OBD Play: an iPhone app for viewing Mach-E trips and charging data

[Earlofsandwich]

this is really cool!

Sponsored

 

[machdady]

I have the OBDLink MX+ adapter. When I got it the 12volt battery issue was mentioned here on the forum and I was afraid to keep the adapter plugged in.

Just confirming that it should be fine to keep this plugged in at all times (does it stay on when off and not charging - and potentially connect to my phone that is nearby when parked in driveway)?

 

[Jiji]

I have the OBDLink MX+ adapter. When I got it the 12volt battery issue was mentioned here on the forum and I was afraid to keep the adapter plugged in.

Just confirming that it should be fine to keep this plugged in at all times (does it stay on when off and not charging - and potentially connect to my phone that is nearby when parked in driveway)?

Mine has been left sitting in the OBDII plug for over a month and just once did I get the "detected power drain" error message. But even if it was to find itself left in active mode the draw is specified at just 62mA (standby battery saver mode is spec'd at just 2mA) so I on't think it will kill the 12V battery as I hope the car will refresh it when it hots 40% SoC.

That said, maybe your MME is just overly sensitive.

 

[Mach-Lee]

I have the OBDLink MX+ adapter. When I got it the 12volt battery issue was mentioned here on the forum and I was afraid to keep the adapter plugged in.

Just confirming that it should be fine to keep this plugged in at all times (does it stay on when off and not charging - and potentially connect to my phone that is nearby when parked in driveway)?

Yes, OK to keep plugged in all the time as long as the app goes to idle mode and stops polling CAN data when the car is off. Active CAN polling while the car is off will drain the 12V battery since the modules won't go to sleep.

 

[machdady]

Yes, OK to keep plugged in all the time as long as the app goes to idle mode and stops polling CAN data when the car is off. Active CAN polling while the car is off will drain the 12V battery since the modules won't go to sleep.

Thanks so much @Mach-Lee! Will connect and make sure CAN polling is off.

 

[debsahu]

I spun up a docker container for influxdb2 and cloudflare-Argo tunneled it out as a https connection. Works flawlessly with the OBD Play app, but there is no data there as OBD record is what puts data into influxdb. How do I get access to OBD record?

 

[Jiji]

I spun up a docker container for influxdb2 and cloudflare-Argo tunneled it out as a https connection. Works flawlessly with the OBD Play app, but there is no data there as OBD record is what puts data into influxdb. How do I get access to OBD record?

It is coming soon, one update to OBD Play to add support for an OBD Record data source that I will host for those not skilled in Docker or creating one on InfluxDB Cloud. Then OBD Record gets the same treatment in TestFlight but while I use it daily it has more quirks and issues than OBD Play.

For now you can backup all or part of the demo data source I have provided, make your instance the active data source and restore it. Then using the demo vehicle you can access it on your InfluxDB container.

Do you have your OBDLink MX+ device? Without one of these there is nothing to record.

 

[debsahu]

For now you can backup all or part of the demo data source I have provided, make your instance the active data source and restore it. Then using the demo vehicle you can access it on your InfluxDB container.

Can confirm that backup from demo db and restoring on my local db works.

Do you have your OBDLink MX+ device? Without one of these there is nothing to record.

yes I do.

 

[Jiji]

Can confirm that backup from demo db and restoring on my local db works.

yes I do.

Always nice to get independent confirmation of poor to average coding skills. Don’t know if you looked but they are just JSON text files that you can edit the VIN field should you like to use your own VIN and make it more personalized. That is what I do to add trips and charges to the demo data source so I don’t share my VIN or if I went somewhere my mother would not approve of.

You can also swipe on a trip or charge and delete it as you have write permission.

i hope I can submit a build of the OBD Record app to Apple for approval this weekend which is a requirement to go to TestFlight. I will let it out with its warts as long as I can at least warn you of them in advance.

Edit: FYI - under Settings -> General -> Advaced there is an option to pretty-print the backups which makes it easier to edit.

 

[Jiji]

Just edited the original post on page one with a link to the updated OBD Play preview:

Original Post (as an Update)

Because the results of the first preview were positive this version can be evaluated by up to 50 users. Just some minor changes incorporating the feedback from the first group of testers but it now frees me up to get the ODB Record companion app into TestFlight so you can start recording your own trips and charges.

 

[kindofblue]

Thanks Rick for this. I just ran through ODB Play and was pleased to see all the data there.

Question: Would I be able to use this with both my MME as well as my BMW i4? And if so, would I eventually need two databases, one for each? Hopefully you'll have some guidance for those of us who are not database savvy once it's ready for prime time. ;-)

 

[Jiji]

Thanks Rick for this. I just ran through ODB Play and was pleased to see all the data there.

Question: Would I be able to use this with both my MME as well as my BMW i4? And if so, would I eventually need two databases, one for each? Hopefully you'll have some guidance for those of us who are not database savvy once it's ready for prime time. ;-)

The easy answer is that this software doesn't care what your vehicle is as long as its basic inputs can be satisfied. In order to log a trip I need to know when the ignition is turned on and what the gear shift position is (a trip is just defined as the 'data' collected between Park -> non-Park -> Park). Pretty basic data and then the rest comes from the iPhone (latitude/longitude/elevation) and it is nice to have the odometer and speed but even they aren't required to show the path on the map and display the trip start and end points.

So it doesn't have to be a Mustang Mach-E, it doesn't even have to be an EV as these data points are probably available in any modern/connected vehicle. To deal with your BMW i4 you just need to find the EV-specific data points like SoC and battery/charging that are part of the OBD Play Mach-E reports.

