My new project -- a standalone scan tool (lots of pictures)

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 6:01 am

internetautomart - Yeah, no, it doesn't do non-turbos right now. I did have the foresight to include infrastructure for supporting other ECUs, so in the future I might add non-turbo models to it. One neat thing is that I put the firmware on a removable card; so, if I ever make a new version, existing units can be upgraded easily.

Mike - I bet someone with your resourcefulness could do it. If you take a Juice Box apart, you find that the screen is attached to the motherboard via a ribbon cable already. You could probably just mount the screen on the console like you want and mount the motherboard behind it somewhere, using the Juice Box without its own case. And if you mess it up, all you'd need to do is buy another Juice Box.

It would look super slick mounted in the console that way.

If you want to try to figure this out right now, you can always buy a Juice Box on eBay and take it apart.

SubaruNation - The screen is a little under 3 inches wide and 2 inches tall.

Lee - I did intend the whole thing to be robust with respect to vibration, yes. It's not all SMD anymore, though... there are actually a bunch of 30 AWG jumpers all over the place and stuff.

SubaruNation · Post by **SubaruNation** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 6:02 am

internetautomart wrote:so it doesn't do N/A

not yet i assume

stipro · Post by **stipro** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 6:18 am

You have got to be kidding me, this is awesome !!!

I saw this post a few days ago but never checked it out until today. Truly amazing you are, Vikash. I would totally be interested in this as it would be a great tool for my rally car. I could diagnose things on the spot, as well as monitor values that are critical during the race/stage.

Again, absolutely wicked, well done.

Brat4by4 · Post by **Brat4by4** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 3:11 pm

Honestly, Vikash, the fair way to dole these out is first pay first serve. That's the way it works online, lots of people will express interest but then later on they only need 4 more paychecks to get it, etc.

Get downpayments to fund the work, and then whoever pays in full first gets their unit first. Then the serious people get their stuff.

Great work, ok, understatement... awesome work on this!

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 8:00 pm

Yeah, I don't think I can front the money to build them anyhow... Well, I think I've decided how to do this, at least for this first round. I'm gonna post in the Vendor Garage about it.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 8:21 pm

Okay, here's the link to the for-sale thread:

http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?p=236329

Post by **DLC** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:23 am

Awesome.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 2:07 am

Dave, you're really awesome. To still take such interest in these cars even though you don't have one anymore, and to keep Legacy Central around for them... Thank you.

Arctic Assassian · Post by **Arctic Assassian** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:32 am

I pretty much love this place. At work I'll find cool stuff and show it to some of the techs, I use it as a manual for pretty much all that goes wrong. I Have access to parts that are relavent to my car, without all the traffic of nasioc.
The first time I stumbled across this place, I kind of blew it off because I had a dream of making a 2-door coupe into an STI. But then I found a nice 91 SS 5-speed, fell in love with its sunroof and pass-throguh rear seats, as well as its pep. With the help of many here I was able to add some power, and blow it up... and rebuild it.
I've learned more in the eight months I've had that car, than the entire three years of my mechanical career. Many have helped me to overcome my problems, not because they profit, but because they want to help. Now I can have a device that is a direct product of that same spirit, embodied by one of the most knowledgeble members no, people, in this Community.
Thankyou both,
Dave.
Vikash.
Peace.

Post by **DLC** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 5:21 am

It's my pleasure.

It takes owners to make this place go round, and if we don't have the best, well, we're damned close enough.

Keep it up y'all.

SubaruNation · Post by **SubaruNation** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 6:24 am

vrg3 wrote:Dave, you're really awesome. To still take such interest in these cars even though you don't have one anymore, and to keep Legacy Central around for them... Thank you.

+ infinity times ten,

you dont have to be doing this, you could have a forum for your newer legacy instead.
if you want me to donate some ca$h for the forum i gladly will.
i've learned much more about fixing my car this way, rather than shelling out hundreds at the auto shop, and now i feel confident in my own repairs rather than second guessing myself constantly.
thanks alot dave

AWD_addict · Post by **AWD_addict** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 6:11 am

This is a really damn cool device!

