An idea and question

[intocoasters]

I've had the CC for about a week - LOVE it! 

First the question:  I remember reading that you guys have been toying with the idea of custom tweaking or programming.  Would I be able to send in my unit (if you decide to offer this) and have a function changed or modified?  I notice in my work truck I will 'accelerate' with my foot (while cruise is engages) and tap the set button to keep the new higher speed.  I didn't realize I did this until it didn't work in the smart.  So, to rephrase the question, is it possible to have the car keep a new speed with a single button tap if I accelerate by pressing on the pedal while the cruise is already set?

now for the idea:  I have read that several people think the cylinder is too hard to install on the stalk.  I imagine that they may be afraid of damaging the button while pushing.  My "flying button incident" allowed me to install the cylinder with more force, add the decorative cap without fear of pushing too hard, and I got to see where the physical button is located.
   Knowing where the (real) button is means I can press lightly on that side of the button without having to compress the spring much at all - it's very easy to engage the CC if you know where and how to push.
   So.... perhaps shipping the button cap, spring and cylinder unassembled might help some of these issues?  I found it really easy to assemble the cap after I installed the cylinder and have had zero issues with it comming off or gettin stuck.

Thanks for your time and a great product !

[admin]

Shipping it unassembled would have saved a LOT of work   But they're all finished now.

I think I'm going to post pictures of it unassembled though so people get the idea because you make an excellent point.


Yes, if you ship the unit back (just the black box) we can whip up custom software for you.  Minor changes wouldn't need a charge.  Anything requiring significant work would.  Case-by-case basis.

In this case though, I'd suggest you just get used to double tapping (to unset/reset the new speed) or hold the button to accelerate instead of using your foot.

Right now, when you use your foot you are temporarily over-riding the cruise, for example to pass, but the old speed is retained as the set speed and the unit remains engaged.  This is the standard operation for cruise controls in most modern cars.  So when you then tap the button you are actually turning it off.  Tapping it again will turn it back on with your current speed being held.

But yes, we can make it do what you want.  There are two ways to do it, only one of which is "safe":

1) The cruise stays on while you accelerate just as it does now.  If you don't tap the button, it stays on but set to the un-accelerated speed (current behavior) and if you do tap it, it ignores that as being "turn off" as it normally would and instead re-sets the speed.  This is NOT a safe method.  When the cruise is on, tapping the button should turn the unit off. 

2) A much better method is to turn the cruise off the moment you touch the gas.  Then when you tap the button you're simply turning it back on at the new speed.  This is likely what your other vehicle does.  Most cruise controls do NOT disengage with the gas pedal, but some do.  Ours does not, but yes we can make it so it does.

#2 is safer but also easier to implement.  If you wanted it, there would be no programming charge.  If you wanted #1, it would take a lot more work to ensure reasonable fail-safes still exist at all times.  There would also be a hefty waiver for you to sign

[Horseman]

Okay, I wanted to add my 2? to this as my sentiments echo intocoaster's.

On my Envoy, my cruise control operates as intocoaster's has indicated. I can set the cruise, use the accelerator to pass someone, and when I release the accelerator, it returns to the set speed. ALSO, I can press the accelerator to get to a new, faster speed, tap the cruise button, and the new speed is set. This was also the way my Geo Prizm (Toyota Corolla) worked. This would seem to mimic your option #1 description above.

An additional thing the Envoy does (and I think the Prizm did too, I can't remember), is if you accelerate past the set speed and keep your foot on the gas for a certain amount of time (I think it's a minute), then the cruise would automatically deactivate.

It also might be worth noting, that the ONLY way to command the Envoy's cruise to deactivate was to tap the brake pedal (or turn off the master switch). As such, I don't feel that option 1 would be unsafe, particularly if the cruise would automatically deactivate as described in the previous paragraph. The brake pedal would deactivate the cruise 100% of the time, anyway. It is my opinion that that should be stock operation.