One database is fine, OBD Record reads the VIN and tags the collected data with it, you setup OBD Read with your list of vehicle VINs and it uses the active vehicle to pull only those results into its reports.

I am not database-savvy but you may have noticed the newest build has two options during the data source onboarding, an OBD Play data source which is read-only and lets you view trips/charges I have decided to share and new option for the OBD Record data source which is read/write database and meant to make it easy for those recording their trips/charges with OBD Record to get up and running.

Selecting the OBD Record database as the data source and I will host your data (no need to spin up your own) but it has the downside (at least for now) that if someone knows your VIN they can look at your trips and charges so I expect it to be helpful for evaluation but not for long-term use.

 

[kindofblue]

The easy answer is that this software doesn't care what your vehicle is as long as its basic inputs can be satisfied. In order to log a trip I need to know when the ignition is turned on and what the gear shift position is (a trip is just defined as the 'data' collected between Park -> non-Park -> Park). Pretty basic data and then the rest comes from the iPhone (latitude/longitude/elevation) and it is nice to have the odometer and speed but even they aren't required to show the path on the map and display the trip start and end points.

So it doesn't have to be a Mustang Mach-E, it doesn't even have to be an EV as these data points are probably available in any modern/connect vehicle. To deal with your BMW i4 you just need to find the EV-specific data points like SoC and battery/charging that are part of the OBD Play Mach-E reports.

One database is fine, OBD Record reads the VIN and tags the collected data with it, you setup OBD Read with your list of vehicle VINs and it uses the active vehicle to pull only those results into its reports.

I am not database-savvy but you may have noticed the newest build has two options during the data source onboarding, an OBD Play data source which is read-only and lets you view trips/charges I have decided to share and new option for the OBD Record data source which is read/write database and meant to make it easy for those recording their trips/charges with OBD Record to get up and running.

Selecting the OBD Record database as the data source and I will host your data (no need to spin up your own) but it has the downside (at least for now) that if someone knows your VIN they can look at your trips and charges so I expect it to be helpful for evaluation but not for long-term use.

Thanks, that's most helpful.

 

[Jiji]

Happy Sunday! I just posted two fun trips in the OBD Play data source for your analysis and viewing pleasure.

Woke up to low 20℉ temperatures and blowing snow that should really be a drag on efficiency so how about a road trip around the finest of the NY Finger Lakes. These conditions are perhaps the last chance to grab a drive around Skaneateles Lake running on a mix of snow-packed and slushy roads and do some climbs and descents as the start and end points are all at (nominally 862' MSL) lake level but the south end has some nice higher elevations to explore thanks to the last ice age. These very wintry-like conditions might be the last for a while since the forecast finally shows spring-like conditions arriving later this week.

So how did we do overall?

Yikes, that is way below the results from the past week and month.

Let's dig in by looking at the two trip profiles, the left side is the downwind leg from the village of Skaneateles to The Glen Haven (a seasonal float-in dining spot at the south end of the lake) via West Lake Road and Bear Swamp with lots of blowing/drifting snow across the road. The right side is the return trip back to the village using the scenic East Lake Road via the hamlet of Scott in very similar conditions.

As expected the two trips took a bit more energy from the higher rolling resistance of the snow covered roads and cross winds in the less sheltered higher elevations, also note the HVB cooled down the entire way after starting from my (relatively) warm garage, something I don't yet collect data but on my to-do list. I am only showing the mean temperature for the trips but the range was 16℉ in the higher elevations to 22℉ in the village of Skaneateles.

Hopefully I can repeat this next week in much drier and warmer conditions and see just how much of an impact the environment has the driving efficiency - just some of the fun of seeing your Mach-E in action. I just realized Apple has a weather API so logging the weather and not just temperature during a trip seems like something to explore.

 

[kindofblue]

Happy Sunday! I just posted two fun trips in the OBD Play data source for your analysis and viewing pleasure.

Woke up to low 20℉ temperatures and blowing snow that should really be a drag on efficiency so how about a road trip around the finest of the NY Finger Lakes. These conditions are perhaps the last chance to grab a drive around Skaneateles Lake running on a mix of snow-packed and slushy roads and do some climbs and descents as the start and end points are all at (nominally 862' MSL) lake level but the south end has some nice higher elevations to explore thanks to the last ice age. These very wintry-like conditions might be the last for a while since the forecast finally shows spring-like conditions arriving later this week.

So how did we do overall?

Yikes, that is way below the results from the past week and month.

Let's dig in by looking at the two trip profiles, the left side is the downwind leg from the village of Skaneateles to The Glen Haven (a seasonal float-in dining spot at the south end of the lake) via West Lake Road and Bear Swamp with lots of blowing/drifting snow across the road. The right side is the return trip back to the village using the scenic East Lake Road via the hamlet of Scott in very similar conditions.

As expected the two trips took a bit more energy from the higher rolling resistance of the snow covered roads and cross winds in the less sheltered higher elevations, also note the HVB cooled down the entire way after starting from my (relatively) warm garage, something I don't yet collect data but on my to-do list. I am only showing the mean temperature for the trips but the range was 16℉ in the higher elevations to 22℉ in the village of Skaneateles.

Hopefully I can repeat this next week in much drier and warmer conditions and see just how much of an impact the environment has the driving efficiency - just some of the fun of seeing your Mach-E in action. I just realized Apple has a weather API so logging the weather and not just temperature during a trip seems like something to explore.

Thanks. A bit off topic: We drove around the Finger lakes a couple years ago and found the area to be a delight.