FastHatch

Is anyone here using the Data Log Lab software? The author of the software has posted on this board about 2 years ago.

Which features would you like to see in FC Tune (for free instead of paying $62)?

http://www.flyinmiata.com/dataloglab/index.htm

Andre

ky7

Just a quick q.. What is the possibility of you open sourcing your software? For my own needs I have two things in mind..

1. Port to linux for integration for my own in embedded apps (dash pc os - gentoo base).
2. Convert the comms layer of your app to ActiveX control. This would allow for 3rd party apps which could interface directly with the control for real time monitoring commands etc. I have experience with DirectX and OpenGL and I could create some very cool visual analogue / digital displays (skinnable etc) which would be ideal for those like myself who would like highly customised in dash TFT analogue / digital instrument displays etc.

Goes without saying the benefits of open sourcing would lend a great deal of support, expertise and features both for development of this project and end users as a whole..

FastHatch

I'm sorry, but FC Tune is closed source. I don't see any benefits for the end user or me to open souce it.

FC Tune is already running on Linux on the car stereo. For a desktop application only the base class of the views would have to been rewritten.

I could make an API for Plug-Ins or under Linux it could run as an daemon. There is no need to make it open source to open it for 3rd party apps.

Xeros

ALL OF IT PLEASE

ky7

I only suggest open source because it would mean that people like myself could focus on a wide range of applications based on your work. You certainly don't have time to do provide every feature people request, so why not allow them to do so themselves? This is a clear benefit for both end users and you as a developer.

Plugins would probably only run from within the host app, so thats not ideal. My suggestion is that you modularise the application so that the comms layer is accessible through an API... is this the kind of approach you are suggesting with a linux daemon? If so, I'm happy because it allows me to create nice visual display (analog gauges etc) app that reacts to events from monitoring data as it streams from the box - thats all.

In my case, all I want is some very cool visual representation of real-time data in full screen mode on my TFT in car display - graphical analog or digital gauges. I have experience writing GL apps so I'm willing to put in the effort. I don't want shitty window based displays like map watch in datalogit.

Your thoughts?

FastHatch

As said above FC Tune will stay closed source. It will always be freeware, but not open source. If a feature is of interest for a wide range of users i will implement it. I don't believe that someone downloads the source, implements a cool feature and sends me his code. The code will be used for own apps, maybe even commercial. That's the experience of people who have open sourced their ROM editors. Sad but true. There is even a commercial "competitor" for FC Tune.


Plugins only run within the host app, that is the intention of plugins. Plugins extend the features of the host app. What you want to do is to use parts of FC Tune without showing the user that it is based on it.

I'm working with someone else on an API now. Under Linux it would be possible to create /dev/pfc/channels/air_temperature etc. and other apps can then read the values.


Map watch is essentially for tuning, gauges are mostly to show off. I foucs my work on the DIY PFC tuners. But if you are interested you could write a portable gauge control which i can then add to the Windows app and for your Linux app you could get the data like described above.

ky7

Yours is an unfortunate experience.. in my experience! You'll find that any open source developer is not interested in commercial aspects, simply functionality. There would be no open source efforts otherwise!

It all depends on the licensing and I recommend you have a look into this when you get a chance, you'll find most of them will cover almost any scenario relating to distribution, code, copyright etc.


I understand the premise of plugins. What I want to do is no way related to obfuscating the underlying components of your application. One could argue that your application or indeed competitors are in breach of this very issue by using proprietary protocols from Apexi. I don't fully understand your fear in this regard.

Sounds cool, and in fact the above use of linux devices is exactly what I'm looking for. What stage are you at with this?

I certainly could, however I want to move away from a display which is tied to windows interface because what I'm proposing is a GL app purely for graphical display of "watch" data. I will put together a demo of what I'm talking about exactly for your review if you like. I'm not sure if many people are interested in this but I think it would be really cool addition aside from your apps core capabilities.

FastHatch

You are talking about open source, but what you really want is a free library. Open source means that everyone can have a look at the source and if he is a good soul he can contribute to it, not that everyone can take what ever he likes for his own application.


That's planned for the future as well as an API under Windows. But this here is an ECU forum and not a software development forum so we should discuss this somewhere else.


That's the wrong approach. The GL librarys are portable and so should be your gauges. GL is GL, no matter if it's displayed fullscreen under Linux or tied to a window under Windows.

I've seen that someone has made a virtual dashboard for the Haltech ECU in GL, maybe you can contact him to see if you both can work on a common solution.

ky7

I would love to discuss. I would be particularly interested in assisting in any way for linux development to help speed things along.

My concept is really a basic application (FC-Dash) which can display whatever configuration of gauges you want to represent watch data from the ecu. As such, it does not require the FC-Edit application itself, just the functionality of your libs to get logging data from the PFC. The scenario in which this could be used would be with your in-car pc / tft display. Running a slimmed down windows / linux distro, you could boot straight in to this app when you turn the key. Simple really. The reason I would choose GL is that it is suitable for the highly graphical displays I'm talking about and indeed it is platform independant.

I guess I'm simply asking for your support to fork development for a project like this - which would be a cool add on, aside from the tuning features of fc-edit itself. My only other option is to spend time reversing and writing my own libs to acheive this, which would waste time.

