Modding the infotainment screen

[Time2Fly]

Has anyone managed to hack / mod the infotainment? I think it would be cool to inject a picture of our own spec into the startup instead of the silhouette.

 

[Speedy Emira]

Has anyone managed to hack / mod the infotainment? I think it would be cool to inject a picture of our own spec into the startup instead of the silhouette.

View attachment 37382

That would be great if possible..

 

[VL3X]

I'm hoping someone mods the digital speedo at some point too. Would love to see digital analog gauges as an option.

 

[scc.131.fe]

It already shows my spec in the mode-select screen. Good 'nuff.

 

[Time2Fly]

It already shows my spec in the mode-select screen. Good 'nuff.

Would that be the dream of an Emira?

 

[_w_]

I’m assuming there’s no built in API for customisation so it would be a proper hack and would need to be redone after arbitrary software updates…

 

[KaizokuCoder]

I'm a software developer, but I don't know anything about how this is done in cars. Does anybody know if this is all part of the ECU or are there separate systems? Not sure if this is merely hard, or nearly impossible.

 

[virtualmacho]

Listen carefully for the boot floppy when the car wakes up. It's got to be somewhere...

 

[Porter]

I'm a software developer, but I don't know anything about how this is done in cars. Does anybody know if this is all part of the ECU or are there separate systems? Not sure if this is merely hard, or nearly impossible.

Typically each module is a stand-alone compute device with discrete firmware, storage, OS, software, settings, etc. Usually these are some type of embedded realtime OS like VxWorks or MQX, but not always.

For example, we're seeing huge increases in the use of non-realtime OSes like Linux in automotive contexts over the last 10 or so years. This is particularly often seen in human interface systems like infotainment, likely because of the well-understood media frameworks and low (or nonexistent) licensing costs. An example is Android Automotive, which is essentially a car-focused Linux distribution leveraging the media frameworks available through the Android Open Source Project (AOSP).

A more traditional "realtime" Linux that's been seen in cars is Zephyr, from the Linux Foundation. There are others as well, and often there are a mix of operating systems in the same car, performing different functions, some true embedded realtime OS and some semi-realtime like Zephyr, etc.

All that being said, what I'm driving at is that these aren't purely mysterious black boxes. They are small computers similar to a Raspberry Pi, and most of them have some kind of debug or serial connection available on their circuit board. It typically requires a series of educated guesses and extensive trial/error to get connected and past any clever security measures. But someone will likely do it eventually.

 

[freefall_junkie]

I'm hoping someone mods the digital speedo at some point too. Would love to see digital analog gauges as an option.

I would really like to the the option of analog dials too. I'm not optimistic anyone will find a way of doing this after market though. Maybe it's something Lotus could think of offering when the inevitable midlife face lift for the Emira comes around.

Come to think of it, perhaps we should have a thread for 'Jobs for the Facelift'. Not for all the QC issues which obviously need fixed, more for tweaks/improvements we'd like to see. I can think of a few: lower the seats and analog dials would be top of the list.

 

[Liquid Hot Magma]

A quick Google search uncovered this. I’m not very familiar with Lynk & Co’s automotive lineup, so unsure if 01’s operating system is relevant to Emira’s. I think I read somewhere (or maybe I heard it in an Emira video review) that Lynk & Co developed Emira’s infotainment software, but I don’t know if that’s accurate, or not. If they did develop the Emira infotainment OS, sounds like their proprietary software might be hard to crack.

https://colab.lynkco.com/topics/what-is-the-01-s-os-

 

[Nova]

A quick Google search uncovered this. I’m not very familiar with Lynk & Co’s automotive lineup, so unsure if 01’s operating system is relevant to Emira’s. I think I read somewhere (or maybe I heard it in an Emira video review) that Lynk & Co developed Emira’s infotainment software, but I don’t know if that’s accurate, or not. If they did develop the Emira infotainment OS, sounds like their proprietary software might be hard to crack.

https://colab.lynkco.com/topics/what-is-the-01-s-os-

If this spec sheet is still up to date it is Android 9.

 

[Porter]

If this spec sheet is still up to date it is Android 9.

View attachment 37392

If true, it would probably just take some conversation on the XDA forums and an offer to pay for a few hours of an engineer's time with a unit on a bench, to get a wealth of information about the platform and what can be done with it.

Remember though, that's just the infotainment. The other display in the gauge cluster is likely a completely different device, and could run a different OS. They would communicate with each other over CAN bus or other high speed link.

 

[brainf18]

Agree with many other comments. I feel "eeehhh" with the current instrument layout. Its OK and I can learn to live with it but would much prefer digital display with round dials for speed and tach. I think the bottom render better compliments the analog nature of the car.

 

[Nova]

If true, it would probably just take some conversation on the XDA forums and an offer to pay for a few hours of an engineer's time with a unit on a bench, to get a wealth of information about the platform and what can be done with it.

Remember though, that's just the infotainment. The other display in the gauge cluster is likely a completely different device, and could run a different OS. They would communicate with each other over CAN bus or other high speed link.

It's likely the gauge cluster is also fed from the main infotainment system, using a APIX3 connection:

 

[Porter]

It's likely the gauge cluster is also fed from the main infotainment system, using a APIX3 connection:

View attachment 37402

I assume "DIM" is Driver Information Module. APIX3 can carry video obviously, but also very high speed data, bidirectionally, as indicated by the arrow. Either 6 GB/s or 12 GB/s depending on the type of cable. So it's possible that a lot of other communication is on that link as well.

There's a good chance that the DIM is doing more than just being a display, it could be an independent device all its own with its own CAN bus links to the car in addition to the data and video it's receiving from the infotainment module.

 

[Nova]

I assume "DIM" is Driver Information Module. APIX3 can carry video obviously, but also very high speed data, bidirectionally, as indicated by the arrow. Either 6 GB/s or 12 GB/s depending on the type of cable. So it's possible that a lot of other communication is on that link as well.

There's a good chance that the DIM is doing more than just being a display, it could be an independent device all its own with its own CAN bus links to the car in addition to the data and video it's receiving from the infotainment module.

You are correct! To the lower right is the FlexRay interface with the CEM (Central Electronics Module) and the DIM (Driver Information Module). FlexRay is a higher bandwidth alternative to CAN, based on quick search.

 

[VL3X]

FWIW, here's a shot of the R&D testing rig for the Emira screens. It's all Lynk & Co. I'm confident someone will be able to mod it at some point. And if not, it's just a screen and control panel. It should be easy enough to swap in something entirely new that communicates properly with the oem control module.

 

[seriously]

Agree with many other comments. I feel "eeehhh" with the current instrument layout. Its OK and I can learn to live with it but would much prefer digital display with round dials for speed and tach. I think the bottom render better compliments the analog nature of the car.
View attachment 37398View attachment 37399

Agree- traditional view would be preferred - something that is both "old school" but refreshed. I think Porsche did this well with the kind of physical tach and digital data around it

 

[Superman]

I think I must be one of the few who really, really wouldn't want 'old school analogue dials'. However, a few more different layouts or customisation options would be a welcome addition, especially if not directly linked to drive mode selection.