Member Since: 15 Jun 2007
Location: Sunny Cyprus
Posts: 3054
Thanks Guys
I know this project has dragged on for what seems like forever due to it's low priority for me and the immense amounts of other things I have on my plate, but thankfully due to an intake of new staff over the last few months and especially karpouzih (Christian my number one minion) we are finally getting to progress on such things as this and will hopefully now very quickly have something to show for it.
Yea ids, I have indeed gone through vast amounts of man hours, effort and quite a lot of prototypes.
I typically get 2 boards per re design and so for every one of the square ones you see in native form in this, there would be a counterpart that was cut out, hand filed to shape, built and tested.
From your link, it looks like you were planning to to try and re use the origional board, not quite convinced you could do this as the switches are in the wrong order as are the main connector pin outs and although it does have an Audio resistive ladder, that is out of order for the D3 IHU otherwise it has no second ladder and uses a microprocessor and 2 LIN BUS connections to the BCU and EMS.
Even in respect of determining the correct resistor values for the resistive ladder I checked and logged resistances from at least a half a dozen examples which showed me that there was quite some tolerances. In the end I made a rig that allowed me to adjust the values to the highest and lowest the ECU's would accept, allowing me to know the exact optimum mid point values.
And you dont want to know about all the effort that has gone into implimenting and testing the wireless function to add some support for flappy paddles and of course the LED / voltage dropper resister combinations that run too hot to be viable and safe.
However I do now have really good news in that I have tested the PCB profile and find that although it is a little tighter than the origional PCB's on first assembly is very acceptable, and in addition barring a little build mishap in the heated switch sub board being built with the ribbon reversed, which I had to sus out earlier today, these pre production prototypes have the green light to now be manufactured in production volumes.
This should realistically take only about 10 days as due to the lower than usual volume and Gold Plating requirement we are sourcing these PCB's more locally and we already have reasonable stocks of the parts required to assemble them.
In fact i have only just finished the first version of the assembly instuctions you might like to read
Having got this project and the PCB's to this stage and since the boards still have all the pads and Circuitry, Christian has taken upon himself to try and find some LED's and resistors that he can trial in the days it will take to get the boards manufactured in the hope that they can be suppied with at least some workable form of back lighting.
I will leave it to him to post up here himself further in respect of this aspect.
To compliment Christains effort and enthusiasm I have agreed to now re take up the projects aspects that might provide support for flappy paddles that may provide a further upgrade / add on to this project.
Folks reading the whole thread will know that I have already spent a huge amount of time producing an optional FM transmitter and Receiver module for this project that parasitically derives power from the Horn circuit.
Physically this optional module is designed to connect on the connector behind the left hand side main PCB and fit in the space behind the side switch PCB as seen here
Click image to enlarge
And even the current Gold Plated production design still leaves a hole in the Main PCB's ground plane as to leave the (Blue) Antennea chip clear of any metal work that might affect it's performance
Click image to enlarge
Of course a production version PCB will be longer and secure the other end of the antennea chip to the PCB.
Colin
30th May 2014 6:04 pm
ids
Member Since: 12 May 2009
Location: Herefordshire
Posts: 384
Hi Colin,
Wow I'm impressed. My version did not use the resistors on the main board instead on a separate circuit that was going to install opposite where the heated wheel module sots. I have then wired cables from each pad back to this module. All very nasty to start off with.
Next version was going to be as you have made - not as elegant as making PCB's I have done for a long while however my years at college studying electrics have gone to waste. My final version would be as you did - plug and play - using the D4 loom
My values were recorded as https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=92588842F6C8A725!16485 however I was having issues with finding enough values for the extra five the directional pad has. The recorded voltages are from my Vellman k8055 board I use with my Carpeted with Centrafuse so am looking forward for the extra controls.
If I can help, testing or anything else -please let me know. If not consider me right up at the front of the queue!
Lastly what module were you going to use for the gearbox pads? I had worked on mine, removing the resistors as per Pete Bells thread, the idea being to use the existing paddle loom piggy backed to a four button transmitter. Hadn't decided what I was going to use the other two buttons for yet (I have the heated steering wheel button but no heated wheel or clockspring) but that's just minor. I ended up buying a Chinese eBay special but it appears to work well......
Looking forward to the next instalment.
Ids
Last edited by ids on 31st May 2014 1:00 pm. Edited 4 times in total
31st May 2014 10:07 am
radders89
Member Since: 30 Aug 2010
Location: West Sussex
Posts: 1051
Great stuff Colin. Put me second in line behind IDS please. MY15 D4 SDV6 HSE Corris Grey - Gone
MY05 D3 TDV6 SE Zambezi silver Auto Alpaca leather - Gone
MY02' Seat Leon 1.6s Metallic Black cloth trim with a hint of mould
Club Sandwich
Women... Can't live with em, can't kill em...
31st May 2014 12:46 pm
JDB
Member Since: 25 Mar 2010
Location: NW Hampshire
Posts: 2485
In the queue as well please!
31st May 2014 1:01 pm
BBS SPY Site Sponsor
Member Since: 15 Jun 2007
Location: Sunny Cyprus
Posts: 3054
Not long now chaps, (Famous last words )
I will be sure to post up here as soon as these are availiable for purchase on our web shop
ids, i have looked at your data and can't actually make much sense of it at all
I did once have the idea to make it possible for the additional right hand side five way switch, that is used to control the instrument pack menu to be used for control an external item like a carputer as opposed to being a functional copy of left hand side five way switch, but already had more than I could manage on my plate at the time so had to abandon that idea.
It might however still be something we could look into a little later down the line
Thanks for your offer to help, test or anything else ids. I am sure you will be one of the first to write up a review of this conversion kit, but otherwise I believe we have it all pretty much covered.
