Non-Sony Stalk -- frobbing the ADC values

Cambridge Car Audio have just finished installing my empeg into my Ford Focus. It's got a factory-fit stalk, which I'm hoping that they've connected to a PCATS tuner.

The problem is this: the resistance values are not the standard Sony ones. So, two questions:

1. Is there any way (without using the serial port -- I don't want to rip my dash apart to get to it) to read the values from the ADC? There was talk about adding this to Hijack; did it ever happen?
2. Once I've got those values, is there a way to use Hijack to translate them? Either directly into control codes, using IR translate, or by frobbing the values before the player sees them?

I've searched the BBS and the FAQ, but I've not been able to find anything useful.

Before you assume that it's really ADC values, keep in mind that some steering wheel interfaces send digital coded data values instead of just resistance values. In those cases, you need an interface to do the conversion.

However, assuming that in your case it really is resistance values, then I, too, want to do this. My friend Tod's GM-to-Sony interface puts out resistance values that are slightly off and therefore only trigger the empeg functions intermittently.

We could rip apart his dash again to either hook up a serial cable or read the resistance values, but it would be easier to just see them on the screen.

Mark, any chance of a Hijack function to do this?

It's definitely resistance values. Hopefully it's within the range of the ADC.

Oh! So all you need is to plug in the values into Hijack since our friend from <<that company>> has kindly supplied the values for you in that post.

So all you need to know is the Hijack syntax.

I'm gonna need to know that as well, but I'd still also like an on-screen display of the resistance values for debugging purposes.

By the way, there's some information here regarding the readback values from the ADC in the tuner interface, but I don't know if any of that information translates directly into Hijack configuration settings or not.

Hijack already has code to map non-standard stalk values to the standard codes (which can then be remapped with ir_translate if need be).

The "stalk_lhs" and "stalk_rhs" arrays are used in config.ini to specify the min/max readings for each of the 10 possible stalk buttons/motions on the standard unit.

The "stalk_debug=1" parameter can be used to dump raw stalk packets out the serial port -- the stalk reading is the third byte of each packet.

BUT.. Just for Roger, I'm spinning a v354 right now, which integrates the raw stalk codes onto the front panel "Button Codes Display" function from the Hijack menu.. much more convenient for in-car use, that way.

Should be ready in 5-10 minutes.

Cheers

The "stalk_lhs" and "stalk_rhs" arrays are used in config.ini to specify the min/max readings for each of the 10 possible stalk buttons/motions on the standard unit.

Can you specify in more detail the exact syntax of how this should be entered into config.ini?

I'm spinning a v354 right now, which integrates the raw stalk codes onto the front panel "Button Codes Display"

Wohoo! Thank you, Mark!

Like rubbing a lamp!

Can you specify in more detail the exact syntax of how this should be entered into config.ini?

All values in hex

Cheers

When using the Button Codes Display for this new purpose, keep in mind that it still works the same way as before: the display stays live until the same button (stalk, front-panel, or remote) is pressed twice in a row, then it exits..

So while tweaking the stalk, don't hit the same button/motion twice in a row..

Cheers

Rock! Thank you!

Excellent. I'll give that a go this weekend.

> Should be ready in 5-10 minutes.

blink.

wow.

-brendan

Rock! Thank you!

Have you tried this yet, Tony? I tried it at the weekend, and didn't get anything on the screen. I'd like to confirm that it's working for someone else before I rip my dash apart. Or (more likely) drive up to Cambridge and get Cambscar to rip my dash apart.

When it's working, it should look like this:

Right, so it appears that either my stalk's not hooked up properly, or the ADC is not reading it at all. Bugger.

Have you tried this yet, Tony?

I have not. I was unable to convince Tod to bring his car up on Friday night to work on it. Perhaps some day this week?

I do have second tuner hooked up indoors, so I could in theory plug a variable resistor into the sony port on it. I'll give that a go tonight.

Okay, I tried it by hooking up a variable resistor to the stalk port, and Mark's code display worked fine. Haven't tried it on the Real Thing yet, hopefully this week.

The photo above was also from the real thing (I have a Sony Stalk here).

Cheers

Quote:
Right, so it appears that either my stalk's not hooked up properly, or the ADC is not reading it at all. Bugger.

Turns out that it was both problems: Cambscar hadn't connected the stalk, despite me asking them to; and the resistor in the tuner needed changing to detect Ford resistance values.