Fetching OBD-II data to HUDWAY Drive — step forward
Since our first hardware device, HUDWAY Glass, that was released in 2015, we’ve seen strong demand from driving enthusiasts willing to view their vehicle data on a head-up display.
With HUDWAY Cast we managed to offer some basic functionality of getting the OBD-II data to HUD. With HUDWAY Drive we’re taking a greater step forward — and here’s an overview of how it will work.
First, you need to note that there will be no cable to directly connect HUDWAY Drive to a vehicle OBD-II port. Instead, all interaction is made via Bluetooth OBD-II scanners.
There are 2 ways to view the information fetched by a BT OBD-II scanner on HUD.
The first way is to install a compatible app on your smartphone and then mirror the phone screen to HUDWAY Drive. In this case, HUDWAY Drive doesn’t interact with the scanner and simply mirrors your smartphone screen — therefore, you can use any scanner that works for your vehicle and smartphone.
We tried it with the FIXD BT scanner and their app and briefly covered how it works in our video on installing the cameras (view this part on YouTube).
The second way is to connect HUDWAY Drive with the OBD-II scanner over Bluetooth. You plug the scanner in the OBD-II port, start the engine, power on HUDWAY Drive and select to search for an OBD-II scanner in HUDWAY Drive app. HUDWAY Drive will recognise the scanner and connect to it.
The key requirement for this connection to work is that you choose a scanner based on ELM327 microcontroller. This standard is the most widespread today, it works for the majority of vehicles models and allows for fetching voltage, speed, RPM, fuel consumption & level, and quite a number of other parameters. The complete list of the parameters depends on what your vehicle maker has allowed for the BT scanner to get.
When a BT OBD-II scanner is connected to HUDWAY Drive, the device will receive, process and visualise its data in driving widgets (say, in speedometer or fuel widgets).
If you choose to use navigation (basic directions available in HUDWAY Drive app when the smartphone is connected to HUDWAY Drive over Bluetooth) as one of the widgets, HUDWAY drive app will take smartphone GPS data to calculate the route, define your location and provide directions, while the speed data will be taken from the connected OBD-II scanner. If HUDWAY Drive is not connected to the scanner, the speedometer widget will take data from your smartphone GPS.
Since a number of widgets that visualise the vehicle data only work when HUDWAY Drive is connected to an OBD-II scanner, they will get hidden in the app when the two are not connected.
That’s pretty it. A few links we came across while writing this update that may be useful for you as well:
— List of vehicles that most probably work with the ELM327 devices
— 15 Best iOS/Android OBD-II apps
— Best ELM327 adapters and apps
— Tips on choosing an OBD-II adaptor
HUDWAY Drive is now live on IndieGoGo.
As always — thank you for reading us!
