ecu talking to my laptop

billmacomber1987

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I have been searching the net for a cable that attaches the cars computer to a lap top using the USB port and you can use a program to read the trouble codes and the cars vitals I tried a bunch of sights but all I can find is stuff for old gm stuff like EPROM burning stuff like tuner cat but I cant find the cables that connect the cable. What is our ecu called?
 

Downshift

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I dont know what they are called, but your saying you want to be able to read stuff like engine temp and timign and all that on your lap top?
 
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billmacomber1987

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yeah and check engin lights and codes. there is alot of info out there but most of it is for the older tpi camaros that run BIN and PROM and EPROM witch tunercat deals with. doing that older PROM stuff is so much cheaper a hole setup would cost around 200$ if you wanted to tune a 88 tpi z28 but it invalves removing the chip loding the bin changing what you want to tune then flash the chip to clear its memory then load your tune on it and reinstal it i dont think our cars run the same way.
 

Downshift

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I dont know if you can on our cars. I guess I just figured you couldnt. I used to have a 93 Eagle talon turbo, and you could hook it up to a palm pilot with free software and read everything from knock count to coolant temp and everything it was really cool. If you can do it on these cars I would really like to know too.
 
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billmacomber1987

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if you can hook a snap on scan tool too our cars you can hook our laptop to it it might not be able to read every thing like your old car did but at least you could read coads and sensor readings as a starter
 

Downshift

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Well hell even that would be cool. Looks like me and you are the only ones who care about getting this thing haha. Someone has to know....
 
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billmacomber1987

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i think we are the only people who want to be abel to see what are cars are doing on a computer leval 5.0owned maybe i shouldas one of them chevy guys on thirdgen camaro.org there all about eprom and burning there own chips and all
 

Downshift

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I say go for it cause no one has said anything on here lol. SOMEONE HAS TO KNOW!!! Anyway go ask them and if you dont get beat down for asking about a ford car let me know what you got cause im interested. Later.
 

Monsterbishi

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What you're talking about is more commonly known as ALDL, the communications protocol used on OBD1 ecu's, it's easier to use a palmpilot purely because of its' solid-state nature, and a 3.3v serial port, eliminating any risk of damge to the ecu which was designed to handle a 5v signal.

If you could convince your local dealership to attach one of their scan tools/probes and monitor the input/output with a 'scope or serial monitor, you'd find out in an instant how it works. They key is finidng the wakeup code or wire to get the ecu into diagnostic mode.

Forget logging via a USB port, find a old pc with a serial port.
 

Monsterbishi

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wayne94mustang said:
dumb question but why not just get a scanner?

A scanner is a kiddy toy compared to what you can monitor if the ecu supports aldl communications, essentially, you can monitor every single sensor and output that the ecu can. Scantools are a waste of money really, when they just interpret basic error output data.
 

Downshift

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I just might be able to swing that dealership thing. But just incase I do what exactly am I gonna need them to do and to find for me. I guess what Im asking is what am I having them look for to make this work?
 

Monsterbishi

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Hmm, ideally, I'd do it this way:

1. Identify if there is a hardware activation for the ecu's diagnostic mode, ie, whether a certain pin on the obd1 connector needs to be earthed or jumpered to another one. Also there may be a software wakeup, or it could be a persistent state.

2. Establish the communications method, this is where a 'scope comes in to figure out the signal type and data rate.

3. Then from here a pc with a open serial port with the data line tapped into the RX of the port, and use a terminal emulator to log whats coming off it to find out how the query system and addressing works.

Once that's done we can then work on some software that interprets it all, probably start out with something PC based, and then move onto something Java based that we can port to a Palmpilot.
 

Monsterbishi

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Have just been reading up on a few pdf's regarding the EEC-IV, and there does appear to be some sort of Continuous Monitoring system, just figuring out what language it speaks.
 

Downshift

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Your losing me haha. I know some electronic stuff but you are WAY to smart in the field to me lol. Umm, so what your saying is find the code or something along those lines to activate diagnostics for the ECU which the palm pilot could read. What kind of connection it would need, and from there im kinda lost lol. Sorry. Find anything else out?
 
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billmacomber1987

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Ok I went under the dash I found the little plug I stuck my tong in the end of it and turned on the key after that I passed out from electrical shock but for the next five minuets I could read all the computer codes through the back of my eye lids man im lost ill just save for a tweecer :D
 

Methodical

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Monsterbishi said:
wayne94mustang said:
dumb question but why not just get a scanner?

A scanner is a kiddy toy compared to what you can monitor if the ecu supports aldl communications, essentially, you can monitor every single sensor and output that the ecu can. Scantools are a waste of money really, when they just interpret basic error output data.

I have to disagree with you. I have an AutoXray 5000 Scanner and it datalogs the computers sensors but not our cars because our computers don't support it. I have a '94 Ranger and a 2001 Expy and I can datalog the sensors with the scanner real time. So it doesn't only scan for diagnostic codes it datalogs the various sensors. It depends which scanner you get - some just check for DTC codes (less expensive ones) while others (more expensive ones) do other things.

Also, I agree 100% with 5.owned - save up for a TwEECer and you can datalog 'til your hearts content and then playback the datalog to see just what the car is doing and at what rpm etc.
 

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