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Newb wanting to BT my van

pengyou

Apr 14, 2012
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I have a van that I am making a number of upgrades too. I would like to add power windows and mirrors to it without having to play "spaghetti wiring" with it. I also want to keep the window cranks so that I can open and close the windows with the engine or accessories off. I have a 9" tablet that will be mounted in the center console, replacing the stereo. I would like to be able to use bt to control both windows and mirrors. I have not yet bought the motors for the windows - was thinking about getting a higher speed servo motor for each one, thinking that it would be easier to control with bt. Any suggestions?
 

Gryd3

Jun 25, 2014
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I have a van that I am making a number of upgrades too. I would like to add power windows and mirrors to it without having to play "spaghetti wiring" with it. I also want to keep the window cranks so that I can open and close the windows with the engine or accessories off. I have a 9" tablet that will be mounted in the center console, replacing the stereo. I would like to be able to use bt to control both windows and mirrors. I have not yet bought the motors for the windows - was thinking about getting a higher speed servo motor for each one, thinking that it would be easier to control with bt. Any suggestions?
Before you invest in ANY motors or servos you need to figure out your bluetooth control scheme.
I'm not currently aware of any Bluetooth development devices that allow you to toggle input and outputs on and off, you'll need to find one or build one. For the sake of reliability, I would encourage you to 'play spaghetti' with the wiring. If you plan it out right, you only really need 3 wires in each door. (Power, Ground, Signal)
The 'signal' wire would take care of redirecting power to the window, mirror, or lock the door. You will still be required to build a small 'interpreter' to convert the signal to a basic output to connect to a motor or relay.

In any case... research and prototype with cheap parts first!
 

hevans1944

Hop - AC8NS
Jun 21, 2012
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Fugeddaboutit. Power windows are not compatible with hand-cranked windows. What else are you gonna use the tablet for? Conversations while driving? I have remote controlled outside mirrors on my Ford Taurus station wagon, in convenient reach of the driver without taking my eyes off the road to futz around with a tablet. Maybe you should consider investing in a recording dash-board camera to document your rear-end collisions from failure to maintain an assured clear distance while staring at and fingering your tablet. Yours is a bad idea.
 

Gryd3

Jun 25, 2014
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Fugeddaboutit. Power windows are not compatible with hand-cranked windows. What else are you gonna use the tablet for? Conversations while driving? I have remote controlled outside mirrors on my Ford Taurus station wagon, in convenient reach of the driver without taking my eyes off the road to futz around with a tablet. Maybe you should consider investing in a recording dash-board camera to document your rear-end collisions from failure to maintain an assured clear distance while staring at and fingering your tablet. Yours is a bad idea.
Certainly is a poor decision for control of mirrors and windows, but individual driving habits vary a lot. It's unfair to assume that the OP would be operating the mirror adjustment while he is speeding down an autobahn at 200+km/h.

It certainly is a poor control method though, a more reliable/safer method should be devised that removes the tablet from the equation...

Please consider the separation of 'Entertainment' controls from all others. If you need to adjust it while driving, you should be able to do so with your eyes closed. If you need to look away from the road to adjust it, it should not be an important item.
 

hevans1944

Hop - AC8NS
Jun 21, 2012
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If you need to adjust it while driving, you should be able to do so with your eyes closed. If you need to look away from the road to adjust it, it should not be an important item.
My point exactly. My wife, if riding beside me, won't let me touch the air flow controls or the radio! She actually doesn't like the way I operate the steering wheel, gas pedal, or brake pedal either. I guess it has something to do with my Mario Andretti gene that activates when I get behind the wheel.:eek:
 

LightShow

Jun 9, 2016
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I have a van that I am making a number of upgrades too. I would like to add power windows and mirrors to it without having to play "spaghetti wiring" with it. I also want to keep the window cranks so that I can open and close the windows with the engine or accessories off. I have a 9" tablet that will be mounted in the center console, replacing the stereo. I would like to be able to use bt to control both windows and mirrors. I have not yet bought the motors for the windows - was thinking about getting a higher speed servo motor for each one, thinking that it would be easier to control with bt. Any suggestions?