Regards the flappy paddles:
I am not using some off the shelf transmitter or receiver module that has to be modified. As my last pictures show, I have already developed a custom built FM transmitter PCB that piggy backs directly onto the back of the main LHS PCB and as you see is specifically designed to fit inside the small space behind what would be the ACC side switch sub board. I have designed it such that it connects directly to the paddle switches, which require no modification at all and would be connected to the main board as per OEM design.
My Transmitter / Receiver design encodes and check sums 4 channels, so there is no risk of incorrect operation through interference etc. I also made it such that the ACC switches could be alternately passed through and used as normal in the resistance ladder or fed into the transmitter so they could possibly be used for other things instead of the ACC.
My receiver, while currently only having LEDs that confirm each input, which has been tested, also has the provision and connectivity for a micro controller that I have also added multiple output and control circuitry that should make it possible to interact and control the Gear shift in the vehicle as may be required. I also added the circuitry to connect to micro controller on the reciever to the vehicles CAN BUS if required.
I short, I believe I have pretty much covered quite a diverse array of possibilities in my design and then some
Although I can hopefully shortly offer only the basic conversion kit, at least there is enough flexability incorporated in this design for quite a degree of future expansion possibilities.
Regards
Colin
1st Jun 2014 6:12 pm
BBS SPY Site Sponsor
Member Since: 15 Jun 2007
Location: Sunny Cyprus
Posts: 3054
The base PCB's are now on order and but days away from being delivered, however In respect of the recent challenge i have given to Christian to find and impliment a workable solution for the LED back lighting in the time we have, while I push forward with the addition of support for paddle shifters with this it seems that while Christian is waiting for parts to try out and test, i am making very good progress.
In pulling out and connecting the last prototype of the transmitter board i had designed, along with my reciever board, i discovered that while the option of the ACC switches worked as expected, when i connected a couple of paddle switches it all went Pete Tong.
However i quickly recognised that some resistiors had been swapped and so got this all working as it should pretty quickly.
I have therefore since moved on to the interconnectivity of the receiver to the existing gear shift.
Today, with Christians help, i pulled my own Vehicles centre console apart to gain access to the control wires that go from the gear shift to the Auto Box ECU and added a tap into most of them with a ribbon cable that had a 9 way D connector that would be accessible once everything was put back together.
Once done, i had a test loom produced with a simple switch and Christian and myself took a drive and figured out what we could and could not do, control and how.
In respect of adding flappy paddles on a D4 wheel to a D3, this was really the last unknown aspect.
In short this was a very good day for this project
10th Jun 2014 7:26 pm
radders89
Member Since: 30 Aug 2010
Location: West Sussex
Posts: 1051
Great news Colin! Really great news. Well done. MY15 D4 SDV6 HSE Corris Grey - Gone
MY05 D3 TDV6 SE Zambezi silver Auto Alpaca leather - Gone
MY02' Seat Leon 1.6s Metallic Black cloth trim with a hint of mould
Club Sandwich
Women... Can't live with em, can't kill em...
10th Jun 2014 7:49 pm
ids
Member Since: 12 May 2009
Location: Herefordshire
Posts: 384
Perfect news.
Cant wait to try the final thing.....
Ids
10th Jun 2014 8:55 pm
ids
Member Since: 12 May 2009
Location: Herefordshire
Posts: 384
Any news...... ?????
22nd Jun 2014 8:22 am
BBS SPY Site Sponsor
Member Since: 15 Jun 2007
Location: Sunny Cyprus
Posts: 3054
Hiya IDS,
We are currently awaiting delivery of the production PCB's
The smaller sub PCB's for heated and ACC implimentations, have already arrived, and do look rather nice with all the Gold Plating.
See for yourself
Click image to enlarge
We understand that the Main PCB's will arrive with us in the next few days.
Therafter assembly and testing will commence in earnest
The Flappy paddle stuff i am working on is also going as well as can be expected and Christian has ordered a ton of parts in the expectation that he can find a workable solution at the last minute that provides a back light.
So all in all things are looking good
23rd Jun 2014 6:40 pm
karpouzih Site Sponsor
Member Since: 02 Feb 2013
Location: Lemesos
Posts: 150
Hi guys,
Im on it!! Sorry for not jumping into thread earlier but the boss works me hard... so I have been hiding under a pile of PCB's and components.
As the Big Cheese says, we hope to also resolve the lighting issue once the boards are in.
Member Since: 12 May 2009
Location: Herefordshire
Posts: 384
good news
2nd Jul 2014 11:12 pm
luciogodoy
Member Since: 14 Apr 2008
Location: Windsor - UK
Posts: 356
Hi all;
Very nice topic!
Is the D3 steering wheel airbag and cover ( the one with the green LR badge) compatible with the D4 steering wheel pls?
A friend has a D4 wheel but no airbag or cover.
Thanks
LucioI'm riding a R1250GSA Triple Back
Previous love: Disco 3 HSE MY07, D4 heated Steering/W, D4 rear cluster, D4 extended roof rack, D4 grille & air grille, D4 rear bumper, colour coded arches + front bumper, side-steps, Webasto timer/ remote control, De-Tangoed Xenon headlights + HID, LEDs all around, reverse CAM (RR hack) + brightness, DLR LEDs, 3-click indicator, SatNav on the move, EGR's done, front/rear antiroll bar Polybush, gearbox pan/filter + oil mega-flush.
10th Jul 2014 11:45 pm
robbo770
Member Since: 29 Jan 2013
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 2294
Hi Colin,
Do you have a solution for a manual D3 already ready then? I have cruise and phone with voice and that's it? No heat unless this is also available , then I will upgrade my slip ring to suit when fitting.
Obviously no paddle shift is require for the manual setup
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)
so I have been hiding under a pile of PCB's and components.
