it to act as USB host to anything other than a flash drive.
Get Console is serial and not usb. Zilla is serial. The issue is, Lithiumate Lite is USB.
I've seen people use Lithiumate Pro with get console, but that was via serial, which the lite does not have.
Get Console is serial and not usb. Zilla is serial. The issue is, Lithiumate Lite is USB.
I've seen people use Lithiumate Pro with get console, but that was via serial, which the lite does not have.
Did anyone succeed to connect an Android tablet to a Lithiumate Lite ?
As long as you're running 4.0 or above and the device itself supports USB host, then it shouldn't be a problem supporting the FTDI chipset that Elithion uses.
I've had success connecting other devices that use the FTDI chipset (Prologix GPIB converter) with my Samsung Galaxy 2 7inch Tablet. Just got myself a terminal emulator and a USB adapter for it and off it went.
I've had success connecting other devices that use the FTDI chipset (Prologix GPIB converter) with my Samsung Galaxy 2 7inch Tablet. Just got myself a terminal emulator and a USB adapter for it and off it went.
Forgot to add that the bluetooth-serial adapters need 5V power. The Elithion RS232 port supplies 5V out, so it works, but the Zilla (which connects to the serial port via an adapter cable from the telephone jack connector on the Zilla) does not supply 5V.
I solved this by wiring together 2 small barrel connectors - one end plugged into the bluetooth adapter to the Elithion (which gets 5V) and the other end into the bluetooth adapter for the Zilla (which shares the 5V signal from the bms). I was initially worried about different potentials, offsets, loop currents etc... but it all seems to work well (one or more of the devices must provide isolation it seems).
I solved this by wiring together 2 small barrel connectors - one end plugged into the bluetooth adapter to the Elithion (which gets 5V) and the other end into the bluetooth adapter for the Zilla (which shares the 5V signal from the bms). I was initially worried about different potentials, offsets, loop currents etc... but it all seems to work well (one or more of the devices must provide isolation it seems).
Great idea - I missed this... I already have an OBDII-bluetooth adapter (cheap $15 device from fleabay) which works with Torque on my Android device...So you just need monitoring? (I highly doubt you'd need to set things up while driving)
For the Elithion (only if it's PRO) Why not just use Torque for Android + Bluetooth OBDII dongle:
http://lithiumate.elithion.com/php/torque.php
Not sure of anything for Zilla though, it's not CAN.
Do you know if the Elithion BMS CAN network can share the CAN bus of the car? Has this been done? I am not a CAN guru - how would you access each device (assuming only 1 bluetooth connection to the cars OBD port is necessary)?
I see it requires a new version of the BMS firmware - will have to plan for an update... I may even want to buy a spare Elithion base unit - will have to look around for pricing...
Just make sure that the Zilla is isolated on it's serial port, IIRC, it's not. It should use it's own supply for the bluetooth.
One way to check is is to check the ground of the serial port and see if it has continuity with B- of the controller.
One way to check is is to check the ground of the serial port and see if it has continuity with B- of the controller.
It should work. You just need to know CAN header of each of the devices and set that up in Torque with a custom PID. You can change that on the Elithion if it conflicts with something else in the car.Great idea - I missed this... I already have an OBDII-bluetooth adapter (cheap $15 device from fleabay) which works with Torque on my Android device...
Do you know if the Elithion BMS CAN network can share the CAN bus of the car? Has this been done? I am not a CAN guru - how would you access each device (assuming only 1 bluetooth connection to the cars OBD port is necessary)?
I see it requires a new version of the BMS firmware - will have to plan for an update... I may even want to buy a spare Elithion base unit - will have to look around for pricing...
Just need to use 12V, GND, CANH and CANL on the OBD connector and tap into that with the Elithion.
The Samsung galaxy tablet has a usb, so I can just plug the Lite , but what programs I would need ?As long as you're running 4.0 or above and the device itself supports USB host, then it shouldn't be a problem supporting the FTDI chipset that Elithion uses.
I've had success connecting other devices that use the FTDI chipset (Prologix GPIB converter) with my Samsung Galaxy 2 7inch Tablet. Just got myself a terminal emulator and a USB adapter for it and off it went.
There's a ton of terminal emulators out there.
I used Slickdev Labs "Slick USB 2 Serial Terminal"
I used Slickdev Labs "Slick USB 2 Serial Terminal"
Thank You.There's a ton of terminal emulators out there.
I used Slickdev Labs "Slick USB 2 Serial Terminal"
We're now working with a user of the Lithiumate Lite, developing a solution that will bring graphic monitoring of the Lite to any platform, by using WiFi and any browser.
We'll announce it when it's ready.
We'll announce it when it's ready.
That will be great.We're now working with a user of the Lithiumate Lite, developing a solution that will bring graphic monitoring of the Lite to any platforms, by using WiFi and any browser.
We'll announce it when it's ready.
Thank You.
Yes, and yes. You can communicate with the Lithiumate Pro through the OBDII port.Do you know if the Elithion BMS CAN network can share the CAN bus of the car? Has this been done?
A couple of options:will have to plan for an update
- Send us the unit (get an RMA first) and we'll do it here
- Get a PIC kit II programmer, and we'll do it over the Internet
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