Could you please provide me with some links. I've googled but no cigar.

FastHatch

Just search in the Haltech forum here or google for E6gauges.

ky7

I take it you are uninterested in this proposition? I would have thought not, since you quite freely take other peoples information and code as a basis for your app, I still don't understand why you have fears regarding putting this in the public domain in the interests of speedy and wider development. I guess you're looking for peoples support, testing and feedback etc. for free even though your intentions are purely commercial?

Still no joy. Anyway - this is Haltech related stuff.

EvoErik

All...

And I'd like to combine the PowerFC data with data coming from a serial GPS-receiver -- do record laptimes and GPS-speed together with RPM/Knock etc...

Best regards,
Erik

FastHatch

FC Tune is not based on anyones code. Actually you wouldn't even find any Power FC related code anywhere. Do you believe Apexi has emailed me their file format documentation? Reverse engineering is the key and will be the key for you too.

Have you only registered here to steal my code? Your last post was very weak and i will ignore further posts from you.

And this thread is about log file analyzing, so back to topic please.

ky7

Sorry, the main objective of my previous posts was to offer some help and ideas. You're obviously a bit paranoid (to put it mildly) about someone stealing your code since it is a common thread in many of your posts.

A lot of code and documentation exists regarding Apexi's protocols etc, and you'll notice many people have been willing to provide this information in the public domain without any paranoid dillusions. I don't believe that you haven't looked at this, apart from your exercises in reversing.

Apolagies, I misread your objectives as it seems your posts here serve to simply advertise your software rather than open it to the community.

fritts

iTrader: (5)

KY7 don't you think your post is a bit harsh. Fasthatch is providing this program free of charge mind you. It is his perogative if he want's to offer the source code or not. Almost all of the people on the forum don't need or want the source code. Your post was rude and if you don't have anything constructive to say why even post. I just hope posts like this don't put Fasthatch off from providing a valuable program to the forum.

ky7

I don't think my post was harsh at all. If you care to read, I apolagised for misinterpreting his objectives with his project, and as stated it seems to me he is simply using this forum as free advertising for what he views as a commercial product whether he charges for it or not. Thats fine. I offered to help and add value in any way in order to deliver even more features for the community to which he is targeting this product. Simple. He used weak examples of how unrelated software code was used without license in other scenarios as his excuse for not open sourcing his application. The fact is, open source or not, code is released under terms of license, which if breached (i.e. reuse for commercial gains) this is illegal and he would have a perfect case against this. He also intimated that my intention might be to steal his code and that my comments were weak - that's rude as far as I'm concerned. I don't need his code either, I'm just looking to save time to deliver something that me and others are interested in. I fail to see how this is in any way non constructive.

I agree it is his perogative. Again, I'm not asking or begging for anything. I'm merely making suggestions that would have benefits for anyone who was interested. If you want to pander to those who might capitalise on your ignorance, I guess thats your perogative.

TailHappy

Ditto that. And if you do a search, you can find that fasthatch has even divulged more information about communicating with the PFC than I can even understand...

I'm as much for the open source movement as the next guy, but I can totally appreciate Fasthatch not wanting to release his code. That's his perogative. He's invested a LOT of time in this, and I have to agree with him that it is HIGHLY likely someone would steal his code for profit if he releases it. I know there's licenses and this and that to protect OSS, but to enforce it, you have to get in nasty lawsuits, which is more than the average person wants to fool with. I'm just thankful he's releasing it for free, and he's willing to make it extensible. If I can tap into his software with my own software, I have no reason to even care what the source is.... It just works, and that's good enough for me.

Sorry to get off topic.

Maximum

iTrader: (5)

It prerogative guys, but good use of vocabulary. Anyway, I don't know why you are pushing the issue so much ky7. If I were in fasthatch's position I can imagine being reluctant to hand over the fruits of my 100s of hours of reverse engineering and code so that you can make your own program and potentially market it. If there is so much code available and you want to make your own program, it sounds like you'll be fine on your own. And I encourage you to make an "fc-dash" as it would be useful to those people who keep a computer in the car.

ky7

I'm not pushing anything You basically identified the nub of the issue, which is fasthatch's commercial intentions are the sole driver behind his fear of stealing code.

I'm on it. I was just hoping to speed things along. It will be open source.

TailHappy

Holy crap, you're right, lol. I'm not one to misspell things very frequently but I've been screwing that one up my whole life.. Thanks for the free lesson.

Maximum

iTrader: (5)

I hear you ky7, but I think we should just let him do his thing. It's his baby, and he can handle it as he pleases. I look forward to seeing what you do with the dash display. If you haven't already seen it, this thread might speed you along some - https://www.rx7club.com/power-fc-forum-47/hacking-powerfc-datalogit-147597/ .

And Tailhappy - glad to help haha.

DataLogLab

Just out of interest, Data Log Lab's on sale at the moment for only $39.95!

http://www.flyinmiata.com/index.php?...7000%20%20FULL

Still looking for some current RX-7 FC-Datalogit example logs to maximise the info that Data Log Lab loads out of them - if anyone's got any they'd like to volunteer, please email them through to support@dataloglab.com.

Thanks in advance,

Glenn
Data Log Lab Support
www.dataloglab.com