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Android app for MEMS 1.6/1.9 diagnostics

23K views 42 replies 16 participants last post by  jamesportman 
#1 ·
#7 ·
As denis747 says, I'd be surprised if we were able to make changes using this, you'd need a proper T4 machine for that. It's more for diagnostics - I'd imagine it'll show similar info to the "Torque" app which I used to use on my ZS (and still use on my mum's R45) which connects via Bluetooth to an ODB reader, you can use it to read and reset diagnostic codes, monitor RPM, coolant temperature, and so forth.
 
#5 ·
I think it is just for reading error codes and showing live data. I have downloaded it and installed it on my phone, it is working ok on the phone. I will buy the USB OTG cable and the other cable and give it a try. Anyone knows where the diagnostics socket is on the facelift 620ti?
 
#9 · (Edited)
In the six months since this was posted, has anyone used this in earnest, especially on MEMS 1.6 (I realise this is a Rover 600 forum so I guess that's MEMS 1.9)?

I have used the Windows MEMS diagnostic at: http://alum.wpi.edu/~colinb/mems_interface.html

and I'm very happy with it. Not having an Android device, and being unable to run the Android app in an emulator on Windows, I would consider getting a basic device just to run the app, but I'd like to hear what people think of it first. If, for example, it tells me little more than the Windows app, then there's no point in going to all the effort and expense.

UPDATE: I managed to get this app running on Windows 7 using an Android emulator called Andyroid. I tried other emulators bit they couldn't do the USB passthrough. After a post to the Andyroid forum I managed to get the app running, and I have to say it was worth every minute of the couple of days trying to find an emulator that would work and then setting up. Apparently, some Android devices won't play the app - there's a free 'lite' version to try before buying the full version, the best £7.50 I've ever spent.

Many thanks.

Martin
 
#11 ·
Many thanks, rover 64. Since posting, I have managed to run this app on my Windows 7 laptop through an Android emulator called Andyroid. None of the other emulators I tried could pass through the usb data. I am very impesssed with it, as I am with a Windows app called MEMS Diag 1.6, but as the name suggests, it has been developed only for MEMS 1.6, because the developer lives in the US and only has access to his own Mini SPi.

Have you played with the tuning tab at all on this Android app?
 
#13 ·
On my Rover 100 SPi, MEMS 1.6, I looked at the "unknown" tunable, which Pawel, the developer, suspected was related to ignition advance. At first, by taking measurements with the car stationary, I found there was no effect on ignition advance, but when Pawel suggested that it might only take effect under load, I tested the car whilst driving up a hill using different settings (increments) for that "unknown" setting, and, it does, indeed, alter the advance curve under load. For example, at around 3000rpm (second gear up hill)

INCREMENTS vs. DEGREES OF ADVANCE
116 = 27.5
126 = 24
140 = 18

(The default setting is 128. http://memsdiag.blogspot.co.uk. )

I might try to come up with more precise figures by using a hand vacuum pump to simulate load as sensed by the MEMS manifold pressure sensor with the car stationary.
 
#14 ·
Did you feel it improved the driveability or give any improvements in Performance?

I tried accessing the mems 1.6 on my 820 turbo yesterday after buying all the relevant leads and connectors but couldn't get it to connect with the ecu using the colours identified, what colour wires did you use on yours martin.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Apologies - I've now set up e-mail alerts. Sorry.

Mine is a MEMS 1.6 with a 3-pin connector so I used the instructions at http://alum.wpi.edu/~colinb/mems_interface.html. I expect you have the later connector.

If yours is a 3-pin, I'll send you photos, otherwise Pawel, the developer of the app, is very good at replying to questions. Perhaps your Android device can't cope (see below)?

And yes, advancing the ignition to the 116 increments did improve drivability, all the more so when compared with the car retarded to 140! And there are graphs on Pawel's website showing torque and power curves for those 2 settings http://memsdiag.blogspot.co.uk/ That timing tunable advances the timing map when the manifold absolute pressure (load) gets to around 65 kPa.



