iDrive 6 + Keyless entry + BMW Connected Drive

[9kracing]

You can use the app to connect with the car and get mirror folding and remote seat heating - all remote services. But I can't feed BMW's iDrive to another brands headunit

Shit this would be worth it alone for just being able to see my E46 next to my X3M in the BMW app

[Bry5on]

Thank you! Spare headunit came in yesterday. It now needs its own bench but I'll be sending my first messages tonight. Last night I made version one of my debug tool to select which messages I send on the bus while simultaneously reading other messages



You can use the app to connect with the car and get mirror folding and remote seat heating - all remote services. But I can't feed BMW's iDrive to another brands headunit




I want to put the start button in the ash tray. I'm struggling to decide how keyless will work. Apple won't give me CarKey. I thought about NFC watch bands but battery implications don't make sense. I need to upstep 12V to 48-50V for PWM bursts at 125khz for like 0.5 seconds or so. I'm normally software side, so something of that level is challenging for me.




I've never soldered anything thinner than a wire and I'm SLOPPY. I will try, anything else 😎. I don't want to pick up another side project and slow down this massive project in the process.





Hah. All I read is an undocumented bus with zero validated messages. If it speaks to the DME, then it could be something bespoke. I think I have all the iDrive controller buttons figured out. It's not impossible, but also requires more hardware and some people may be using it for cruise. What inputs would you want to make happen from the stalk?

Well I want the controller because I prefer using it for CarPlay to the touchscreen. So I guess I’m not the target audience here

On the console note, I was thinking of creating a more e39-style armrest but with at least one (bigger, more American) cup holder in the same spot as the e46. Is that something you’re interested in? Intent is to replace the janky e46 setup with something more solid/serious/permanent-looking.

For wireless, could you reverse engineer the existing BMW keys, or just use BTLE? Bummer about Apple.

[YoitsTmac]

Shit this would be worth it alone for just being able to see my E46 next to my X3M in the BMW app

Just to set expectations, you would use an app made by me that would have a lot of feature parity and app widgets as well.

Well I want the controller because I prefer using it for CarPlay to the touchscreen. So I guess I'm not the target audience here

On the console note, I was thinking of creating a more e39-style armrest but with at least one (bigger, more American) cup holder in the same spot as the e46. Is that something you're interested in? Intent is to replace the janky e46 setup with something more solid/serious/permanent-looking.

For wireless, could you reverse engineer the existing BMW keys, or just use BTLE? Bummer about Apple.

We talked about a custom arm rest. I'm still open to it! I'm just sick of having all this nice hardware in my car, so I'm off to the races. I'm 1000% interested. And anyone who wants to add an iDrive controller, it would be insanely easy .

Re BMW keys: Fxx uses 315mhz and 125khz for local key approximation. It's best because it has no power draw on the key, which has the most limited battery. The 125khz wakes the key, opposed to BLE and UWB. I can even use BMW's coils if I can imitate that 50V 125khz PWM signal in brief bursts. But again, it's beyond my know how and ventures into the “dangerous if not done correctly” window. I want to, but I don't want to be guessing.

[Bry5on]

A boost converter and a PWM is super easy to do with a teensy or raspberry pi if you know what you want the signal to look like!

[YoitsTmac]

A boost converter and a PWM is super easy to do with a teensy or raspberry pi if you know what you want the signal to look like!

Let me get a working prototype of this iDrive and companion app worked out first, but then let's talk. Designing a door handle and managing a calibration system for keyless entry and keyless start will be something in itself. There's also tying in with the column switch and EWS for security. I'm not afraid of tackling it and I want it desperately, but I want to finish this hurdle first.

[heinzboehmer]

I've never soldered anything thinner than a wire and I'm SLOPPY. I will try, anything else 😎. I don't want to pick up another side project and slow down this massive project in the process.

Electrons don't care (too much) about sloppiness! Should be fine for a prototype. But yeah, if you want to drop it off, I can solder it on using the fancy tools at the work lab.

Hah. All I read is an undocumented bus with zero validated messages. If it speaks to the DME, then it could be something bespoke. I think I have all the iDrive controller buttons figured out. It's not impossible, but also requires more hardware and some people may be using it for cruise. What inputs would you want to make happen from the stalk?

I was just thinking it could be a replacement for the iDrive controller. Seems nice to not have to take your hands off the wheel to operate it.

