So, I woke up this morning with a brilliant idea that may be dying on the vine even before it gets anywhere. See, I've had this plan to take my '99 chassis and graft a '72 GMC Suburban body onto it. I had been wondering about such things as A/C controllers, instrumentation, ABS, and a host of other incompatible vehicle systems from the pre-computer 'Burban and the OBDII-compliant Dodge. Besides the fact that performing updates to D-C vehicles is retard-ly time consuming and difficult.

Anyway, I woke up this morning thinking: 'Linux is robust, stable and reliable in a number of applications, why not in a vehicle?" A quick google search of "linux car," got me a lot of info on putting together a mobile entertainment center but very little on powertrain management. Digging further, I discovered PCMs rely on Real-time Operating Systems (RTOSs) with maximum wait times for required decisions by the cpu from competing inputs. Well, it turns out there are several distros of Linux which are considered RTOSs, basically any Linux kernel after 2.6.x. Some are custom-tailored OSes embedded in a variety of electronics and one I read about controls several subsystems in Boeing's newest jetliner. So, why not a vehicle PCM? I couldn't find any info on Chrysler's OS and what language it was written on or, for that matter, what hardward D/C uses for its PCM but I can't imagine it's anywhere near as powerful as the most recent offerings in the x86 family of processors.

Is this pie-in-the-sky dreaming or does anyone know of a vendor working on powertrain management using Linux that would be able to seamlessly integrate such systems as: VP-44 management, 4WABS, lighting systems, climate control (separate dual-front, mid and rear climate control in the 'burban would be AWESOME), airbags, remote keyless entry, cruise control, etc. Basically, all of the current functions of the Ram pickup while not utilizing most of the current Ram interior components. I'd like the interior of the Suburban to look more-or-less GM with possibly the exception of Dakota Digital gauges. I'm thinking seats and steering wheel out of a '98 or newer suburban, possibly an aftermarket HVAC setup purpose-designed for '67-'72 C/K series trucks, and in-dash DVD navigation system.

My concept is a touch-sensitive screen capable of monitoring and/or tuning all electrical/electronic on-board systems using a linux-based solution. Any ideas?

 

The system [ corpt ] works hard to keep that from happening , not a hole lot less than milt. , as a example I've got Mitchell On Demand soft ware , on an old computer , been looking for a way to get into a laptop , but there isn't a hacker community out there that I have found for info on this , I know its a little off topic , and I do not want to take the wind out of your sails , it just seems that theres a lot of programing , research , hardware ect. , it sounds like a big job .
With the bydirectional now in most it would seem like a backdoor .
Also just want to see more on this .

 

Well, I guess there's less interest in a homebrewed powertrain control solution than I'd hoped for. I just thought it would be nice to tune and tailor your powertrain and electrical systems the way you wanted them and the ability to integrate features and options from a number of vendors, not simply locking yourself into the products and features of one automobile vendor. An open source OS would allow you to do that: take the best components from a variety of manufacturers and integrate them into a system of your design.

 

This is not at all out of reach. The best way to do it would probably be to take a "palm" type device and adapt it to be your pcm. Find someone that knows what they are doing behind a compiler. I will see what I can get from some people I know.

NOTICE: Palm is a Trademark of the Palm Corporation.
^
Just to cover myself here.