Dear RealDash Development Team,
First, I would like to express my appreciation for your excellent work on RealDash. It’s a powerful and versatile tool that has become indispensable for many in the automotive enthusiast community.
I am writing to submit a feature request that I believe would significantly expand RealDash’s compatibility and ease of use for a specific and growing segment of users: those with Android-based instrument clusters and head units.
Suggestion:
I respectfully request that you consider adding native support within the main RealDash APK to read data directly from the Android system’s read_log function and catlog_service. This functionality is currently available through separate middleware tools, but integrating it directly would be a game-changer.
Make it second for those don’t have google play store
Problem & Justification:
Many modern vehicles, particularly from manufacturers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and others, use Android-based clusters that broadcast a wealth of vehicle data (e.g., RPM, speed, coolant temp, fuel level, gear position) onto the vehicle’s CAN network, which the Android OS can access.
Currently, to make RealDash work with these systems, users must:
- Sideload a separate middleware app (e.g., a special logger tool) to act as a bridge.
- Configure this tool to read the catlog_service (read_log) and forward the data to RealDash via a virtual serial port or direct from the live data.
This process is complex, creates a potential point of failure, and can be intimidating for less technically-inclined users.
Proposed Solution:
By building the ability to read from catlog_service and parse the read_log stream directly into the RealDash app, you would eliminate the need for any intermediate adapter or tool. Users would simply need to:
- Install the RealDash APK on their Android.
- Grant the necessary permissions (potentially, but handled within the app).
- Select the appropriate data source within RealDash’s settings.
Benefits:
· Massively Expanded Plug-and-Play Compatibility: RealDash would work seamlessly on any compatible Android-based cluster without extra hardware or software.
· Simplified User Experience: It removes a significant technical barrier to entry, making the product accessible to a much wider audience.
· Performance & Reliability: A native implementation would likely be more efficient and stable than relying on an external middleware process.
· Market Leadership: This would firmly position RealDash as the most versatile and advanced dashboard solution on the market for both traditional and modern vehicle platforms.
This feature would not replace RealDash’s existing superb support for traditional OBD adapters and CAN hardware but would serve as a powerful additional data source option for a specific use case.
Thank you for taking the time to consider this request. I am confident that many users in the community would be thrilled to see this capability implemented.
I am available to provide more details, test beta versions, or assist in any way I can.
Sincerely,
[meshal88]
RealDash User