Found this the other day. Obviously not an E46 M3 document, but I would think it works in a similar way:



So yeah, looks custom, but doesn't seem like it would be too complicated to reverse engineer. Can't be more than 5 or so distinct messages that the module sends out. Should be able to work it out quickly with a logic analyzer. Could even approach on the SW side and use karter16's DME disassembly to work it out.

Since it's just an async serial protocol, you could wire it directly to an input on whatever ucontroller you're using and do all the decoding there. Practically no HW changes, just SW.

[YoitsTmac]

Electrons don't care (too much) about sloppiness! Should be fine for a prototype. But yeah, if you want to drop it off, I can solder it on using the fancy tools at the work lab.



I was just thinking it could be a replacement for the iDrive controller. Seems nice to not have to take your hands off the wheel to operate it.

Found this the other day. Obviously not an E46 M3 document, but I would think it works in a similar way:



So yeah, looks custom, but doesn't seem like it would be too complicated to reverse engineer. Can't be more than 5 or so distinct messages that the module sends out. Should be able to work it out quickly with a logic analyzer. Could even approach on the SW side and use karter16's DME disassembly to work it out.

Since it's just an async serial protocol, you could wire it directly to an input on whatever ucontroller you're using and do all the decoding there. Practically no HW changes, just SW.

That's actually quiet useful. I'm not opposed, but trying to stay in phases to keep my efforts focused. unfortunately, I've just hit a big road block: VIN Validation. My donor bench is a 2020 M240i. I bought a headunit from a 2018 X5 to validate my processes. Unfortunately, it seems my VIN Validation methods don't work here. I don't really know how it works, only that I was immitating things that got a response of the cars VIN. This doesn't seem to work with the X5. I suspect the call I'm making to request the VIN is to a specific module. The X5 is architecturally very different from the 2,3,4. So...well damn. So right now I have two options:
- find an F15 X5 (or F10?) to sniff to watch this process more carefully to be able to immitate both
- buy another headunit confirmed from a 2,3,4 to validate my suspicions that the VIN validation is different on BDC cars than FEM cars.

[Bry5on]

Is Turo an option here to get a 5/X5? If I come across one, any specific timeframe or activity you’re looking to get a can log?

[YoitsTmac]

Is Turo an option here to get a 5/X5? If I come across one, any specific timeframe or activity you're looking to get a can log?

Hah. My buddy JUST recommended this seconds ago. I might do that. In the meantime, I can go back to my M240 unit and keep validating messages.

[George Hill]

What production F15 will work?

[YoitsTmac]

Hah. My buddy JUST recommended this seconds ago. I might do that. In the meantime, I can go back to my M240 unit and keep validating messages.

Any F15 with iDrive 6

[YoitsTmac]

Small update. After scowering the forums, it seems that some headunits perform this check, and others do not. I couldn't necessarily determine a pattern with the information out there. When I was reading around about people creating benches for coding, some people said it just boots up, some say they had this issue, and the ones that solved the issue just say "I solved the issue" and then go dormant.

There are some Chinese vendors that claim to run NBT EVO bench tests, implying the systems boot. Contingent on them following up on some questions of mine, I'll likely grab one of those and throw all my headunits on it while sniffing the entire communication stream to discern patterns. I can even replay my messages back and see what exactly is going on to hopefully provide the fix myself.

Of course, again. It is very possible I grab another F2x or F3x or F8x headunit and it doesn't have this issue, and that the issue is isolated to the architecture associated with non 2,3,4 series vehicles. It's all a headache, and I don't necessarily want to get stuck on this if sniffing another solution will solve this will much less R&D. I still have a lot to do, so I don't want to get hung up on this. Alright...sadly, off to sleep at 5AM. I may have to slow this down a smidge because I'm averaging 5 hours of sleep, and sometimes that's in two sessions. I miss REM, I wish my mind could just let it go, or let me be tired instead of getting hung on these questions.

[sev]

Did you find anyone to help with soldering? I'm pretty good with soldering small smt components. Can you post a pic of what you need soldered? is it 16 pin dip? QFP?

[heinzboehmer]

I wish my mind could just let it go, or let me be tired instead of getting hung on these questions.

Wait, that's an option?

My brain also only knows about the getting hung up on things approach

[Bry5on]

Wait, that's an option?

My brain also only knows about the getting hung up on things approach

Yep, this.