OBD-Pi

Step 1: Hardware Required:

  1. Raspberry Pi Model B or B+
  2. Aftermarket head unit (Note: Must support Auxiliary input)
  3. Plugable USB Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy Micro Adapter
  4. 2A Car Supply / Switch or Micro USB Car Charger
  5. ELM327 Bluetooth Adapter or ELM327 USB Cable
  6. RCA cable
  7. Keyboard (*optional)

OBD-Pi

Step 2: What is OBD-II?

OBD stands for On-Board Diagnostics, and this standard connector has been mandated in the US since 1996. Now you can think of OBD-II as an on-board computer system that is responsible for monitoring your vehicle’s engine, transmission, and emissions control components.

Vehicles that comply with the OBD-II standards will have a data connector within about 2 feet of the steering wheel. The OBD connector is officially called a SAE J1962 Diagnostic Connector, but is also known by DLC, OBD Port, or OBD connector. It has positions for 16 pins, and looks like this:

OBD-Pi

Step 3: PyOBD?

pyOBD (aka pyOBD-II or pyOBD2) is an open source OBD-II (SAE-J1979) compliant scantool software written entirely in Python. It is designed to interface with low-cost ELM 32x OBD-II diagnostic interfaces such as ELM-USB. It will basically allow you to talk to your car's ECU, display fault codes, display measured values, read status tests, etc.

I took a fork of pyOBD’s software from their GitHub repository, https://github.com/peterh/pyobd, and used this as the basis for my program.

The program will connect through the OBD-II interface, display the gauges available dependent on the particular vehicle and display realtime engine data to the cars aftermarket head unit in an interactive GUI.

 

 

For more detail: OBD-Pi


About The Author

Ibrar Ayyub

I am an experienced technical writer holding a Master's degree in computer science from BZU Multan, Pakistan University. With a background spanning various industries, particularly in home automation and engineering, I have honed my skills in crafting clear and concise content. Proficient in leveraging infographics and diagrams, I strive to simplify complex concepts for readers. My strength lies in thorough research and presenting information in a structured and logical format.

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