Description
Note: The Support of the CFE has completely stopped and will never come back.
The Software Support of the CFE has been stopped completely. We’ve sold the CFE on a license. Unfortunately the developer (hmcs.nl) stopped the support of the CFE after retirement.
They sold the CFE to a different company with the promise that we still get 2 years support after the last CFE sold. Unfortunately this agreement is not being held. After 8 months of trying for us to get support, we are unable to help anyone anymore with issues.
You can try older versions of the firmware if you are having issues. Which can be found here:CFE Plus/Ultra Firmware archive
We are willing to help but but just can’t. We don’t have access to the software.
We are very sorry for this to happen. If you ask us we would have done it way different and make it opensource or something.
CFE Ultra
The all new CFE Ultra is here
The Canbus Function Extender (CFE) is a small device that adds functionality to your Volvo. By doing this, it modernizes your car by implementing options that are normally only seen on more recent vehicles. It even delivers functionalities that the car manufacturer has never thought of. Although the list is long, a few examples are highlighted here: Add comfort blinkers to your MY2001-MY2005 S60/V70/S80/XC90 (P2). Add support for forward and/or reverse camera’s for RTI-equipped P3’s. Read and clear Diagnostics Trouble Codes by pressing a few buttons on the steering wheel stalks.
The origins of the CFE go back as far as 2009. This first CFE (later named CFE Classic) got a successor in 2016 in the CFE Plus. Functionality and capabilities have been improved all these years. In 2019 a WIFI module was added to the CFE Plus allowing the visualization, in real time, of several car parameters (e.g. Coolant temperature and oil temperatures of engine, transmission and Haldex, boost pressures and more) on a networked device that has a modern web browser (PC, phone, tablet, RaspberryPI, etc.). In contrast to many aftermarket data display products, the CFE Plus WIFI can display data at high speed, presenting more accurate and more meaningful information.
Because the user interface of this data display is defined in HTML (as any ordinary webpage), you are able to create your own views/pages. Several libraries are available on the internet to help you in creating a beautiful display where the CFE takes care of timely delivering the needed data. The CFE comes with a simple API (Application Programmers Interface) to streamline the communication between your webpage and the CFE.
Use cases for this functionality?
Imagine driving through the Swiss mountains with your caravan. In a P3 this is a little unsettling because of the absence of any temperature gauge. The CFE Plus can display the coolant temperature, the engine oil temperature, the automatic transmission fluid temperature and more. This gives control back to you, the driver.
Get more insight into the running conditions of your engine by monitoring critical factors as e.g. boost, airmass, and air temperature.
Many data items (variables) are available with even more to come. Don’t hesitate to ask when the data you need is not yet available.
The new CFE Ultra builds on the success of it’s predecessors:
The CFE Ultra is the first CFE that can be plugged into any supported car’s Diagnostics (OBD) port. No additional harness is required anymore. This eases installation on early P2’s (MY2001-MY2004).
The CFE Ultra also eliminates the need for a proprietary configuration cable by providing a USB connection on the dongle itself: You can use a standard USB cable to change the configuration and/or the firmware of the CFE Ultra.
Next to WIFI, the CFE Ultra also supports Bluetooth. Work is currently in progress to allow for connections over Bluetooth in the same way as already is provided through WIFI. This eases the connection of e.g. Android devices (Android drops it’s cellular data connection when WIFI is connected).
Next to relying on an internet webserver to serve the webpages that contain data provided by the CFE, the CFE Ultra can also serve the webpages from a Micro SD card that can be inserted into the dongle. The pages can be designed by yourself. Of course there are some pre-defined pages available as well.
How does it work
For more information: https://www.swedesolutions.com/cfe-capabilities/
The CFE Ultra (Unit) needs configuration to make sure the Unit knows what Volvo it is going to be used in and what and how functions should work.
This configuration is performed with the updater software (License included, directly available after purchase), installed and run on a PC with at least Windows 8.
The Unit needs to be connected to the PC with a Configuration and USB cable (Both supplied in the set).
Once you finalized the configuration and all functions are setup with the desired options; the CFE Ultra can be connected to your Volvo.
The Unit connects to the Can-busses (Networks) in your Volvo and acts like an additional ECU (Computer).
To avoid possible mistakes in configuration, the Unit starts an “Initialization” after first Ignition (Made visible to the user by enabling the blue high-beam light in the dashboard while the initialization process is going on) and tries to match the made configuration with the actual Volvo.
If all matches the Initialization will finish and the Unit is ready for operation.
Now the CFE Ultra is ready to perform its tasks.
For example; if you lock your Volvo with the keyfob, the CFE Ultra will notice this on the Canbus and decide to close the windows for you.
WiFi
Besides the normal CFE Plus functionality; the WiFi board in the CFE Ultra allows you to connect a WiFi enabled device (like a mobile phone, a tablet or even a Raspberry Pi) to the CFE Ultra.
If will allow you to view engine (an other) data (live) in several different formats, in a web-browser. Just as you like, just as you want it yourself.
The source of the example HTML is open-source, available for you, available for changes, we challenge you to make the nicest and share that in the different Volvo related fora!
View/user/download : Download/View/Use here!
For now it is data-pull from CFE Ultra only, but tests have already proven that 2-way data works fine!
We’ll continue working on new data to get available; you might find a certain value not available for your Volvo, in such case enter a bug report and we’ll add it asap!
CFE Ultra connected to iPhone, displaying live data in different layouts:
CFE Ultra connected to Raspberry-PI, displaying live data on the RTI screen:
Important note:
All supported models/modelyears will allow a direct plug-and-play connection into the OBD Port (Onboard Diagnostic Port) of your Volvo!
Manuals:
CFE-Plus-P3-HLDF-Video-installation-v1.04
CFE Plus and CFE Plus WiFi Configuration tool
CFE-Plus and CFE Plus Wifi – Quick Start Guide 0.8
Manual firmware download:
lukehill1122 (verified owner) –
Super niche, yet incredibly awesome product. Makes the car feel 10 years newer, and it’s great to know there’s more features still on the way. If you like configuring and tinkering with stuff, it’s well worth the price.