Member Since: 15 Jun 2007
Location: Sunny Cyprus
Posts: 3054
Hiya Phillw
It is not really possible for me to give any release date for additions and improvements.
I am acutely aware that many are awaiting further developments from us and are having to be patient.
However after all the troubles, interruptions and setbacks last year, caused mainly by our developing of customized new premises and then re location to them, we start this year now almost totally settled in, extremely well placed and most importantly, totally raring to go with a change being as good as a rest.
Although only 18 working days have passed so far this year, we have already made some impressive progress with developments and are really getting back into the swing of things rather well i think.
However we intend to catch up properly and in due chronological order rather than step over or miss stuff out.
Probably the oldest thing we need to add, and which was already overdue at the beginning of last year was the addition of live dynamic data input and output functions etc for many of the systems of the original Discovery 3 software that currently does not have it.
We have already made a good start on this and in fact i am building a second bench test rig to speed this up further which will be finished by the end of next week, i hope.
This development work will directly carry over into the Disco 4 including the 2012 MY, RRS and L322 of all years as well.
The next we need to do is add ECU flashing to all 2010 on models. Ideally i also need to build a bench test rig for this to speed up developments, and so if anyone comes across any ECU's and main wiring looms etc i would love to hear about this. But we do now have some other options too.
This will require us to update the Flash File Loader software with all the latest assembly numbers and files etc and it is then that we will sort out the new boot loaders required for the 2012 MY ECU's, which is actually all that makes this MY any different to the previous years.
29th Jan 2012 4:58 pm
Phillw
Member Since: 03 Dec 2009
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 121
Hello BBS SPY,
Thank you for the detailed response. I appreciate it must be difficult to give any dates as to when software will be released. Adding additional functionality such as dynamic data I/O to the existing software will be of benefit / interest to all of us that have a MSV2. I recognise that development is continuous which has been demonstrated by the Faultmate Genesis project. I have found my MSV2 to be an invaluable piece of equipment which I used extensively to do my Satnav retrofit on my D4 GS. To be honest I could not have retrofitted my Satnav without MSV2 or at least knew someone who had a MSV2. I will miss not being able to use it to activate 4x4, climate control, Remote climate etc on MY12. Thank you for a great bit of software / hardware.
I will be patient and look forward to the updated MY12 software.
Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE
Discovery 4 3.0 TDV6 GS
Discovery 3 TDV6 S
Discovery 2 TD5
2009 Swift Conqueror
MSV-2 Extreme
29th Jan 2012 8:14 pm
wiggs
Member Since: 03 Sep 2006
Location: Manchester
Posts: 14372
Waiting patiently for the flash file loader G4 Gone ...but not forgotten
29th Jan 2012 8:21 pm
BBS SPY Site Sponsor
Member Since: 15 Jun 2007
Location: Sunny Cyprus
Posts: 3054
Thanks guys
I really appreciate your patience and i know there are D4 bugs you have reported over six months ago Wiggs that have not even been replied to, much to my embarrassment.
So i am especially motivated to make the quickest possible progress on this and today alone made great leaps forward in having located most of the 2010 wiring and ECU's i will need to make a bench test jig, Just gotta do the haggling bit now, and securing the occasional loan of a 2012 vehicle.
Also today for the first time ever having welded some ramps up, i got vehicles inside our new premises, My Disco 3 to do a genesis demo video and a Range Rover Sport with an Audio problem it seems no one else could fix but took us 10 minutes.
here is a link to the Genesis demo video i did for those that might like the first peek.
Member Since: 03 Sep 2006
Location: Manchester
Posts: 14372
Looking Good there Colin ....excellent work
Could you not ulilise the technology and read stuff from my car ( or i have a friend who has a 2012 model ) to help in the development of what your missing ?G4 Gone ...but not forgotten
30th Jan 2012 5:47 pm
BBS SPY Site Sponsor
Member Since: 15 Jun 2007
Location: Sunny Cyprus
Posts: 3054
Hiya Wiggs
Thanks.
Frankly it still spooks the hell out of me to see Genesis working in the flesh.
Sadly It's not so easy to use this technology to help with what we need on later vehicles, but do not imagine for one second that you are going to be let of the hook so lightly in being called upon to assist us.
I will probably be calling you later this week even.
30th Jan 2012 6:26 pm
BBS SPY Site Sponsor
Member Since: 15 Jun 2007
Location: Sunny Cyprus
Posts: 3054
Just to give you guys some idea of how much and how currently we are working on this, i took this picture for you today.
