[combatcarry]

Okay I admit this came to me in a dream...

Why doesn't somebody write aftermarket software for iDrive? I realize that the design and development would be extensive, but I would think there is a market for the product. I know I would probably dish out $250 for software that does unique things, works faster, and is easier to use than regular iDrive.

[bartman32]

Good idea. I elect you to write the programing and test it on your car!

[zenmaster]

Originally Posted by combatcarry

Okay I admit this came to me in a dream...

Why doesn't somebody write aftermarket software for iDrive? I realize that the design and development would be extensive, but I would think there is a market for the product. I know I would probably dish out $250 for software that does unique things, works faster, and is easier to use than regular iDrive.

Keep dreaming. This will not happen. The iDrive platform is locked down by Siemens VDO and BMW.

[Gren]

Originally Posted by zenmaster

Keep dreaming. This will not happen. The iDrive platform is locked down by Siemens VDO and BMW.

in the first, by Microsoft

[zenmaster]

Originally Posted by Gren

in the first, by Microsoft

I think the OS platforms are actually split across the series. 7 series uses Windows CE - or had used. Don't the e90's use VxWorks?

[canucklion]

Jspira can easily answer this question for you, hope he'll chime in!

[glamprecht]

VxWorks Yes.

And no it is not impossible, but you are right it will be a lot of effort.

However a CCC, LCD and couple of EE students might just do the trick....

I would have if I was still a student.

Aparently they use commercial processors and VxWorks. Then it can't be that difficult to do.

[zenmaster]

However a CCC, LCD and couple of EE students might just do the trick....

Some parts may be easy, but some would be a PITA without the tools. You need tools like the SSS hardware just to load it. Lacking their dev environment, you'd have to figure out how to unencrypt CIP software, disassemble it, reassemble it, get the complete image into a loadable format, encrypt it,etc. CCC runs VxWorks 5.5 on a 32bit Hitatchi SH processor.

A couple of threads on the subject:
Navigation trick...
I DRIVE Wallpaper

[Gren]

Originally Posted by glamprecht

VxWorks Yes.

Are you sure? IMHO CCC of BMW works on Win Mobile for automotives.
Progaman works on Win Embedded too

[zenmaster]

Originally Posted by Gren

Are you sure? IMHO CCC of BMW works on Win Mobile for automotives.
Progaman works on Win Embedded too

The CCC's in e90 (3), e60 (5), e63 (6) (and most likey e87 (1) ) all run VxWorks. Windows may be used elsewhere.

[rob72]

Originally Posted by Gren

Are you sure? IMHO CCC of BMW works on Win Mobile for automotives.
Progaman works on Win Embedded too

The original iDrive version used on the 7 series apparently used Windows CE at the time. I have no idea what they use now on the 7 series, but seeing how everything else is VxWorks I would be surprised if the current 7 series uses something different.

[glamprecht]

BMW diag tools runs on Windows XP embedded. That is not a compact version. It is ordinary Windows XP customised and stripped down. The first 7 series apparently ran MS compact edition (CE) automotive. This is similar to what runs on pocket PC, but with some tweaks for automotive.

I got CE automotive 6.0 beta last year and it's pretty good.

We ran VXWorx on high-end traffic controllers. User interface is lowest priority, but task scheduling and predictability is top priority. It worked like a dream. VXWorx is also very common on PBX and telecom routing applications.

I personally think VXWorx is a huge mistake.

VX Worx is probably the reason why nav software is so poor on BMW. They took over a year to fix the arrow view that they broke in progman 19. And they only got the CD pause problem sorted in Progman 25. Anyway if BMW have 1 programmer dedicated to development I would be surprised.

I would think that they are currently busy with next generation Nav and that's why development on the current systems are slow.

Anyway there is no reason why we cannot load Linux or Windows Mobile on the controller. If you see what the guys reporting on www.xda-developers.com reverse engineered the HTC Universal which is as sophisticated as the CCC and modified a Linux kernel to run on it.

ASIC's are usually the only problem these days. I don't know if they have any ASIC's on the CCC. I am burning anyway to look into it.

[zenmaster]

I would think that they are currently busy with next generation Nav and that's why development on the current systems are slow.

Probably. But how much of the navigation is actually written by Siemens, and how much by Navteq?

Most everything showing up in the CCC's Nav display is written in Java ala Siemens VDO TLA. So VxWorks shouldn't be as much of a factor in getting fixes out the door. Theoretically, the OS would only become an issue when Java needed to be bypassed in order to optimize parts of the software or to provide new low-level interfaces.