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Sat Jan 12, 2008 7:27 pm

Just a little update:

I'm currently working on adding support for non-turbos. In a couple of weeks I'm taking a trip to Argentina, and I'm hoping I can pay for a little bit of the trip by selling a few more of these scan tools. I plan to have them ready sometime in the middle of next week.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:29 pm

Alright, as so many of you have asked, I've added support for non-turbos. I've posted six up for sale in the Vendor Garage:

http://bbs.legacycentral.org/viewtopic.php?p=240884

John Drivesabox · Post by **John Drivesabox** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 7:07 am

Please allow me to say that in spite of all I have attained in regards to electrical engineering, this whole thing gives me a woody. Very impressive!

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 8:06 am

Hehe, uh, thanks... =)

Baulde · Post by **Baulde** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 9:34 am

I just found this looking for information on building a code reader. Did you ever list the steps taken in building this ? eg.
- wiring
- programming
- troubleshooting
- other issues
?

I am interested in trying to replicate this project, im not an engineer but a programmer(assembly a long time ago) with an interest in electronics.

Interested in letting me know how to build one or is that all proprietary ?

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 2:55 pm

Yeah, I actually did build a bunch. About ten of them, that I sold to other BBS members (take a look in the vendor's garage).

There is still some troubleshooting to be done, but for the most part they work and seem to come in quite handy.

I'll be publishing the info needed to build one when I take the time to assemble it all, but in the meantime I'd suggest you get your hands on some JuiceBox parts and read up on what other people have posted online about JuiceBox hacking. I actually did most of my work independently of theirs, but it looks like other people have accomplished a lot more than I have in terms of reverse engineering.

Baulde · Post by **Baulde** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:19 pm

Thanks,

Ill have to get going on that. Will you be releasing the software you wrote ? That would be a huge step to avoid the massive troubleshooting you would have gone through.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:27 pm

I will, eventually, as I did with my laptop-based scan tool.

Baulde · Post by **Baulde** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:44 pm

It runs uCLinux....... ohhhh gawd. This makes this little thing so versatile. Im going to pick up a bunch anyways. An embedded linux system for less then $15 is just sick. I first thought that you had flashed the firmware with your own bios/system.

Linux makes this so much more comfortable for me being a linux sys admin

Thanks a bunch for the help.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 7:00 pm

I did; this scan tool isn't based on uClinux. If it were I'd be compelled to distribute the code under the GPL already.

I'm not convinced there's much you can do with uClinux on the JuiceBox without a lot of work; there's just not very much RAM or storage.

Part of the reason I'm not just releasing the code to this scan tool right away is that I'm a little unhappy about something that happened with the laptop-based scan tool... At least one person took stuff out of my code (stuff that was the result of a lot of hard research on my part) and is using it in non-free software and even soliciting money for it. I'm not a lawyer and I don't know whether it's a violation of the GPL or not, but it's certainly not in the spirit of sharing work. I have to reconcile that somehow.

snowcat · Post by **snowcat** » Sun Jun 01, 2008 11:21 am

Of course somebody had to spoil the party - "At least one person took stuff out of my code (stuff that was the result of a lot of hard research on my part) and is using it in non-free software and even soliciting money for it."

I sympathize w/vrg. A lot of his had work, time, & effort went into making this neat "toy" for us early gen legacy owners.

I wish I'd said this before, but maybe it's time to think about patents, before you see that someone has stolen your ideas/source code completely and made a mint on your hard work and effort.

The problem w/proof is that unless someone cut & paste your code I'm sure there'd be ways for them to slide out of prosecution/remuneration.

I know it's not about money for you, it's the love of the game, but I'd hate to see your great scan tool go global (hondas, toyotas, etc)
and you get nothing for it. My feeling is that it could very easily (and probably will) happen.

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Sun Jun 01, 2008 2:33 pm

Patenting is a long PITA process and policing and protecting your patents falls upon you and the lawyers you can afford. I've looked into it a few times and just resigned myself to the fact that the world only cares about the super rich and not the innovator. At least I can police my books.

RJ93SS · Post by **RJ93SS** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 10:01 pm

can we get these pics reloaded, and vrg, i would love to have one of these, gonna make any more?

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My new project -- a standalone scan tool (lots of pictures)