ABRP and Enode instead of OBD dongle !

[Gilles]

Hello everyone!
ABRP has published on demand (on their forum) a beta version (only for ABRP Premium version owners !) where the user has the possibility of connecting their MG4 using Enode rather than with an OBD dongle to obtain the battery SOC in real time.
I think that it's still a more rational connection method than having to leave an OBD dongle permanently connected to the car!
Several of us requested this beta version but only two of us were satisfied!
Apparently, the first test returns from this version show that it works, except for a few details...

https://abrp.featurebase.app/en/p/enode-for-mg-cars-mg4

 

[hojnikb]

What about direct connection to SAIC servers, like some other brands have with ABPR? Can't ABRP make that work?

SAIC-iSmart-API

SAIC-iSmart-API has 8 repositories available. Follow their code on GitHub.

github.com

 

[Gilles]

Enode communicates with SAIC servers, this is how it retrieves the battery SOC, GPS position, etc...
Hence the interest of this new possibility of connection between ABRP and the MG4!

https://developers.enode.com/api/capabilities/vehicle

With Enode, all you have to do is enter your iSmart identifier (phone number or email) and your password to be connected!

 

[hojnikb]

if wonder if that would also work on abrp, running sideloaded on MGs infotaiment

 

[Gilles]

Yes, but Enode is still in beta version !

 

[Mark Hewitt]

It is saying that the issue was with only one connection being allowed at a time and thus you'd get logged out of the MG iSmart app. But the last update to the iSmart app a month ago allows the setting up of a secondary account. Presumably this can be used to allow Enode?

 

[nanomad]

That's correct. Enode is basically doing the same thing that the people running the MQTT gateway are doing at home.

Just make sure you don't set an expiration on the secondary account.

What about direct connection to SAIC servers, like some other brands have with ABPR? Can't ABRP make that work?

SAIC-iSmart-API

SAIC-iSmart-API has 8 repositories available. Follow their code on GitHub.

github.com

Yeah, you can use the MQTT gateway to push data to ABRP if you want without relying on any third party

GitHub - SAIC-iSmart-API/saic-python-mqtt-gateway: A service that queries the data from an MG iSMART account and publishes the data over MQTT and to other sources

A service that queries the data from an MG iSMART account and publishes the data over MQTT and to other sources - SAIC-iSmart-API/saic-python-mqtt-gateway

github.com

 

[Mark Hewitt]

First I've heard of the MQTT gateway. Sounds interesting. I have the means to spin up a VM to run this for me so I might give it a go if I can find a reasonable guide on how to do it.

 

[siteguru]

Search out the Home Automation thread.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

After a lot of faff with Python modules (hate that stuff) and having to compile python from source I kind of got MQTT working in terms of it can contact the car and output a load of stuff on screen. But I put in my connection to ABRP and... nothing, doesn't update anything, not sure if the car needs to be on.

 

[Gilles]

There is an application in France called Dreev which uses Enode to connect to the MG4. This application, which connects our electricity supplier and the MG4, works perfectly for me, although I don't really understand the point of this application...

But this means that Enode manages to connect without problem to my MG4 and transmits the SOC to Dreev!

So, ABRP can also perfectly use Enode to retrieve the SOC, GPS position, etc.!

All that remains is to obtain validation from ABRP and that seems more complicated because for more than 10 days, no one has been validated as a beta tester...

 

[Mark Hewitt]

There is an application in France called Dreev which uses Enode to connect to the MG4. This application, which connects our electricity supplier and the MG4, works perfectly for me, although I don't really understand the point of this application...

But this means that Enode manages to connect without problem to my MG4 and transmits the SOC to Dreev!

So, ABRP can also perfectly use Enode to retrieve the SOC, GPS position, etc.!

All that remains is to obtain validation from ABRP and that seems more complicated because for more than 10 days, no one has been validated as a beta tester...

Has Dreev always been able to do this? Before the MG smart app added the secondary account part?