I do, however, have a custom feature request. Is it possible to store a speed in non-volatile memory? Here's my thinking...

The speed I set my cruise to 90% of the time is 70mph on the nose. When my cruise is set to this speed, I would like to be able to initiate a tap-tap-hold command to store that speed in non-volatile memory so that it never gets erased, even when the car is shut off. Then, whenever I want to resume the speed stored in non-volatile memory, I can, at any time, initiate a tap-hold command to have the cruise resume that speed. To change the speed stored in non-volatile memory, I just set my cruise to the new speed and initiate another tap-tap-hold command.

Is that a possibility?

Thanks!

Alex

[admin]

Please keep this in mind:  modeling something after a particular vehicle doesn't mean it is necessarily safe!

I stand by the assertion that option #1 is not as safe.  The reason your Envoy can do it is because you have different buttons for otherwise redundant functions.  Because you have the (supremely redundant) on/off switch, the designers can assume that if you want to "unset it" (and there is no button for that) you would switch it to "off".  But in a case where there isn't separate on/off and set/(unset) buttons, the assumption has to be that the user is toggling between on and off.  So if it is on, the next tap must be off and vice versa.  You can't really compare the operation in that regard.

I do get what you're saying with the time thing.  If the pedal is held for more than X seconds, turn off the cruise (the assumption being the driver has forgotten it is on).  It still doesn't resolve the button function so it is more effectively a hybrid of option #2 and what we have now.  It still would not allow your "new" speed to be set.

But we can customize it however one wishes.  With your suggestion, here are the options I see now:

#1) As described above. Needs a signed waiver along with the request
#2) As described above
#3) A hybrid of #2 and the current method.  So you use the accelerator and it stays on.  Tapping the button turns it off.  But after X seconds, it turns off so tapping the button turns it on (confusing).
#4) A hybrid of #1 and the current method.  Basically same as #3 except tapping the button re-sets the speed instead of turning off.


To be honest, after considering it I still think the existing operation is best.  Just tap it to unset it and tap again to set at your new speed.  The function of the accelerator pedal while cruise is on is to PASS and the assumption is that after passing, your old speed is resumed.  If you want to INCREASE the set speed, just use the accelerate feature of the cruise control instead of the pedal.




Now, onto your new request:

Yes, we have access to non-volatile memory on-board.  I'm not sure about the tap-tap-hold thing, but I'll think about it.  When we were trying to devise an improvised "nudge" feature we were looking at double-taps and that was proving very difficult and not particularly reliable.  A simpler thing would be to just have the memorized speed survive a power cycle (by storing it in NVM instead of VM).  If you drive 70 90% of the time, then 90% of the time you'd have the correct speed in memory.  Also if it is a custom setting for you, we can just hard code it so that upon starting the car, 70 is the stored speed or even make it so "resume" always means 70 for your car.  I can't say I'd recommend that, but it may suit your needs.  Although I see how a tap-tap-hold (or whatever) suits it even better, I'm just not certain we can achieve that.  The problem is distinguishing a tap-tap from an on-off (or off-on).  In other words, it is conceivable that a person is in fact wanting to turn it off immediately after turning it on and liability is always a concern... designing so it acts on the side of safety always.

FYI.  There are 6 unused "dip" switches on the board allowing the user to control up to 6 "options".  Currently none of them do anything but if you did want to try a feature and decided you didn't want it, we can put the option on the dip switches so you can go back to stock if you prefer.  Or we could set up 2 or 3 different "modes" and you can try each one and go with the one you like best after actually driving with it.

Most anything is possible so long as it can be done by software only.

[intocoasters]

I have gotten used to double clicking for the 'set current speed after user accelerate' feature.  I read that you have the dip switches. 
  soooo..... perhaps I could describe it like this:

one button press turns the unit on or off as normal.  But, if foot on pedal _and_ button pressed then set new current speed  <---- and have that feature assigned to a dip switch.  That way it can be run in custom or factory mode.  I have no idea if I am explaining what I have in mind.   But, like I said at the top, I have gotten used to double clicking.... so it's not really high on my X-mas wishlist anymore.

