[jmbillings]

My boss just pointed me here: http://www.arlab.it/download.html

Pretty basic- seems to only offer Engine, Instrument and AC at the mo, but it connected to all 3 modules first time on my Ipaq 3760, and I could display a set of blocks quite happily on screen. Need to have a full play with it. If I make it to GTi Int. on Saturday, I will bring it along if anyone is interested in seeing

 

[wellsy]

Looks good - they don't do it for the PXA250 processor yet - bugger. (I've just sold my 3660 and bought a 5455)

How did you connect it up?

 

[zaheer]

Nice one, i'll check this out

 

[jmbillings]

I have a small cable that goes into the bottom of my ipaq and has a 9 pin serial on the other end- I use this to connect the ipaq to my pocket GPS Device. It also handily connects to my ross-tech supplied iso-com widget []

Also, I just read the help on the website (real men never read the help first ...] and you can edit a config file to add more modules and descriptions- have added menu options for ABS and Central Convenience modules, so will give these a go in a bit. Also is a nice screenshot on the web of a "dial", so it looks like the registered version could give nice graphical displays of stuff as well.

 

[wellsy]

I have a cable that goes to a p/s socket that plugs into my GPS, I'll try a PS2/Serial adaptor and see if this works. When they update the software to allow the PXA250 that is.

Which GPS do you use? (I suppose I could just get the cable if this doesn't work.)

 

[Stuart]

Just downloaded this software last night, but haven't got a suitable interface yet. Does anyone know if I can simply use my TWIN-COM interface supplied with VAG-COM and a 9-pin serial adapter for my IPAQ? If so what adapter are you guys using?

BTW the PXA25x processors are now supported wellsy.

 

[jmbillings]

I tried a ross-tech supplied adapter, and an ipaq-9 pin serial adapter and it connected first time, so in theory what you have should work too.

I need to play with it as some temps looked odd, but I didn't have time to check which blocks I was looking at, I was literally flicking through the ones while waiting for someone! But I was getting things like -32 deg, 90 deg and so on on the engine, which I guess was the air temp or water temp- in which case its a bit strange! Need to double check all this though...

 

[Stuart]

Where did you get your 9-pin serial adapter? I've had a look on the net and all I can find is serial HotSync cables. Should it be OK for me to use my Y-type USB/Serial hotsync cable supplied with the ipaq along with a 9-pin male<->female adapter for the plug so as I can connect the twin-com interface?

Sorry for all the questions, I just don't want to break my car! [:I]

 

[wellsy]

I forgot about this thread - I was going to use a cable I have for my GPS antenna - it goes from the IPAQ to a PS/2 Socket (or plug) I was just going to get a PS/2 - 9 pin serial adaptor to plug into my ODBII. I may nip to PCWorld tonight to see if I can get the bits.

Not sure about the hot sync Y cable Stuart - anyone tried this?

 

[jmbillings]

I got it from the teletype site I think, when I ordered my gps software from them: http://www.teletype.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=GPS&Category_Code=903 although it was some time ago!

 

[wellsy]

I have the Holux GPS cable - just got the adapters to go from PS/2 to the ODB interface and it doesn't work - I suppose I'd have to get the Teletype cable to make it work.

 

[AndrewB]

quote:

Originally posted by Stuart

Where did you get your 9-pin serial adapter? I've had a look on the net and all I can find is serial HotSync cables. Should it be OK for me to use my Y-type USB/Serial hotsync cable supplied with the ipaq along with a 9-pin male<->female adapter for the plug so as I can connect the twin-com interface?

Sorry for all the questions, I just don't want to break my car! [:I]

I think the HotSync cable is a null modem, i.e. female connector on the end. The VAG-COM is also a female connector, designed to go straight through to the PC (not null modem'ed), so you'll need:

1 x 9-pin male/male gender changer

1 x 9-pin null modem adapter

I think... [:I]

 

[wellsy]

May be better (and neater) to get the Teletype GPS cable.

 

[Stuart]

Just been checking the 'Hardware' section of the ARlab website and as AndrewB said, with a standard HotSync cable a null modem adapter would be required.

quote:

WARNING! If you connect your Jeff's interface (or that described here) with normal serial PDA<->PC syncro cable, you MUST insert a Null Modem adapter between two cables, otherwise you couldnt establish any unit communication!

All wiring diagrams, pin descriptions etc are available at www.arlab.it/hardware.html. I'm going to try to get a null modem adapter and hopefully give it a try this weekend sometime. I let you all know how I get on.

 

[Stevie P]

Anyone tried this yet? Got myself an Ipaq the other day, and while I can connect OK with de-null cable and HEX-COM and occasionally read blocks, I keep getting loads of comms timeouts. Just wondering if this is down to the way HEX-COM works or a too-short timeout in the software itself.

By the way, I emailed the author of vagcheck about whether PocketPC2003 (or Windows Mobile 2003 or whatever it's called) will be supported in the near future, and he replied that it will.

 

[Stevie P]

Right, well I've used it some more and it seems reasonably stable provided you don't try and s elect a group that doesn't exist. Unfortunately, I haven't found any way of s electing a block other than using the up/down buttons, which means that inadvertantly s electing a non-existent block is too easy.

Also noticed the following things.

Lambda sensor voltage reads 2V. VAG-COM shows voltage in the correct range (varying around 1.5V). Presumably due to the lack of native floating point support in the ARM chips... and lack of a workaround.

Coolant temperature reads 900 degrees C! Again, I'm sure VAG-COM displays this correctly.

Bit fields in block 30 (lambda status) don't seem to be interpreted properly.

All in all, though, this is a promising, if incomplete, piece of software. My only concern is that, presumably, the author is developing it as a hobby and is understandably reluctant to release the code to any third parties, so fixes and updates will not be as frequent as with a collaborative or commercial effort. Given that the software is currently free, though, I'm certainly not about to complain.

Ideally, I'd like a PocketPC version of VAG-COM or (he says donning his sandals and chucking his razor away) an open source VW diagnostic program, to which I might be prepared to contribute some effort.

 

[Stuart]

Stevie P, I haven't had a chance to get the adapter to connect my VAG-COM cable to the HotSync cable of my Ipaq yet and so still haven't tried it out. Will hopefully get round to it soon and let you know how I get on.

As you say, a PocketPC version of VAG-COM would be ideal, but I think that with the launch of new models such as Touran, Touareg and Phaeton, Uwe is concentrating on adding support for the new control modules and features on these models to the current PC version. Understandable really. As far as I know a PocketPC version has not been ruled out for the future though.