From the MEMSDiag site - some devices don't work:

"It has been reported recently that some devices doesn't support USB API correctly, despite having Android version > 3.1 (the first release with USB OTG host mode API available to application layer).

Basically, the non-functioning devices can be divided into two groups:

a) Hardware USB host mode not implemented.

A good example is LG Swift G (or related) mobile handheld, a rumour says that +5V DC supply voltage is not available, a result of hardware cost-cutting. Obviously there's nothing that could be done to enable USB host mode on those devices


b) Hardware USB compatible with host mode, Android version >=3.1, pendrive or mouse works fine, yet no USB devices are visible form the application layer.

This mostly is true when it comes to no-name devices (tablets), it looks as if manufacturers were in a big rush to release a product and forgot to properly configure Android OS.

Some devices can be fixed, a solution is to modify/copy a file in the /system/etc/permissions.

One must have root access to able to remount and modify those files.

See the thread:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11183792/android-usb-host-and-hidden-devices

Quotation from the above link:............"
 
#15 ·
I recently tried the app after reading about it on this thread as I wanted to extract certain live data from the ecu to compare with my PLX gauge. I knew it was over reading coolant temp so it was nice to have this confirmed and also to see by how much. Now I can try to adjust my plx to suit actual readings.

 
#18 · (Edited)
.

No link, I'm sorry to say. How much at ease are you with computing technology and things like virtual machines? I was, and still am, no expert, so it took me a couple of days to sort out and I still don't know exactly what I did: I just wanted to get it working and wasn't interested in what was going on in the background, which, from a computer-security standpoint wasn't my normal procedure. As I remember it, I downloaded and installed Andyroid, and without too much difficulty managed to get to the Google Play Store through that app, which appears in Andy. I then installed the lite version of MEMS Diag to ensure it works. Then I got to the bit that stumped me for a bit: enabling USB passthrough. I had to open the Oracle Virtualbox program that installs with Andy and go into the settings to USB and alter one setting and that was it.



Screenshot https://www.dropbox.com/s/p057biojf1he7l3/File%2020-11-2015%2C%2009%2025%2043.jpeg?dl=0

(I've tried including the image but all I see is a small icon containing a "?", hence the link.)

If you are familiar with virtual machines you will find it a lot easier than I did, but then I'd spent 3 or 4 frustrating weeks beforehand trying 3 other emulators, none of which were capable of live usb data transfer. After I proved it all worked I went back to the Play Store and got the full app. Of course, it takes a little while to learn your way around Andyoid - what the icons mean, but that wasn't too difficult.

That said, if you want to use the new feature in MEMS Diag - the calculated fuel consumption, which takes GPS data for distance gone, you would need an Android device. On the other hand, my Windows laptop, bulky as it is, does permit me to switch between the Windows MEMS program by Colin Bourassa - MEMSGauge - and the Android MEMSDiag.

[I notice that the latest version of Andyroid seems also to load software from VMWare; I don't know if that's an alternative to Oracle Virtualbox (which didn't get updated in the latest Andyroid) or if they have switched the virtual machine element. And I didn't want to fully uninstall and re-install to find out!]
 
#21 ·
I'm looking for a cheap Android tablet to run the app on rather than use my laptop with the Android emulator.

Can anyone recommend such a tablet that is known to be capable of running the MEMSDiag app? I don't need the device to do anything else, certainly not phone calls.

Thanks.
 
#24 · (Edited)
There's also Al Richey's Windows suite MEMSLogger and MEMSAnalyser. However, they are best used for data logging and post-run analysis

http://www.rmrsoft.com/mems/index.htm

It's based on Colin Bourassa's MEMSGauge program, also for Windows, and that is real time. Between the 3 developers' programs, there's a powerful diagnostic toolbox.

