OpenPilot (OP) tuning for MQB platform vehicles presents unique challenges. This post explores progress made in tuning OP using a 337312 Databus Vcds, focusing on overcoming obstacles and leveraging vehicle data for broader compatibility. Initial PID tuning has yielded promising results, demonstrating significant improvements in highway and rural road performance.
alt text: Initial OpenPilot testing on an MQB platform vehicle.
Further refinements are planned after mitigating environmental factors like snow and salt spray that currently obstruct lane markings. Safety coding remains a priority before considering this a fully functional OP port.
Beyond PID tuning, enhancing Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) functionality is a key objective. While retaining the stock ACC system, leveraging VCDS recoding opens possibilities. Enabling resume after short stops via the steering wheel button allows monitoring distance to the leading vehicle and simulating button presses for automated resumption. Combining this with OpenStreetMap map data enables dynamic ACC setpoint adjustments based on speed limits.
A significant hurdle in OP development is the model-specific nature of the codebase. This project aims to generalize MQB compatibility by processing VIN_01 messages to extract VIN and chassis information. A lookup table correlating MQB vehicle classes with tuning constants can then be used. This approach streamlines development for the US market. However, identifying specific RoW (Rest of World) models, like differentiating a Golf from a Golf Sportwagen within the AU chassis designation, poses a challenge due to limited VIN data. Insights on distinguishing these variants using VCDS Auto-Scan or similar methods are welcome.
