Do you own an Electric Vehicle? Or are you thinking of building one?

Are you still using analog or LED gauges to display critical information like battery state, current, or temperature? Do you find yourself wanting more control over what data is displayed or want to get at data that might not be accessable with current products?  Then you need a xenoDisplay!

NOTE: For the latest updates on the xenoDisplay, click HERE to go to the xenoDisplay discussion forum.

What is an xenoDisplay?

xenoDisplay is a combination of custom hardware and software that allows you to use an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad to serve as an intelligent “Digital Dashboard” for your Electric Vehicle.

xenoDisplay Sample - Triple Analog Gauges + Battery Pack Gauge

Depending on your vehicle hardware*, you can display important information such as speed, battery state of charge (SOC), individual cell voltages, cell temperatures, current, energy use, motor RPM, charging status, etc. in a completely graphical and intuitive way.

*NOTE: xenoDisplay can only display information available from your vehicle’s onboard systems.  Some data may not be available because lack of support from the vehicle systems.

How is that different from other Displays I can buy?

xenoDisplay is a revolution in EV interface displays.  First, it’s designed to be EV system agnostic.  What does that mean?  It means that xenoDisplay can be programmed to work with many of the popular Battery Monitoring Systems (BMS) and motor controllers on the market instead of being hardwired to just one system or one manufacturer.  xenoDisplay is able to do this because it is based on software that will be continually expanded and improved, and a wireless (WiFi) hardware interface that is modular – allowing us to connect to both serial based systems and, in the future, other system interfaces.   Because it’s based on WiFi, the data connection between your iPhone/iPodTouch/iPad is wireless (and secure with industry standard 128-bit encryption) which means you can monitor your vehicle’s status from up to 300 feet away, and you don’t have to leave an expensive piece of hardware on the vehicle where someone can steal it!

xenoDisplay communicates wirelessly with the onboard vehicle systems

Second, the xenoDisplay runs on your iPhone/iPodTouch/iPad.  You have all the benefits and functionality that come with these devices.  You’re not carrying around an extra device, it’s the same device you carry with you anyway.   All of the unique capabilities like accelerometer, magnetometer, GPS, multi-touch screen, personal music player, phone, and a library of over 100,000 Apps are there for you to enjoy.

Can I customize it?

An example of an Alternate Color Scheme & ability to rotate gauges

Yes.   Eric is designing the xenoDisplay App to be very customizable by the end user.  You can specify gauge ranges and units (for example: kph or mph).  You choose gauge placement & orientation on the display, scale them to your liking, and even overlap them.  You will be able to select from a library of different gauge styles (analog, digital, dial, bar, indicator lights, warning lights, etc.) with different themes and colors.   Audio cues are also customizable and we will provide a library of sound effect files for you to choose from.  We’ll release new gauges & sound effects periodically with software updates.  All of this can be changed by the user easily using the intuitive interface that iPhone/iPodTouch users are accustomed to.

What else can xenoDisplay do?

The beauty of xenoDisplay is it’s upgradability and expandability.  Since the functionality is mostly implemented in software, additional features are often just a matter of adding to the code base.  With traditional hard-wired displays, this simply isn’t an option.  We have a LOT of features that we plan to implement in the xenoDisplay App.  Not all of them will make it into version 1.0, but you should see them come online in future updates.

Features that we would like to add in future revisions include performance statistics (cornering G-forces, 0-60 times, 0-30 times, etc.)  utilizing the internal accelerometer,  data logging and graphing, music player capabilities, directional compass (using magnetometer if available), digital clock, etc.  The list goes on and on.

Battery Pack Cell Display - shows each cell's state

Is that it?

Not quite.  We’re also exploring the idea of developing a General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) add-on module.  With GPIO, you’ll be able to control systems on your EV using your iPhone/iPodTouch/iPad.  Wirelessly.  Imagine being able to pop the locks, turn on/off ventilation fans, flash the lights, or turning the alarm on/off.  All remotely and securely.  This feature won’t be in version 1.0, but it’s something we’re looking at for the future.

What controllers & BMS will xenoDisplay support?  Will it support XXXX controller/bms?

As of 03/24/2010,

Current Systems Supported in Version 1.0:  eLithion Lithiumate BMS system.

Planned System Support in Version 1.0:  Curtis AC motor controllers, and Alltrax DC motor controllers.

Future System Support after Version 1.0: Zilla Motor Controllers, Kelly motor controllers, Synkromotive motor controller, eLithion Lithiumind BMS, … and other systems as demand dictates.

If your controller/BMS is intelligent and has a serial port interface, we can most likely add support for it.  We just need the manufacturer to give us the necessary communication protocols.  We’re already talking to manufacturers, but if you want a certain product supported, tell your manufacturer to come talk to us!

Does the xenoDisplay support CAN-bus (Controller Area  Network)?

Version 1.0 will support serial interface only.  However, we’re actively planning support for CAN-bus in the near future.  When that support is added to the software, it will be a free update.  However, bear in mind that CAN-bus is a physically different interface, so additional/different hardware will most likely be needed.

I don’t need WiFi, can’t you use a simple wired interface?

Because of the closed nature of the iPhone architecture, making a direct hardware connection isn’t as easy as it seems.  We are looking into various options for doing so somewhere down the line, but we can’t promise anything yet at this time.

I’m an OEM – can you make an OEM version of xenoDisplay for our vehicle line?

Yes!  We can produce customized OEM versions of xenoDisplay that are tailored specifically to the hardware in your vehicle.  We can incorporate your logo in the graphics, and we can customize the gauges to suit your needs.   Talk to us if you’re interested in offering something that your competitors don’t!

I have an iPhone – what happens if I get a phone call while I’m driving?

If you leave your iPhone cell radio on, an incoming call will disrupt the display (showing an “incoming call” notification).  You have two choices.  If you are able to, you can choose to ignore the call (clearing the notification) at which point the xenoDisplay will continue functioning normally.  If you are not able to touch the display during driving (ex. motorcycle riders), then you will need to turn off the cell radio in the iPhone before driving.  This is easily done by turning on “Airplane mode” (which turns off the cell radio, the WiFi radio, and the blue tooth radio) and then manually re-enabling the WiFi radio.

How much will it cost?

We haven’t set a pricing structure yet.  However, we believe that xenoDisplay is a ground breaking product.  Keep in mind -  other “dumb” fixed-function displays cost several hundreds of dollars (or more!) and require you to add shunts, current sensors, rpm sensors, temperature sensors, etc.   The xenoDisplay uses the existing information straight from your controller and BMS, so the installation is clean, there are less points of failure, and it does it all wirelessly with a beautiful customizable multi-touch display.

When will it be available?

We’re working furiously on version 1.0, our tentative schedule calls for Beta Testing in Q3 or Q4 of this year (2010).  Check our website for periodic progress updates and announcements!