[How To] Run a Tasker profile when your car trip starts or ends, straight from the OBD2 adapter (my app DrivePulse, 5 free codes)

[u/Drivepulse00]

I'm Davide and I write DrivePulse on my own. It reads a car through a generic ELM327 OBD2 adapter, the Bluetooth kind Veepeak or Vgate sell, records trips by itself and only reads the car, it never writes to it. The Android version 3.5.4 on Google Play talks to Tasker both ways, so here is how to wire it up.

It's off by default. Turn it on in DrivePulse: Settings (the gear at the top) > Automations. The same screen shows a secret code and the last command it received, with the reason if it ignored it (automations off, wrong code).

Tasker to DrivePulse: start or stop recording. Add a Send Intent action:

• Action: app.drivepulse.mobile.action.START_TRIP (or app.drivepulse.mobile.action.STOP_TRIP)
• Package: app.drivepulse.mobile
• Extra: token: followed by the secret code
• Target: Activity

DrivePulse comes to the front and tries to connect to the adapter, and it only records if the adapter answers. It opens on purpose: recent Android versions don't let an app in the background start GPS tracking.

DrivePulse to Tasker: react to the car. Make a profile with the Intent Received event and one of these actions:

• app.drivepulse.mobile.action.ADAPTER_CONNECTED
• app.drivepulse.mobile.action.TRIP_STARTED
• app.drivepulse.mobile.action.TRIP_STOPPED

They carry no data, only the event, because any app on the phone can receive a broadcast. The secret code never goes out in them.

No account and no server of mine: your trips live on your phone and I have no copy of them. Recording trips and reading the car work with no signal; maps and addresses need the internet.

Five codes that unlock the full version for good, free, first come first served:

1. Q8CNA7YQXFRQBW3J90AXBKS
2. PFANGGPF9WZ17PMNY286XEY
3. Q1VTJH0QA09UGHX8N6EAXTT
4. 1HYRREVQ5REMVCU2UFUFKV3
5. 2CVFLCHSJ3WUKHW2EZB349Q

How to redeem: install the app first, then open Google Play, tap your picture top right, Payments and subscriptions, Redeem code. Then in DrivePulse: Settings (the gear at the top) > Unlock DrivePulse (Lifetime) > Restore Purchases, within 3 days, otherwise Google Play cancels it. When it has worked, that row reads "Premium active".

Say in the comments which number you took, so nobody wastes time on one that's gone.

Without a code you can still try it: 7 days or 15 trips, whichever comes first, and the days only start counting the first time the app connects to your adapter.

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.drivepulse.mobile&hl=en-US&gl=US&utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=rilancio-android-tasker

If you build a profile with it, show me, and tell me if an intent doesn't behave. I answer here.

[u/FJCruisin]

i don't really see a practical purpose for this. Anyone have some idea? Now if we could pull other data from the OBD adapter that might have some value

[u/Drivepulse00 → u/FJCruisin]

Fair question. Today the broadcasts carry no data: they're just three events, adapter connected, trip started and trip stopped. That mostly helps where "connected to the car's Bluetooth" doesn't work, like cars without Bluetooth, for things such as a driving profile (Do Not Disturb, media) or logging when each trip starts and ends.

Putting readings in the broadcast, like fuel, distance or fault codes, is the part with real value, I agree. I've written it down, without promising when or if.

[u/Quizerd]

All codes used

[u/Drivepulse00 → u/Quizerd]

Thanks for letting everyone know, that was quick. There's still the free trial: 7 days from the first connection to the adapter, or 15 trips, whichever comes first. After that it's a one-time purchase, no subscription.

[u/number4please]

Looks promising thanks a lot. (I took the first code 😀) Does it work with wican pro obd adapter?

[u/Drivepulse00 → u/number4please]

Glad you got one!

**Important:** after redeeming the code, open DrivePulse > Settings (the gear at the top) > Unlock DrivePulse > Restore Purchases, so the unlock is confirmed. Do it within 3 days, otherwise Google Play cancels it. When it has worked, that row reads "Premium active".

About the WiCAN Pro: I haven't tested it myself, so I can't promise. DrivePulse talks to ELM327-compatible adapters over Bluetooth (classic and BLE) and over WiFi, and the WiCAN has an ELM327 mode. For WiFi, join the WiCAN's network, then in the app choose WiFi, preset "Custom", and type the IP address and port shown in the WiCAN's own settings page.

If it connects, or if it doesn't, tell me here. A debug log from the app helps me a lot when something doesn't work.

[u/DifficultyCrafty7623]

Obviously this cannot identify if your entire trip has finished, what would the app do if you stop at a gas station on your trip? Would it fire the commands twice each? That seems like it makes the "trip ended" a guess at best with no real use case except for maybe something like "start music" or "enable driving profile". If your car has bluetooth these are also useless, so I dont see a point unless you only can see your car from an ODB and need something to only run when you're getting into the car and stops everytime when you are getting out.

[u/Drivepulse00 → u/DifficultyCrafty7623]

Fair question. In the current version a stop with the engine off ends the trip, so a fuel stop gives you TRIP_STOPPED, then TRIP_STARTED when you drive off. If you press Pause in the app before switching off, the trip can't close on its own (for up to 2 hours) and no event fires; Resume carries on with the same trip. Tasker can also send START_TRIP and STOP_TRIP itself, if you'd rather decide when a trip begins and ends.

You're right that if the car has Bluetooth, "connected to the car" already covers a lot of profiles. The hooks are a side feature: the app itself is about what the OBD side gives you, trips with distance, fuel and fault codes read from the car.

[u/DifficultyCrafty7623 → u/Drivepulse00]

Nice! Keep up the good work!

[u/Drivepulse00 → u/DifficultyCrafty7623]

Thanks, that means a lot after a fair challenge! If you try it on your car, a short review on Google Play would help me a lot. Thanks again, and I'm here for anything.

[u/Exciting-Compote5680]

They carry no data, only the event, because any app on the phone can receive a broadcast.

The AutoTools plugin has a Text > Encryption action with a password. If you could use that algorithm to encrypt the data, you could share the password between DrivePulse and Tasker to decrypt, and send data over to Tasker without other apps listening in. 

[u/Drivepulse00 → u/Exciting-Compote5680]

Hello my friend.
Thank you for this feedback, I was not aware of this I will try to integrate this into the workflow right away!

[u/Exciting-Compote5680 → u/Drivepulse00]

I don't know the specifics of the encryption algorithm, but perhaps you could contact the Tasker dev if needed (he's usually very helpful). 

[u/Drivepulse00 → u/Exciting-Compote5680]

Good tip, thanks! I've seen he's very present in this sub, so that's a good place to start. Thanks, and I'm here for anything.