Click image to enlarge
On the left is the BBS SPY van. Don't laugh, this unassuming white van is some seriously equipped vehicle, especially fitted out for this job, featuring a rack of 3 overhead 14 " monitors, 2 slide out mini keyboards, 2 desk mounted, provision for up to 8 Laptops, The ability to run stand alone powering everything from 12 Volts with additional heavy duty batteries on board as well as power supplies capable of keeping the attached subject vehicle fully powered. In full stealth mode we can even connect to the subject vehicle via special cut outs in the floor leaving only but an umbilical cable for anyone to guess we are connected to the vehicle we are parked along side of, or in front of.
It is also fully internet connected, with Wi Fi and a built in Blue tooth communications systems. It even has it's own built in 2 way radio system, fans, air conditioning and much much more.
It is a VERY serious tool and any vehicle within it's reach should be shaking in it's boots
As you can see, today we are were parked alongside a 2010 on spec Range Rover Sport, and are connected to it through one of the side doors, and i can tell you that even as this picture was taken we were harvesting the valuable data we need big time.
We will be analyzing the data, applying what we have learned in our software and very shortly be testing it and debugging it from the Van.
From the picture of the RRS it looks as if you were harvesting so much from it that it needed to have jump leads connected to its battery
1st Feb 2012 8:16 pm
BBS SPY Site Sponsor
Member Since: 15 Jun 2007
Location: Sunny Cyprus
Posts: 3054
First thing we do is to attach a heavy duty intelligent power supply to the vehicles battery Ecosse.
These vehicles don't last very long on even a good battery otherwise.
I have great news, in that thanks to the help of a Friend who helped me find and get the 2010 bits, (actually from a 2011 RRS, which is electronically and especially diagnostically the same as the D4 and FFRR), they are now sitting in a big box on a pallet waiting to be shipped to us.
I expect to receive them in a couple of weeks
Also with thanks in no small part to the help of Wiggs & Pete Bell, i have managed to obtain most of the missing bits. In fact i am only short a 2010 on Park brake module now, if anyone knows of one, even a broken one will do.
In the last couple of days i have also put together a second bench test Jig of most the D3 stuff which will help speed up developments greatly, as the one we have currently has to be shared by my team which can be annoying.
18th Feb 2012 4:16 pm
jedi
Member Since: 06 Nov 2011
Location: Oban
Posts: 60
I am considering a faultmate FCR for my 2009 Disco 4 2.7 manual. However, a friend has just bought a Haweye through Bearmach. My question is which is best and why. Will one do more than the other? I was quite impressed with the haweye as it did identify the problem and put it into language I could understand. However, i have heard good stuff about the FCR. I have a GS model so it hasn't got lots of the info/entetainment stuff or an auto box. I am primarily intetrested in being able to find faults isolate them and then do a mechanical fix.
Help appreciated please.Disco 1 200tdi, Td5 x2, Range Rover 200tdi, P38, Defender 90, D3 (05) D3 (57)
22nd Feb 2012 8:28 pm
BBS SPY Site Sponsor
Member Since: 15 Jun 2007
Location: Sunny Cyprus
Posts: 3054
I can help you with a few less appreciated things you should look into when doing comparisons, but mainly i can contribute best by giving you a knowledgeable overview of the FCR, as i designed and developed it and own the company that produces it
It sounds like you already appreciate system coverage differences jedi
If not, here is a list of all the vehicle systems the FCR for Disco 4 covers :
Engine Management (all Variations)
ABS/ETC
All Terrain Control Module
Body Control Module
Adaptive Cruise Control
Headlight Control Module
Occupant Classification System
Ride Control Module
Rear Differential Control Module
Steering Angle Sensor Module
Transfer Box Modules
Instrument Pack
Parking Brake Module
Ride Level Module (EAS)
Vehicle Immobiliser
Fuel Burning Heater
Drivers Door Module
Drivers Seat Module
HEVAC
Park Aid Module
Passenger Door Module
Audio Control
Control Interface
Camera Control
Keyless Start System
Speech Recognition
Audio Amplifier
Accessory Interface
DAB Radio
High Definition (HD) Radio
Touch Screen Module
Rear Audio Visual
Satellite Radio
Telephone
Television
Which is basically absolutely everything possible to have fitted to any Discovery 4 Vehicle.
We also do not charge extra for a lead to update the FCR, as we prefer to freely include this and you will also not have to pay extra for another OBDII lead to cover systems on the Medium speed CAN bus or Most Bus, as our lead, we refer to as the VCI2, has substantial circuitry and a microprocessor inside the OBDII plug body that takes care of all that and eliminates annoying swapping out when jumping between systems.
These aspects should perhaps be investigated further by you and factored in if doing price comparisons.
