BMW E-Series Digital Dashboard

A high-performance, AEM CD-7 inspired digital instrument cluster and telemetry logger for BMW E-Series vehicles (specifically tested on E90 320i N43 and E60 525d). Built with Python and PyQt6, this dashboard actively polls standard OBD-II PIDs over the D-CAN network to bypass hidden OEM parameters.

Features

• Motorsport Aesthetic: Pitch-black background, high-contrast typography, and strict geometric layouts designed for high-speed glanceability.
• Active OBD-II Polling: Rapidly requests standard ECU data (RPM, Speed, Boost, IAT, FRP, ECT) via ID 0x7DF.
• Hardware Abstraction: Seamlessly switch between a physical USB-CAN adapter (live mode) and a virtual PC data generator (sim mode) for off-car development.
• Auto-Detection: Automatically scales redlines and gauges based on the detected vehicle profile.

Hardware Requirements

To run this live in a vehicle, you need:

• A Linux-based host machine (Raspberry Pi, laptop, or Linux tablet).
• A USB-CAN adapter that supports SocketCAN (e.g., CANable or Waveshare USB-CAN-A).
• An OBD-II pigtail cable wired to the adapter:
  • CAN High: OBD-II Pin 6
  • CAN Low: OBD-II Pin 14

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone [https://github.com/bomberrie/bmw-digital-dash.git](https://github.com/bomberrie/bmw-digital-dash.git)
   cd bmw-digital-dash

2. Set up the virtual environment:

   python3 -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate

3. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

Configuration & Usage

Edit config.py to set your desired execution mode before launching.

Simulation Mode (For PC Testing):

CONNECTION_MODE = 'sim'
SIMULATED_VEHICLE = 'E60' # or 'E90'

Run the application: python main_ui.py

Live Hardware Mode (For the Car): Ensure your USB-CAN adapter is plugged in and the SocketCAN interface (can0) is up.

CONNECTION_MODE = 'live'
CAN_INTERFACE = 'socketcan'
CAN_CHANNEL = 'can0'
CAN_BITRATE = 500000

Run the application: python main_ui.py

Architecture

• main_ui.py: The PyQt6 frontend overlay featuring QPainter-drawn arcs and multi-threaded UI updates.
• can_backend.py: The isolated background thread managing the SocketCAN interface and the OBD-II polling queue.
• can_decoder.py: Handles hexadecimal frame translation into human-readable metric values.

License

Distributed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for more information.