[SnapCoupe]

When I first purchased my 335i, I immediately jumped into modifying and tinkering as this is the first car I have owned with such a large aftermarket. I jumped the gun with the tune and ended up purchasing a COBB setup as MHD was still pretty early in development. Now, I am running MHD with a custom tune though I must say, I really miss the simplicity, aesthetics, and functionality that the COBB access port had. When running the COBB, I had it mounted to the right of the headunit with the OBD2 wire concealed under the trim running to the port. The access port was small, didn't look out of place, and was able to display all of the information I wanted to see.

With MHD, while there is far more functionality with the actual "tuning" aspect of the system, the data logging and gauges leave a lot to be desired. Currently, you must use an android device (I use a 7" fire tablet), the device must be plugged into the OBD2 port and cannot have a permanent power source because of this, and the aesthetics of the gauges leave a lot to be desired. I recall hearing that bluetooth compatibility was going to be finished up soon after the F30 ECU was cracked, this would help with the power source, but doesn't address the rest of the issues.

As of right now, the only gauge setup for our cars that allows access to ALL parameters is the AWRON screen. While it looks OEM and has the functionality, the price is too high to justify purchasing it.

The P3 vent gauge is cheaper and is aesthetically fitting in our cars, though is unable to access the same information as AWRON, MHD, or COBB.

A traditional gauge pod would be the only other option, but you must go the traditional route of running boost lines, etc and if you buy quality gauges, a 3 gauge setup ends up being almost as much as the AWRON.

Solutions?

If COBB was able to have data transfer AND power from the OBD2 why cant we have the same for a small android device? How difficult would it be to manufacture a small android device with a OBD2 power source specifically for a gauge/data logging/tuning purpose?

Thoughts?

[CobraMarty]

You might look at the Banks iDash 1.8 Super Gauge.
I have 2 of these on my Ram Diesel truck, but they will work on other vehicles as well.

[BMWcurious]

There were people that liked the AccessPort and other people like their cell phone. I think the phones are winning.

For a permanent gauge installation, do you really want to block the OBD socket physically or with a UDS logging protocol to see your permanently installed gauges?

For permanently installed gauges, I'd like something that tapped into CAN bus behind the OBD socket and wiring permanently. 12V to USB power supplies are easy to install and hide away. The biggest issue might actually be a nice mount that is flush rather than sticking from a bracket.

The other option is to have LVDS or HDMI output and display on the car's dashboard screen.

Beyond gauges, once you've done that you really want to connect to other devices... WiFi is good and fast compared to Bluetooth, but the phone or PC cannot be connected to the internet through WiFi whilst also connected to a WiFi device that is not itself linked to the internet and quite capable. I've been looking at making a device act as a station and an access point, so that if the car was in the garage/shop/at home, the cell phone or PC could get internet over WiFi, and the revert to cellular on the move. However, then your internet traffic competes with your interface to the car, and I really think they should be separate if you care about response and latency, and efficiently using embedded devices.

[dsjr2006]

Not sure if you're only talking about permanent, but for gauges and logging it's hard to beat the JB4. Connects to your phone via bluetooth and you have all of the gauges and logging on your phone.