However, the FCR is locked to your own vehicles VIN, although it can be changed to a different model or VIN fairly easily and inexpensively.
Interestingly the VCI2 lead is intelligent enough that we are working on an over internet based project called Genesis.
with this, we expect that FCR owners will also be able to do many things beyond simple Fault code reading.
The FCR is indeed a unit that results in nothing but comments of praise. It is really small, very well built in a smart electric blue aluminum extrusion, that makes it super tough, probably enough to survive being driven over
It is really dead easy to use and really fast, see this demo video of it being used on a Discovery 3
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSDOLxh6ThY&list=UUwsWXJr_piaJD9UKSVMXiIQ&index=9&feature=plcp [/url]
I should also add that the FCR has never had an upgrade released to debug problems on any Can Bus Vehicle, nor to add further vehicle system coverage. It has always been a totally complete and "Right first time" product. This is because this is not a product we are developing / learning with, or something we are developing from scratch, requiring debugging and stuff needing to be added to it.
This is because our company specializes solely in developing and producing diagnostic equipment for Land Rover owners, has done so for nearly 20 years, making us the very first to do so, and our experience, knowledge and understanding is very likely second to none.
23rd Feb 2012 5:18 pm
BBS SPY Site Sponsor
Member Since: 15 Jun 2007
Location: Sunny Cyprus
Posts: 3054
Hiya all
For those wanting to know how we are progressing with the later stuff, as i have already stated, we have secured a 2011 complete wiring loom set and all the ECU's that will allow us to build a Bench test set which we can use to quickly develop this.
This wiring looms and stuff is really to heavy to air freight and so along with some other Items, we now have 2 pallets sitting ready in Liverpool docks awaiting pick up by ship.
They are booked to be picked up by the Judith Borchard tomorrow (Saturday), which is currently 8 hours out from a Dublin stop over before heading for Liverpool, and is expected to arrive in Limassol Cyprus on the 16th March.
No doubt the Cypriot authorities will take a few days of messing about before i can actually get my hands on this
But all in all it's looking very promising.
2nd Mar 2012 5:47 pm
BBS SPY Site Sponsor
Member Since: 15 Jun 2007
Location: Sunny Cyprus
Posts: 3054
The ship docked in Limassol at 7 am on Saturday the 17th, we got the expected, oh customs say you need some special license @ 50 Euro crap that we countered with a "we will give you 30 and say nothing more", which was accepted and paid. Trust me, you really have to live here to know how it all works
So hopefully at some point next week, hopefully sooner rather than later, the stuff will arrive at my door on the back of a rickity old pick up, along with the usual, handling, Transportation and storage fees !!!, Trust me, you really need to live here, oh i mentioned that already
TBH, It is not as bad as it sounds, at least nothing is ever impossible here or is totally blocked by Red tape and rules and regs. Any official process and procedure here requires only two things. A bit of Money and a good sense of humour.
18th Mar 2012 5:02 pm
BBS SPY Site Sponsor
Member Since: 15 Jun 2007
Location: Sunny Cyprus
Posts: 3054
Just an update for those following progress.
It has finally arrived
Here is a picture of Pandora's box, sitting on it's mini pallet ready to be unpacked.
Click image to enlarge
It does not look much, but it took 4 of us to lift it in and it was really stuffed to the brim
The biggest and heaviest item it contained was the Main Loom.
Click image to enlarge
It had a few ECU's still attached, most notably the black box in the center is the Keyless entry module and it also has all the many sensors and receivers.
It also contained absolutely all the sub looms, and there are actually quite a few.
Click image to enlarge
And of course there were quite a few other various ECU's in there too
Click image to enlarge
The infotainment stuff is missing, as it had already been sold, and there are some other things missing like the EPB but i have already collected most of these. Some parts of the looms also need repairing.
Now i just have to repair it a bit here and there, stitch it all together on a bench, get it powered up, learn a new Key to it that i already have, and set to work.
It is however a very great step forward for us and i am chuffed to bits.
We also got another pallet at the same time, full of bits including a lot of D4 stuff that will help no end.
20th Mar 2012 5:47 pm
Russell
Member Since: 23 Aug 2007
Location: Kent
Posts: 10564
Nice to see Christmas has come early for some
Keep up the good work and do not forget to have a break every now and again MY17 D5 1st Edition Namib Orange
MY15 D4 HSE Kaikoura Stone
MY12 D4 HSE Nara Bronze Sold and gone
MY11 D4 HSE Stornaway Grey Sold and gone
D3 S spec Silver Sold and gone
Tow bar, full length roof bars, side steps, tow bar storage unit, surround camers.
D4 camera club
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