[admin]

I get what you're saying!  Not a bad idea.  I think that satisfies all the angles (ease of use, safety, etc).

I'll work on that.

[intocoasters]

That's be cool, but like I said - I've gotten used to the current set-up and I have to say it has changed the whole personality or the car for - truly the best mod I have done.  I really appreciate having CC and I hope I am not trying to sound like I am unhappy with what you have achieved - quite the contrary.   

I also have to thank you for making me famous.  I went to my first Smart Car local meeting/dinner night.... before I could introduce myself I was approached with "You're the guy that has cruise control, aren't you?!"

[fredvon4]

If we do send our "box" in for a software change what needs to be done to still use the vehicle. Do we need a jumber cable to complete all the ECU connections?

[admin]

As a "jumper" does not exist, you would have to remove the installation and put it back to stock.  Two alternatives:

1) Buy a "loaner".  Basically pay for a 2nd unit and have that one programmed, then do the swap and send the original back for a refund of the 2nd payment.
2) Build a jumper.  If anyone is interested, you would need the following parts:

1 x Molex 18 pin connector
18 x terminals for above
suitable amount of 18 AWG automotive wire

Plus wire strippers and good pliers and steady hands to do the crimping.

Simply connect the upper with the lower rows.  So take a short piece of wire and crimp the terminals on both ends, then stick one end in the first socket of the top row and stick the other end in the first socket of the bottom row.  Repeat for all 9 sockets.  Then unplug the white connector from the cruise box and put your new "jumper" in its place.

PS. If you click the links above, it takes you to a site that shows you where you can buy, but you don't buy from them directly (it is like Google for electronic parts).  I have used and can recommend Digi-Key, Newark, Mouser, and Allied.  Only buy from shops that show stock is available or you can be waiting a long time for backorders.

[admin]

At the urging of a few customers and Steve at SmartieParts, we've decided to produce a number of these "jumpers".  We're making up 100 of them (the smallest number we could order parts in) and they'll be available for sale through SmartieParts to existing and new customers.

Price will be under $20 but the exact figure is yet to be determined.

We're told these should be ready actually quite quickly!  The estimate is they should be finished on Tuesday (2 business days from now) and shipped to SmartieParts by the end of next week meaning they should be ready for sale early in the following week.

Art

[SmartieParts]

I've made a product placeholder for this item:  http://www.smartieparts.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=12_15&products_id=312

There you can make use of the Request Item button to get "in line".  It really makes no difference where you are in line, this just serves as a way you can sign up now to be notified when it is ready rather than trying to remember to check back in two weeks.

 - Steven

[100mpg]

The original question... how I do it with a 'single tap' is just make the tap a bit longer... ie: as I get to the new speed I want, I press and hold slightly longer than a 'tap'... the foot still does most of the work.

[admin]

That's a creative way of making use of the accelerate feature.  The accelerate feature holds whatever the true speed is at the time you let go of the button.  Normally, you hold the button and it calls the car to accelerate without using the foot accelerator - but if you do use the foot accelerator to speed things up (either before or during the button hold) then the cruise will set whatever new speed is there when you let go.

An easier concept to learn by doing than by reading.  Good call.

[admin]

We're told these should be ready actually quite quickly!  The estimate is they should be finished on Tuesday (2 business days from now) and shipped to SmartieParts by the end of next week meaning they should be ready for sale early in the following week.

Update:  We were originally told all the components were in stock.  It turns out this wasn't quite true and everything was put off by a week.  So instead of last Tuesday, we're now told they should be ready today or tomorrow which means SmartieParts should have them by the end of this week.  Sorry for the delay.

[wizard of ahs]

Appreciate the update 

thanks