I can't quite envisage what's happening from your description, but if you send me a detailed sequence of instructions, either by personal message or on the forum, I'd happily repeat them on my Rover 100 (MEMS 1.6) and send you the output from Al's MEMSAnalyser. At least that will give you something to compare to.
 
#26 ·
Hey martin,

Long time since being on here due to issues with the security breach and getting a new password, what a per lava.

Since getting my wires sorted and soldered correctly all is good and I carry a lead in the car so if I get a problem out and about I can hook up with the phone.

However the very early part of this year I managed to get myself a full T4 diagnostic set up with all the discs right up to the last models produced. Couldn't use it for ages as the brick was knackered but have recently got one of these and all is good and now talk with all my cars via T4 so if anyone gets stuck and needs to get onto T4 I may be able to help out given notice.
 
#27 ·
Wow! I just saw some photos of the T4. You certainly won't be interested in reverse-engineeered MEMS diagnostic software!

Are you IT savvy? Pawel, the deveoper of MEMSDiag and indeed the developers of the 2 Windows programs are hoping that someone with kit like yours can intercept, that is "sniff" the commands that are sent to the MEMS ECUs so that they can clear up some of the unknown data in their apps/programs. I wouldn't know where to start with such stuff even if I had proprietary diagnostic kit. I don't suppose you can help can you?
 
#28 ·
Certainly happy to help if I can as it would help more rover owners to fix and preserve the cars on the road.

While i am confident around a pc and certain programming i am not an expert in the field, that being said if they can tell me what they need and can give instructions or happy to to the work over a telephone i am sure we can do it.
 
#29 ·
That's very decent of you, I'll send you a private message with the email of the developer of MEMSDiag. He did recenrly explain to another person how to sniff the commands from a piece of equipment he had, and some information came back but then it all went quiet.

Anyway, you're under no obligation and I certainly wouldn't want to take you out of your comfort zone or get you involved in anything that causes you problems in any way.

I'll let Pawel know that he may well be contacted by a Rover owner with a T4 willing to help provided good guidance is given.
 
#30 ·
No bother at all Martin. If he is UK based and wants to visit me at my home then I can provide as much assistance as is necessary and he can interrogate the data streams as much as he wants.

You will see from my list of cars that I have most of the diagnostic levels rover used. mems 1.6 & 1.9 on the 800 & 600 and later stuff on the MGTF and rover 45 (05 reg)
 
#32 ·
Bumping this back from the grave...didn't pursue this back when I first posted on this thread in 2015 as I had an early 600 diesel with the old-style 3 pin connector for MEMS 1.6. Now have a facelift Ti, MEMS 1.9 with the OBD-style connector.
Bought a VAG-KKL cable and a USB-OTG cable to give this a shot, but my Android phone just says ERR: USB device not found
Sad times. I know the OTG adapter works because I can attach a keyboard, mouse, or USB drive and my phone picks it up. The cable shows a red LED when I plug it into the phone so it's at least getting power...not sure what the issue is.
Will give this a try with a laptop and the Andyroid emulator probably at the weekend and see if I have any luck, might help diagnosing my idle issues.
 
#37 · (Edited)
I've not had any success with this so far...didn't have any luck getting Andyroid to even boot for some reason, but using VirtualBox and an Android ISO which did boot, I ran into the same issue as on my phone - MemsDiag says no.
Maybe the cable I have is no good but I've no way of really testing it.

Edit: took my cable apart and it turns out it has the CH340 chipset which the Memsdiag site notes as not compatible. Which is great, as it was sold to me as an FTDI chipset! Purchased a new cable and I'll try that when it arrives, hopefully I'll have better luck.
 
#38 ·
Bought a new cable which works perfectly, the app is great.
The free version is time-limited in terms of how long you can view data, but you can close and re-connect to view again. I paid for the full version as soon as I knew it worked, as it removes this limitation, adds logging, more items to get data from, and adds some tuning options.
Hopefully I can now start gathering some data to help with my poor cold running.
 
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