am i the only one that thinks BT is a really bad idea for something like this??
you know paying attention to the road should be #1 not activating your BT windows
 

davenn

Moderator
Sep 5, 2009
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am i the only one that thinks BT is a really bad idea for something like this??
you know paying attention to the road should be #1 not activating your BT windows

no, you are not ... other commented on that earlier ;)
tis a really bad idea
 

KeithM

Nov 3, 2015
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The question about whether using a tablet to control your car while driving is a bad idea or not wasn't really what @pengyou was asking about ;-) It would probably be good to stick to the original question about motors and bluetooth controllers so the thread doesn't go off topic :)
 

hevans1944

Hop - AC8NS
Jun 21, 2012
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The question about whether using a tablet to control your car while driving is a bad idea or not wasn't really what @pengyou was asking about ;-) It would probably be good to stick to the original question about motors and bluetooth controllers so the thread doesn't go off topic :)

Problem is, folks often propose things here that are dangerous. We don't aid or abet dangerous projects. The original poster is an admitted "Newb" who teaches English to students in Taiwan. He has been a member of Electronics Point since April 13, 2012 but has posted only four times, including the post originating this topic. His knowledge of electronics appears minimal at best, judging from the content of his other three posts.

Perhaps it appears to you that this is simply all about technology, pairing a Bluetooth-enabled tablet with mirrors and windows. It is not. It is about whether it is prudent and safe to place a tablet that will distract a driver's attention next to the operator of a lethal machine, an automobile. There have been hundreds, if not thousands, of automobile accidents that can be attributed to distracted driving. Here in Ohio, in at least one city (Kettering), has an ordinance that makes it illegal to text while driving, or even operate a cellphone without a Bluetooth earbud for hands-free conversations. If I were writing the laws, it would be illegal to use cellphones while driving. Period. And this from a licensed radio amateur who is normally exempt from laws restricting mobile amateur radio communications.

So go ahead, @KeithM, and naively believe this thread is all about motors and Bluetooth-enabled tablets.
 

davenn

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Sep 5, 2009
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tho I agree with you Hop ....

lets keep it friendly guys :)
 

hevans1944

Hop - AC8NS
Jun 21, 2012
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tho I agree with you Hop ....

lets keep it friendly guys :)
Okay, I apologize to @KeithM for the way I responded to his post. Let's get back on track as he suggested and discuss motors and Bluetooth controllers.

Motors first: I have worked on automobiles with power windows. They are a nightmare to get access to the mechanism, which in my experience consists of a geared-down brushed DC motor driving a bell-crank contraption that raises and lowers the window. There is no provision for counter-balancing the weight of the window, which is considerable. There is no obvious way to add a hand-crank to the mechanism (the gear reduction on the motor appears to be a worm gear so the window weight won't apply reverse torque to the motor). It appears to be an add-on that replaces a conventional hand-cranked window. So. if you want to preserve a hand-crank and add a motor for powered window movement, some mechanical engineering is required.

First, from a safety point of view, there must be a mechanism that disconnects the hand-crank when the window motor is running. Perhaps a solenoid-operated clutch that disengages the handle while the window motor is running would suffice. Then you have to somehow couple the hand-cranked mechanism to a reversible DC motor, perhaps with one of those spiffy little ladder-chain belts engaging a gear on the hand-crank shaft and another gear on the motor. You may or may not need a worm gear to prevent the weight of the window from applying back-torque to the motor. I think it would be a far easier job to ditch the hand-crank and modifiy a regular power window to accept Bluetooth conveyed commands from the tablet. Just parallel the existing window control switches with some relay contacts controlled by a Bluetooth receiver.

Now let's look at Bluetooth controllers. The typical Bluetooth transmitter is also a receiver for bi-directional communications. The two must be "paired" by the end user before any communications can take place, although it is also possible to establish a Bluetooth network among multiple Bluetooth transceivers. The point here is communications: data, character strings, binary information. The window and mirror motors must connect to a receiver that interprets the commands sent from the tablet via Bluetooth. For this, I think I would start with an Arduino Uno equipped with a Bluetooth shield and a Bluetooth transceiver module, but you are free to come up with whatever hack you think would work.

I would like to hear from @pengyou with his plan on how he will accomplish the task. Maybe someone here can provide schematics, parts list, and wiring diagrams. Please tell us what make, model, and year your van is and what factory-installed accessories you have.

Hop
 

pengyou

Apr 14, 2012
8
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Thanks! It has been a long time since I have followed up on this thread because the vehicle became inoperable. Yes, I have limited knowledge of electronics, and I appreciate all of your opinions. The goal is (may still happen) to use voice recognition in a tablet coupled to the bluetooth to make operation of the van MORE safe, and not less safe - I often drive by myself. The initial post was to check into the feasibility of this task.
 
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