And yes the bottleneck is seeming at ABRPs side; for right now I have my ODB2 and switch setup which works.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

All that remains is to obtain validation from ABRP and that seems more complicated because for more than 10 days, no one has been validated as a beta tester...

I just got approved as it seems everyone else in that thread.

So far I have linked sucessfully so will see how it goes.

Says it is "Charging at 45kW" which is impressive for a granny charger when the car isn't charging at all.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

I worry about draining the battery. As standing here I can see the dashboard being activated to grab the info.

 

[pmknowles]

Search out the Home Automation thread.

Also evcc.io which allows remote control of a home charger rather than using the charger app

 

[JIS]

Hello everyone!
ABRP has published on demand (on their forum) a beta version (only for ABRP Premium version owners !) where the user has the possibility of connecting their MG4 using Enode rather than with an OBD dongle to obtain the battery SOC in real time.
I think that it's still a more rational connection method than having to leave an OBD dongle permanently connected to the car!
Several of us requested this beta version but only two of us were satisfied!
Apparently, the first test returns from this version show that it works, except for a few details...

https://abrp.featurebase.app/en/p/enode-for-mg-cars-mg4

I have not heard of "Enode" and yet am a paid up subscriber of ABRP and I have the OBDLink CX dongle which works very well. I'm not sure I understand the difference save the fact that to saves buying an OBD dongle. But if you already have one (with and on/off switch) then does "Enode" feed any different data to ABRP or .... something else ?

 

[Gilles]

I have not heard of "Enode" and yet am a paid up subscriber of ABRP and I have the OBDLink CX dongle which works very well. I'm not sure I understand the difference save the fact that to saves buying an OBD dongle. But if you already have one (with and on/off switch) then does "Enode" feed any different data to ABRP or .... something else ?

Enode replaces the OBD dongle used by ABRP to retrieve the SOC of the MG4, so with Enode, you no longer have to connect a dongle to the car's OBD port!
For the moment, I have only used Enode and ABRP on a few relatively short journeys (max 3/4 hour), but each time Enode perfectly transmitted the car's SOC to ABRP: it is therefore very practical and with completely transparent operation!
The only question I have is the possible risk for the 12V battery, in fact, Enode seems to connect regularly to the MG4, even when stopped and even if the smartphone is turned off!

 

[JIS]

Enode replaces the OBD dongle used by ABRP to retrieve the SOC of the MG4, so with Enode, you no longer have to connect a dongle to the car's OBD port!
For the moment, I have only used Enode and ABRP on a few relatively short journeys (max 3/4 hour), but each time Enode perfectly transmitted the car's SOC to ABRP: it is therefore very practical and with completely transparent operation!
The only question I have is the possible risk for the 12V battery, in fact, Enode seems to connect regularly to the MG4, even when stopped and even if the smartphone is turned off!

OK sounds interesting. Currently I have to turn on and off the OBD dongle (to avoid a security alert when I leave and lock the car). I am happy to try Enode but how do I do this? What steps to follow please?

 

[nanomad]

The only question I have is the possible risk for the 12V battery, in fact, Enode seems to connect regularly to the MG4, even when stopped and even if the smartphone is turned off!

That's a bad implementation on enode part. You should report this as a critical bug as you can easily drain the 12V battery this way.

With the mqtt gateway we spent literal months trying to come up with proper logic when to query the car to avoid such issues.

 

[Gilles]

OK sounds interesting. Currently I have to turn on and off the OBD dongle (to avoid a security alert when I leave and lock the car). I am happy to try Enode but how do I do this? What steps to follow please?

At first, you must be registred as an ABRP Premium user.
Secondly, you must request Enode betatester status here:

https://abrp.featurebase.app/en/p/enode-for-mg-cars-mg4

And finally, once you are accepted, you will need to link to Enode in the "edit connections" section of ABRP.
But, remember that it's a beta version !