Onboard computer Multitronics MPC-800: specifications, reviews

Knowingly for fun they say that the car becomes the second and sometimes the first wife of every car enthusiast. For him a lot is done, and he, in turn, rewards his owner with uninterrupted work and readiness for travel. In order to better collect information about his iron horse, in addition to the main sensors, it is recommended to use an on-board computer. This device can always tell you what problems arise during the operation of the car, and also help to eliminate them. In addition, fuel consumption is recorded, and other important indicators are collected. All this can be done by the Multitronics MPC-800 on-board computer . Let's look at its merits and demerits in order.

A bit about the on-board computer in general

The vehicle's on-board computer is a device that allows real-time monitoring of all the main performance indicators of the systems. For example, among the most popular are the engine speed counter (tachometer), the fuel flow meter, and the error code reader from the "brains" of the machine.

Important and the possibility of expanding the functionality of the bortcomputer. So, if you want, you can add it to parktronics, which he helps out well during parking in the winter season, with complicated visibility or at night. In addition, the on-board computer (VAZ, by the way, more than any other car needs such a device) is able to analyze the data received for a certain period of time and make conclusions on the stability of the engine and other systems based on this analysis. If serious abnormalities are detected, even if there is no error signal, he can warn about the need for a full diagnosis of a particular node.

Thanks to this multifunctionality, on-board computers are recommended for installation in every car, regardless of age, cost and technical characteristics. They make life easier for the car enthusiast, combining all the necessary information, which otherwise would have to be collected from several different instruments.

The main advantage is the possibility of autonomous work

The central unit of the onboard computer can independently collect and analyze the data, even though the main display device is turned off. If such a device appears in the coverage area, the current information and the history collected during the connection disconnection will be immediately transferred to it.

As a control and display device, any gadget managed by the Android operating system 2.1 and above can act as a device and has the ability to connect to other devices using the Bluetooth protocol. For work, there is a proprietary utility that allows you to display all information needed during the movement or diagnostics on the screen, and also through the speaker. So, it could be parktronics readings or signaling of a node about an error. It is the on-board computer for Android that is most relevant in our time, since gadgets with this operating system on board are widely distributed and relatively cheap.

What devices can I use to connect?

As already mentioned above, all modern smartphones and tablets can be used to work with the on-board computer. However, in some cases, it becomes possible to use one more device - a full-time radio cassette recorder. The fact is that an increasing number of car manufacturers use the practice of installing in their brainchildren radio, which operate under the most popular mobile system. This allows them to expand their functionality, for example, as in our case, using its screen to display information received from sensors. For comparison, for example, you can take another bortkompyuter - Multitronics VC731, the screen of which is installed separately and immediately takes up extra space on the panel.

In addition, this receiver can be installed separately, even if your car from the factory was not completed. After all, using such a solution will be much more convenient than fixing the tablet on the suction cup to the windshield and watching the screen shaking from driving on our roads, which also obstructs the view in part. This option seems most reasonable when installing Multitronics. The on-board computer does not require an extra monitor and, as a result, unnecessary costs.

Required functions that an on-board computer can perform

This device is designed to make life easier for the car enthusiast. Below is a list of some of the features that appear after the car computer is installed:

• The possibility of connecting external sensors. Information from additional tracking devices can be displayed on the screen starting with the banal measurement of the current speed of movement and temperature outside the window, and ending with the oil temperature in a particular node.
• Possibility of automatic inclusion of a passing light of headlights or daytime running lights. In order to avoid unnecessary fines, you can set the automatic light on through the on-board on-board computer (VAZ is no exception) at the beginning of the movement and shutdown after some time after stopping.
• Possibility of connecting a parking radar. One can not underestimate such a simple, but important, thing like parking sensors. The onboard computer allows you to display the results of measurements of the distance of the sensors on the screen in the form of graphic information, which simplifies parking in close urban areas.
• The possibility of automatic switching between gas and gasoline in the presence of gas-cylinder equipment on the basis of the traffic parameters set before the trip.
• Reading error codes and decoding them in real time.
• Logging of occurring events and the ability to view these records, as well as comparing them at similar intervals for the purpose of diagnosis.

These are just some of the positive aspects of the Multitronics MPC-800, but they already say a lot in favor of purchasing and installing an on-board computer. Let's look at a few more key features of this model.

Versatility

Perhaps, this moment is important for those who are experiencing that the purchased device will not be compatible with his car. It should be noted that at the moment a large number of auto mechanics respond positively to this particular model of the on-board computer, since it has an enviable versatility.

It was achieved thanks to the fact that part of the sensors, which may not be on this or that car, can be purchased and mounted separately. At the same time, a large number of varieties of these sensors are supported, in addition to another plus the Multitronics MPC-800. Their price is often low and much less than the cost of the computer itself.

The second point, which increased the versatility of the gadget, was a large database of error-reporting protocols from the computer. As a result, you just need to specify when configuring the protocol that is used by your car. Find it easy, it should be specified in the vehicle specifications. The developers took care of this in advance and made more than 10,000 different error codes and their decoding in the memory of the on-board computer.

Variety of displayed and processed parameters

To list them all simply does not make sense, because their number depending on the car brand and its protocol can exceed 200 units. One can only say in general that among them there are such parameters that you could not even suspect about when buying your car.

