Jeremy Gillbanks
Published © GPL3+

Key Fob Modification for 2002 Ford Using Particle Electron

I removed the buttons from the PCB, rewired the switches, and use a Particle Electron to trigger each button via 3G from an Android app.

IntermediateFull instructions provided4 hours1,566
Key Fob Modification for 2002 Ford Using Particle Electron

Things used in this project

Hardware components

Electron
Particle Electron
×1
Solar panel
Must have a USB output
×1
3.7 V LiPo Battery
×1
Android device
Android device
×1
General Purpose Transistor NPN
General Purpose Transistor NPN
×3
Jumper wires (generic)
Jumper wires (generic)
×9

Software apps and online services

Android Studio
Android Studio

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Soldering iron (generic)
Soldering iron (generic)

Story

Read more

Schematics

Breadboard schematic

Use this image to wire your own board together.

Code

Particle Electron code

C/C++
Input this into build.particle.io
/* App to replace 2002 Ford Fairlane Key Fob
*/
void setup() {
    pinMode(D2, OUTPUT);
    pinMode(D3, OUTPUT);
    pinMode(D4, OUTPUT);
    Particle.function("lock", lock);
    Particle.function("unlock", unlock);
    Particle.function("boot", boot);
} 

int lock(String command) {
    digitalWrite(D3, HIGH);
    delay(100);
    digitalWrite(D3, LOW);
    digitalWrite(D7, HIGH);
    delay(500);
    digitalWrite(D7, LOW);
    return 1;
}

int unlock(String command) {
    digitalWrite(D4, HIGH);
    delay(100);
    digitalWrite(D4, LOW);
    delay(100);
    digitalWrite(D4, HIGH);
    delay(100);
    digitalWrite(D4, LOW);
    digitalWrite(D7, HIGH);
    delay(500);
    digitalWrite(D7, LOW);
    return 1;
}

int boot(String command) {
    digitalWrite(D2, HIGH);
    delay(100);
    digitalWrite(D2, LOW);
    digitalWrite(D7, HIGH);
    delay(500);
    digitalWrite(D7, LOW);
    return 1;
}

void loop() {

}

Main Activity for Android app

Java
Use in your MainActivity.java
import android.content.Context;
import android.support.v7.app.AppCompatActivity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.util.Log;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.Button;
import android.widget.Toast;

import io.particle.android.sdk.devicesetup.ParticleDeviceSetupLibrary;

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity {

    public static String function;
    private static Context mContext;

    @Override
    protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);
        mContext = getApplicationContext();

        ParticleDeviceSetupLibrary.init(this.getApplicationContext(), MainActivity.class);

        // Declare and assign our buttons and text
        Button lockButton = (Button) findViewById(R.id.lockButton);

        View.OnClickListener lock = new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {
                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "Locking...", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                function = "lock";
                HelperThread thread = new HelperThread();
                thread.setName("HelperThread");
                thread.start();
            }
        };
        lockButton.setOnClickListener(lock);

        // Declare and assign our buttons and text
        Button unlockButton = (Button) findViewById(R.id.unlockButton);

        View.OnClickListener unlock = new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {
                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "Unlocking...", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                function = "unlock";
                HelperThread thread = new HelperThread();
                thread.setName("HelperThread");
                thread.start();
            }
        };
        unlockButton.setOnClickListener(unlock);

        // Declare and assign our buttons and text
        Button bootButton = (Button) findViewById(R.id.bootButton);

        View.OnClickListener boot = new View.OnClickListener() {
            @Override
            public void onClick(View v) {
                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(), "Booting...", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                function = "boot";
                HelperThread thread = new HelperThread();
                thread.setName("HelperThread");
                thread.start();
            }
        };
        bootButton.setOnClickListener(boot);

