Raspberry Pi Computer

[Team Idris]

I was in Mapers for some heat conducting paste for the Dragon Wagon and this Raspberry computer caught my eye. It takes a keyboard and mouse with HDMI visual output (all in the kit for £76) and 16 I/O pins. And I was wondering what it was capable of? Operating system is Linux.

Would it run megasquirt visuals? What would it control in its own right with a few solid state relays or speed controllers? One 'review' showed a dude who ran his central heating off it

[zardos]

You might be able to get it to run TunerStudio for Linux which has dashboards and the full works, but you would need a Compatible USB->Serial converter and drivers as it runs the ARM variant of Linux.

For Tunerstudio you would also require an ARM variant of the serial library they use.

Also not sure that the CPU has enough power to run TunerStudio as it is Java based.

[Tom Fall]

I've actually got one, and it's definitely an interesting bit of kit!

The problem is, as Zardos said, it's an ARM processor - not compatible with normal PC or Mac software. However, it's more than capable of running Linux and at a fair old rate! I'm fiddling about programming mine, just seeing whats possible. The possibilities are pretty much endless, and in terms of MS control it's definitely quick enough. The problem would be actually writing the software to do it.

Tom

[Bothy]

I've got a couple of them that I am playing with.

You can get expansion boards to quickly add peripherals to prototype with. The one I use is a Gertboard. You can get dongle for WiFi and Bluetooth so you can "talk" to it using a phone if you want to. So, for example, you could use your phone to get it to activate any relays which you choose to connect it to. There are some fairly whacky ideas out there.

One idea I am working on is hooking it up to an OBD port and getting it to translate some of the diagnostic codes into audible warnings or alarms, or to work like a diagnostic trip computer, eg recording average and maximum coolant temperature, etc. It has a "general Purpose I/O Bus", so using A/D and D/A converters and other gizmos, you can basically connect if to anything that can be measured/ monitored or controlled electronically.

[FridgeFreezer]

Should have more than enough power to run something that can tune MS, none of it is high-power stuff.

Being Linux you should be able to recompile/port whatever you want for it. Look at Megatunix.

[LandyManLuke]

Megatunix is an option, you'll have to compile it for the Pi yourself though.

I believe Tuner Studio uses JRE. There's been some effort put in to getting JRE to run on the Pi, I don't know how far progress has got.

You wouldn't have to use a USB Serial adapter if you didn't want to, the Pi has a UART that will do the job fine, you will just need to sort out RS232 levels, either by buying an add-on board, or buying the ic and building the circuit yourself. It's pretty simple.

I've only just started looking in to this, so I'm not up to date or 100% on anything.

[TheRecklessEngineer]

As part of the GPIO there's a serial connection. No USB-serial converter needed - although you'll need a level converter. The broadcom SoC that the PI uses runs at 3.3V - you'll cook it if you connect it directly to a serial connection.

But yes, you'll have to compile megatunix on the PI, or use a cross compiler.

I've got one - not used it for MS, but using it for home automation.

[TheRecklessEngineer]

Just seen LandyManLuke's reply. Yes. What he said!