In this case, there is no need to display all these parameters at once on the screen, and there is not enough space for this, especially for the Multitronics VC731. For driving enough key points, the others are processed by the system in an automatic mode. But if you wish, for example, during diagnostics, you can see them in the extended menu.

Such a variety helps the system to accurately monitor the status of your vehicle. In addition, at the time of any error, a full log is created, which contains all the parameters. It can be used to more accurately diagnose the cause of the error and prevent a repetition of the situation in the future.

If the error occurred, when you are far from the service center, you can contact the master by phone and forward the already collected report, carefully compiled by Multitronics MPC-800. Having become acquainted with it, he will be able to conclude whether it is possible to continue the movement on its own, or it can lead to unpredictable and sad consequences.

Regular software update

The manufacturer often issues an update for the management program, as well as for flashing the on-board computer. With each such update, which can be up to 10 per year, there are new, previously inaccessible functions, and the trip computer is improved on the eyes. Basically, the wishes of customers, who have already acquired and installed this gadget, are realized.

If you have a new generation car, and not all the functionality on the on-board computer, you can not worry - in the near future this problem will be eliminated, since at the current moment, most likely, the development team is already preparing and releasing a new update.

Offline data collection

The on-board computer on the car does not turn off even after the car has been parked, muffled and even closed, but continues to work together with the alarm, consuming less energy than it. All this distinguishes it from self-made devices, which can only work if there is a stable connection to the parent gadget like a smartphone or tablet.

In addition to the continuity of data collection, a similar approach allows you to save the charge of your mobile device, because the load on the processor is minimal. The fact is that all calculations are performed directly in the main block of the on-board computer, and the portable gadget serves only as a monitor, on which it is possible to output the information necessary for the user.

Voice guidance

No one will dispute the fact that the driver should concentrate as much as possible on the road and as little as possible be distracted by extraneous devices. That is why in due time in the navigators was introduced the function of sounding turns and other details of the route.

By the same principle, the program through which Multitronics is connected - the on-board computer of the new generation - also works. All critical information is not only displayed, but also spoken through the speaker. Such information includes information transmitted by the parking radar, decoding of error codes or signaling the overheating of any node.

Therefore, even if you do not have time to notice on the screen, or you simply do not have time to distract from the road due to bad weather conditions, really important information will not be lost anyway.

Work with automatic transmissions

Despite the fact that cars with automatic transmissions are not so widely used, the manufacturer also envisaged this category of users. As a result, the on-board computer supports the following functions related to automatic transmissions:

• The ability to display the temperature of the transmission fluid.
• Voice and graphical warning of overheating or exceeding the preset temperature by the transmission node.
• Reading, decoding, scoring and resetting the DTC as required.
• During travel, information on the current transmission is displayed.
• Based on the journal data, the car computer issues a warning about the need to replace the transmission oil, after passing the specified number of kilometers.
• After changing the oil, it is possible to reset the meter and designate a new kilometer for counting before warning.

Together, these parameters allow full monitoring of the state of the transmission and make timely decisions on its maintenance or repair.

Basic Operating Parameters

None of the devices can not do without the parameters and specifications provided by the manufacturer. On-board computer VAZ in this matter is no exception. We offer you to familiarize yourself with the specifications provided by the manufacturer to determine how suitable this gadget is for you:

• The voltage range of the device is within the range of 9-16 V.
• Consumed current during operation does not increase more than 0.12 A, while in standby mode it does not exceed 0.017 A.
• The temperature at which the device can operate stably, ranging from -20 to +45 degrees.
• The temperature at which the device can be transported is from -40 to +60 degrees.
• To display indicators you need a device with Android 2.1 or higher installed, as well as the presence of a full Bluetooth module in it. The recommended display diagonal is at least 3.5 inches.

These are the main specifications provided by the manufacturer. With more detailed parameters, as well as requirements for sensors, can be found on the official website or at dealers.

Feedback on the device

In general, the majority of users who previously spent on the purchase of this on-board computer were satisfied with their purchase, and leave positive feedback about the Multitronics MPC-800. Among the advantages they note is high reliability and fault tolerance. Many detailed information received from the sensors and processed properly, helped to find and repair faults that previously had the character of "elusive".

Despite the fact that the minimum operating temperature is stated by the manufacturer within not less than -20 degrees, an increasing number of drivers claim that even in severe winter conditions the device continues to work properly.

Among the minuses Multitronics MPC-800, the review of which you just read, users note a fairly high cost compared to self-made implementations. Such a device will cost the car owner an average of about 4500 rubles. But this minus is more than offset by much more functionality and stability of work. Another disadvantage is faced by those who use devices with a large diagonal for data display. The fact is that on the tablets and tape recorders the image looks too large, and to reduce it and add additional parameters to the main screen that could fit there, at the moment it is impossible.

However, given that developers constantly improve the software, it is possible that in the near future there will be an opportunity to better sort the displayed information, and the appearance will become more flexible.

Conclusion

On-board computer Multitronics MPC-800 is quite expensive, but still an ideal solution for those who want to get the most out of their iron horse, not just speed. It allows you to understand the problems on the road literally on the fly, assigns them characteristics and helps to cope with them, having spent a minimum of time.

Installing an on-board computer, you can monitor the changes in the parameters of the car and compare them with the previous values. All this will make from the vehicle an excellently working piece of art, which every car enthusiast will envy.