    }
    public void showConfirmation(int i, String function) {
        switch(i) {
            case 0:
                if (function == "lock"){
                    Toast.makeText(MainActivity.mContext, "Unable to lock.", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                } else if (function == "unlock") {
                    Toast.makeText(MainActivity.mContext, "Unable to unlock.", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                } else if (function == "boot") {
                    Toast.makeText(MainActivity.mContext, "Unable to open boot.", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                } else {
                    Log.e("Error", "Error");
                }
                break;
            case 1:
                if (function == "lock"){
                    Toast.makeText(MainActivity.mContext, "Locked.", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                } else if (function == "unlock") {
                    Toast.makeText(MainActivity.mContext, "Unlocked.", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                } else if (function == "boot") {
                    Toast.makeText(MainActivity.mContext, "Boot Opened.", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
                } else {
                    Log.e("Error", "Error");
                }
                break;
            default:
                Toast.makeText(MainActivity.mContext, "Unknown outcome", Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
        }

    }
}

Helper Thread

Java
This handles the asynchronous function POST method for communicating with the Particle cloud service.
You will need to enter the device name or ID number of your own device.
import android.support.annotation.NonNull;
import android.util.Log;

import java.io.IOException;

import io.particle.android.sdk.cloud.ParticleCloudException;
import io.particle.android.sdk.cloud.ParticleCloudSDK;
import io.particle.android.sdk.cloud.ParticleDevice;
import io.particle.android.sdk.utils.Async;

public class HelperThread extends Thread {

    public static int resultCode;
    public static int resultCode2;

    public void run() {
        ParticleDevice myDevice = null;
        resultCode = 0;
        resultCode2 = 0;
        try {
            myDevice = ParticleCloudSDK.getCloud().getDevice("YOUR DEVICE HERE");
            getValue(myDevice, MainActivity.function);
        } catch (ParticleCloudException | IOException | ParticleDevice.VariableDoesNotExistException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }

    public int getValue(ParticleDevice myDevice, final String function) throws ParticleCloudException, IOException, ParticleDevice.VariableDoesNotExistException {


        Async.executeAsync(myDevice, new Async.ApiWork<ParticleDevice, Integer>() {

            public Integer callApi(@NonNull ParticleDevice myDevice)
                    throws ParticleCloudException, IOException {
                try {
                    resultCode = myDevice.callFunction(function);
                } catch (ParticleDevice.FunctionDoesNotExistException e) {
                    e.printStackTrace();
                }
                return resultCode;
            }

            @Override
            public void onSuccess(@NonNull Integer s) {
                MainActivity confirmation = new MainActivity();
                confirmation.showConfirmation(resultCode, function);
            }

            @Override
            public void onFailure(@NonNull ParticleCloudException e) {
                Log.e("Result", "Something went wrong making an SDK call: ", e);
            }
        });

        return resultCode;
    }
}

Layout file for the buttons

XML
Use this file to organise your on-screen buttons for the Android app. Wrapping the layout in a FrameLayout prevents the app from freezing during operation (allows it to keep receiving commands).
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<FrameLayout
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="match_parent">
    <LinearLayout
        android:id="@+id/activity_main"
        android:orientation="vertical"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:paddingBottom="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
        android:paddingLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
        android:paddingRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"
        android:paddingTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"
        >

        <Button android:id="@+id/lockButton"
                android:text="Lock"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="match_parent"
                android:layout_weight="1"
                android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
                android:textSize="@dimen/textSize"
                style="@style/Widget.AppCompat.Button.Colored"/>

        <Button android:id="@+id/unlockButton"
                android:text="Unlock"
                android:layout_width="match_parent"
                android:layout_height="match_parent"
                android:layout_weight="1"
                android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
                android:textSize="@dimen/textSize"
                style="@style/Widget.AppCompat.Button.Borderless.Colored"/>

        <Button android:id="@+id/bootButton"
            android:text="Boot"
            android:layout_width="match_parent"
            android:layout_height="match_parent"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:layout_gravity="center_horizontal"
            android:textSize="@dimen/textSize"
            style="@style/Widget.AppCompat.Button.Colored"/>

    </LinearLayout>
</FrameLayout>

String constants file

XML
Enter OAuth information using: https://docs.particle.io/guide/how-to-build-a-product/authentication/#oauth and https://docs.particle.io/reference/android/#oauth-client-configuration
<string name="oauth_client_id">(client ID string goes here)</string>
<string name="oauth_client_secret">(client secret 40-char hex string goes here)</string>

Dimens file

XML
Used for colours and text sizes
<dimen name="textSize">72sp</dimen>

Credits

Jeremy Gillbanks

Jeremy Gillbanks

1 project • 1 follower

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