Thread: no scantool needed program

Thats ridiculous...

The OBD port if connected directly to your computer will burn your mobo or something like that..... You NEED something in the middle...

Otherwise why do you think everyone buys scantools?

i could have swore i saw something where it could only read codes no monitoring?

ahh w/e

did it connect you the computer?

I think youre thinking of that CarChip thing? It was a little box the size of a match-box with memory inside of it. It connects the the OBD port, and logs data. then yu can take it out and connect to a computer.

Originally Posted by joe912

i remember a while ago that i came across a site where a guy had made a program for a laptop that could read codes from an obd2 port without a scantool?

if any one has any links it would be very helpful.

Thanks,
Joe

I'm not sure if you are still looking for this or not, but if you have an ISO connection you can connect without an interface board since it is regular ol serial communications.

http://www.andywhittaker.com/ecu/obdii_software.htm


--Craig

I think I'm carrying on the same conversation in parallel here and on the digimoto site. :-)

Maybe I should clarify what I am trying to do. I have a 199 Land Rover Discovery. It is OBDII compliant, but also has several factory codes, and factory settings. I am pretty sure that all the factory codes that are outside of the normal OBDII spec will get reported (E.g. ABS failures). I'll just need to figure out what the codes mean and provide meaningful textual descriptions. In addition to ODBII the vehicle has several settings, and functions. For example, the ABS pump can be used to bleed the brakes, and vehicle options such whether or not the rear airbags, heated windscreen, etc are installed. I'd eventually like to gain access to all of this functionality.

These settings are accessed via a Land Rover Testbook, an Autologic unit, a Rovacomm, or a Rovacomm Lite. Since both Autologic and Rovacomm have been able to reverse engineer this it is possible. I'm considering sniffing the serial connection between a testbook or clone to observe the protocol. I'd then like to write some of my own code to make available to me the more useful functions of a testbook. This is purely a home project, and not a commercial venture.

What I can't determine is if the testbook is going to use lines other than the "K" line and "L" line, and if so will the ELM/MyObydic pass through data on these other lines. If/when I get access to a testbook I can of course put a scope on it but in the meantime I'm trying to figure out what the existing interfaces will or will not pass through. If it is completely uncommon for a factory device to communicate on lines other than the typical ODBII pins then I will probably just push forward and see what I can figure out before putting a scope on it, and wiring/soldering up my own interface board (I have a embedded software/hardware engineer friend who is willing to help me with the hardware).