New cell phone app: Tesla Tattler --- works on all cell phones

[doug]

Good suggestion. I was able to command the car to "lock" four times in a row and I got three taps on the horn. It's not as loud as the solid honks of the alarm, but it's better than nothing. I should be able to honk out "SOS" using the pauses between the honks as the long/short.

Haha... great. I was thinking more for the "find a car in the parking lot" situation you mentioned.

 

[doug]

I guess the problem is the limited market. A few hundred sales - even if the work is limited in scope.

Right, my guess too. By the end of production, about 2000 Roadsters with the hardware and another 500 or so without. But it doesn't bode well for future support if they won't deliver on the simple to implement yet high pay-off (from the customer perspective at least) items.

Well they may offer something yet. Phone or web based car communication is something Tesla will definitely have to have in place for the Model S. (Most every other new EV has it!) You'd think Tesla would at least release a Beta for the Roadsters so they can work the bugs out before implementation in the higher volume vehicle.

 

[dsm363]

Is this something you think they'll never do or just will come back to it after the Model S is out?

 

[markwj]

Me five!

Maybe Scott needs to start a reservation system? Start with a limited run signature series, then go to general production ;-)

 

[markwj]

Is this something you think they'll never do or just will come back to it after the Model S is out?

It would be an interesting approach. Of the things I listed (software, backend server, API, front-end), they could use the same backend server, API and front-end for the Model S. They would only need in-the-car software. They could even use the Roadster as a test-bed for the system to be released on the Model S to get plenty of experience and the bugs worked out.

They do have a great record of supporting their roadster owners (gifts, events, priority ordering, etc), but I just can't see them investing the time into releasing such an extensive new feature for the roadster, though (particularly as it wouldn't be available for the pre-2.x cars without the prerequisite hardware).

 

[dsm363]

It would be an interesting approach. Of the things I listed (software, backend server, API, front-end), they could use the same backend server, API and front-end for the Model S. They would only need in-the-car software. They could even use the Roadster as a test-bed for the system to be released on the Model S to get plenty of experience and the bugs worked out.

They do have a great record of supporting their roadster owners (gifts, events, priority ordering, etc), but I just can't see them investing the time into releasing such an extensive new feature for the roadster, though (particularly as it wouldn't be available for the pre-2.x cars without the prerequisite hardware).

Maybe they could easily do it for the 2.0s+ but don't want to take the chance of angering their loyal 1.5 owners so it's easier for them to do nothing.

 

[Doug_G]

Practical issue... where is the SIM card slot? They have some kind of special air time plan for downloading the logs. If they opened it up they'd have to either carry everyone's bandwidth or somehow accomodate people inserting SIM cards.

 

[markwj]

Practical issue... where is the SIM card slot? They have some kind of special air time plan for downloading the logs. If they opened it up they'd have to either carry everyone's bandwidth or somehow accomodate people inserting SIM cards.

I don't imagine data usage is too extreme - a tiny fraction of a single log download. They could charge a monthly fee. They'll have the same problem with the model S.

This all said, I still like the approach from Scott. Very elegant, and we'll end up with more features (such as the recently discussed 'find it in the car park' feature).

 

[dsm363]

I'm excited about Scott's solution too. Thanks Scott! Especially seeing how a Tesla solution is a few years away at best.
Where is all the hardware hidden for this?

 

[Doug_G]

I don't imagine data usage is too extreme - a tiny fraction of a single log download. They could charge a monthly fee. They'll have the same problem with the model S.

Maybe. More likely they'll have a SIM card slot, and quietly use their account if we don't plug one in, and use our account if we do. :wink:

 

[S-2000 Roadster]

Hey, Scott, can you give a summary of your product and its current status?
Is it a hardware device that you install inside the Roadster and connect to some port?
Does it work with the Roadster 2.5?
Are you selling it yet, or are the folks here all still part of the testing?

 

[Nik]

Hey, Scott, can you give a summary of your product and its current status?
Is it a hardware device that you install inside the Roadster and connect to some port?
Does it work with the Roadster 2.5?
Are you selling it yet, or are the folks here all still part of the testing?

Can I suggest that a read through this thread might answer most or all of your questions.

 

[scott451]

(Scott451's comments in bold)

Hey, Scott, can you give a summary of your product and its current status? Sure.

Is it a hardware device that you install inside the Roadster and connect to some port? Yes. It plugs into the diag port, not the ODBII port

Does it work with the Roadster 2.5?Yes. All Roadsters & all SMS (text message) capable cell phones.

Are you selling it yet, or are the folks here all still part of the testing? Not yet. I've identified the Alpha testers. Still finalizing the security certificates, then off to alpha testers

I did get approval from work to sell the tattler, so that's no longer an issue. I'm in Boston until Tuesday, but I hope to get something out to alpha group a couple of weeks or so after I get back. I think I have version that is working well. I just need to finish locking the software to the hardware. My real job has been interfering with the tattler development

Features:

SMS text message based command set. The tattler supports the following commands:

 

[doug]

Coolness. What's the resolution on that Limit command? Are you able to set to say 31 Amps? That's a nice way to get around Tesla's sometimes non-optimal presets.

Are future firmware updates likely to break the Tattler?

 

[W.Petefish]

Will the Tesla Tattler open source?
Can I make my own?

 

[scott451]

Coolness. What's the resolution on that Limit command? Are you able to set to say 31 Amps?

Any integer value between 12 and 70.

Are future firmware updates likely to break the Tattler?

probably not. The vds hasn't changed much. The tattler is basically a SMS based vds.

Will the Tesla Tattler open source?

I got permission from work for an open source release, but I am not planning to do so at this time. At some point I'll do a private release to further the development of the tattler. Eventually it could transision to open source.

 

[strider]

I'll gladly pay for a turn-key solution. My soldering days are long behind me.

 

[NigelM]

I'll gladly pay for a turn-key solution. My soldering days are long behind me.

Isn't there a numbered reservation system? :wink:

 

[bonnie]

Isn't there a numbered reservation system? :wink:

yes & I'm definitely in line.

 

[W.Petefish]

I think with the weather here heating up, I'll be a tester if I am allowed to. I would be even partial to building one so Scott doesn't have to as I already have the CAN bus connector made up and a dual transceiver board in the works. (shipped to the board house for PCB fabrication)