1. OT
- Posted by 1evan at sbcglobal.net
Aug 28, 2003
Does anybody know where I can get specs on OBD-II?
2. Re: OT
- Posted by 1evan at sbcglobal.net
Aug 28, 2003
Yep, checked there again after I sent out this query. They have more
info now than they used to. Not exactly what I was looking for but I
found a link to a site that did have it. www.scantool.net
Brian Broker wrote:
>
>
>Did you check http://www.obdii.com/ ?
>
>1evan wrote:
>
>
>>Does anybody know where I can get specs on OBD-II?
>>
>>
>--^----------------------------------------------------------------
>This email was sent to: 1evan at sbcglobal.net
>
>
>TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE!
>
>
3. Re: OT
- Posted by 1evan at sbcglobal.net
Aug 29, 2003
Found ScanTool.net, thanks for the other two links. This is exactly
what I have been looking for. I am also thinking of writing an OBD-II
Windows app (Possibly Linux too, since I have been playing with that for
a couple of years now. Time to get serious with it.) Also, if I can
find the time!
Jonas Temple wrote:
>
>
>Funny you should mention this. I've been doing some research on the
>same topic (for a while now).
>
>I have a friend that is a mechanic and we've been looking into writing
>our own OBD-II Windows application. I've gotten so far as downloading
>some technical specs from various web sites and even have 3 ECUs at
>home.
>
>Basically, OBD-II is an automotive standard regulated by the federal
>government that says all cars produced 1996 or after must have an OBD-II
>compliant interface in the car. OBD-II as a standard only dictates the
>data that must be available through the interface and the physical
>connection that must be present. However, what the standard doesn't
>dictate is how the communication must be done and each of the big auto
>mfgs have their own. In the USA you'll find 4 different flavors: ISO,
>PWM, VPW and Keyword 2000.
>
>>From a programming standpoint you unfortunately can't just hook up the
>OBD-II cable to the car and plug it into the serial port on your laptop.
> What you'll have to have is a piece of interface hardware. You can
>either make them yourself or buy them from one of many sites. I found
>one for $80 bucks that supports the 4 mentioned, but I haven't gotten
>one yet.
>
>I also know that the complete OBD-II standard is available in document
>form but it's not free. You'll need the SAE OBD-II reference guide to
>know how to interpret the information returned from the ECU. I found it
>at Amazon for $140 USD.
>
>If I had a lot of free time I would like to explore this and maybe come
>up with a Windows/Linux OBD-II Diagnostics application. That is, IF I
>had free time.
>
>Here's some other sites that might help:
>www.obddiagnostics.com - this is where I found the interface for $90.
>Also has a really good description of OBD-II and some free software
>available for donwload.
>www.andywhittaker.com/ecu/obdii_software.htm - another good information
>site, he's also got an OBD-II ISO interface for sell (I tried to contact
>him, but he never returned my emails).
>www.scantool.net - you can buy a combo package with ISO, VPW and PWM
>interfaces for $184
>
>Be prepared, you could REALLY burn a lot of time on this!
>
>Jonas Temple
>1evan at sbcglobal.net wrote:
>
>
>>Does anybody know where I can get specs on OBD-II?
>>
>>
>
>
>TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE!
>
>
4. Re: OT
- Posted by 1evan at sbcglobal.net
Aug 29, 2003
I have a VW and a Toyota and possibly a Chrysler.
Modifying ECU's would be neat. Having them programmable "on-the-fly"
would be an extra bonus. Efficiency for everyday driving and
performance for fun.
I'll probably take a little time reading up on it before actually doing
anything. In between work, working on my Master's, and the family, it
could take a while. (Not to mention the 5000 other hobbies/projects
that I have going on 
)
I'm in Michigan. Where are you?
Jonas Temple wrote:
>
>
>No problem, glad to help!
>
>If you need any help please let me know. This might go faster if two
>people are working on it! I have an OBD-II Ford that I could use for
>testing. I also have a Chrysler and GM ECU at home. Just haven't
>figured out yet how to use them without being in the car.
>
>The other thing my friend and I were discussing is creating an app that
>would modify or create an ECU chip. Since the ECU controls things like
>oxygen flow/fuel rate/etc the ECU's values could be changed to get
>better gas milage or performance, depending on the needs of the car's
>owner. Of course these changes would still require the car to be within
>EPA limits for CO emissions. This would be targeted to your everyday
>driver. The other side of the coin would be custom ECUs for racing or
>high performance applications. As you probably now know, there are some
>OBD-II Windows apps out there but you won't find many programs to modify
>and/or create an ECU chip.
>
>If you want to "dive in" and would like me to help test/code anything,
>then we'll need to agree on the hardware interface since we'd both have
>to get the same one.
>
>Where are you located?
>
>Jonas
>
>
>1evan at sbcglobal.net wrote:
>
>
>>Found ScanTool.net, thanks for the other two links. This is exactly
>>what I have been looking for. I am also thinking of writing an OBD-II
>>Windows app (Possibly Linux too, since I have been playing with that for
>>
>>a couple of years now. Time to get serious with it.) Also, if I can
>>find the time!
>>
>>
>>Jonas Temple wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Funny you should mention this. I've been doing some research on the
>>>same topic (for a while now).
>>>
>>>I have a friend that is a mechanic and we've been looking into writing
>>>our own OBD-II Windows application. I've gotten so far as downloading
>>>some technical specs from various web sites and even have 3 ECUs at
>>>home.
>>>
>>>Basically, OBD-II is an automotive standard regulated by the federal
>>>government that says all cars produced 1996 or after must have an OBD-II
>>>
>>>compliant interface in the car. OBD-II as a standard only dictates the
>>>data that must be available through the interface and the physical
>>>connection that must be present. However, what the standard doesn't
>>>dictate is how the communication must be done and each of the big auto
>>>mfgs have their own. In the USA you'll find 4 different flavors: ISO,
>>>PWM, VPW and Keyword 2000.
>>>
>>>>From a programming standpoint you unfortunately can't just hook up the
>>>OBD-II cable to the car and plug it into the serial port on your laptop.
>>>
>>>What you'll have to have is a piece of interface hardware. You can
>>>either make them yourself or buy them from one of many sites. I found
>>>one for $80 bucks that supports the 4 mentioned, but I haven't gotten
>>>one yet.
>>>
>>>I also know that the complete OBD-II standard is available in document
>>>form but it's not free. You'll need the SAE OBD-II reference guide to
>>>know how to interpret the information returned from the ECU. I found it
>>>
>>>at Amazon for $140 USD.
>>>
>>>If I had a lot of free time I would like to explore this and maybe come
>>>up with a Windows/Linux OBD-II Diagnostics application. That is, IF I
>>>had free time.
>>>
>>>Here's some other sites that might help:
>>>www.obddiagnostics.com - this is where I found the interface for $90.
>>>Also has a really good description of OBD-II and some free software
>>>available for donwload.
>>>www.andywhittaker.com/ecu/obdii_software.htm - another good information
>>>site, he's also got an OBD-II ISO interface for sell (I tried to contact
>>>
>>>him, but he never returned my emails).
>>>www.scantool.net - you can buy a combo package with ISO, VPW and PWM
>>>interfaces for $184
>>>
>>>Be prepared, you could REALLY burn a lot of time on this!
>>>
>>>Jonas Temple
>>>1evan at sbcglobal.net wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>Does anybody know where I can get specs on OBD-II?
>>>>
<snip>
>
>
