View Full Version : Vag Com! Bollo#cks
Shock_Xe
01-03-2003, 08:55
Just got software and cable, yey! But .... yes there is a but! I aint got a fecking serial port on the lap top damn it!!!!! Only just upgraded the bugger too!!!!!! Old one had it!!!! Any ideas?? I got built in Lan, Modem, LPT, USB, PS2 ports but no fecking serial port!!
Help!!!!!!!!!!!!1
dunno if USB->Serial works for Vag-com
Shock_Xe
01-03-2003, 09:02
not sure cause vag com searches for com ports 1-4 and dont think usb uses com port numbers??
I have a USB to Serial converter which works on my mobile cable as I didn't have a Serial port on my old company laptop either.
But I've heard from a mate who has VAG-Com that it doesn't work with Vag-Com... hmm...
When you install the drivers for the USB/Serial converter it does give it a com port number so I think it should work ?
I'l try and dig out the company info where I got it from, if the converter doesn't work you can always send it back.
Shock_Xe
01-03-2003, 16:33
tried converter today, it connected to software as in it recognised the cable but wouldn't actually connect to the car, Saying Sync error and Baud Rate incompatible. But i have seen a PCMCIA card with serial port but the cheapest so far is £75 so any more ideas welcome!!!!
What make of convertor is it? Have you set the baud rate to 9600 with no flow control?
Let me know.
Shock_Xe
01-03-2003, 17:46
From Maplins, £30 yes done both the baove. But Ross-Tech says they dont work, I tied and it didnt work plus 3/4 other ppl tried and it didnt work! So im going to got for the PCMCIA serial card. found one for £68 all in. Best i found and it should work according to ross techg. So we will see!
I can swap you for my laptop... none of that onboard LAN stuff but it has a serial port ;)
Shock_Xe
01-03-2003, 23:41
Originally posted by RB5
I can swap you for my laptop... none of that onboard LAN stuff but it has a serial port ;)
urrrrrm thanks but NO! Anyway its orderd so hopefully will recieve PCMCIA with serial port card soon.
Alice_Cupra
02-03-2003, 21:21
Originally posted by Shock_Xe
From Maplins, £30 yes done both the baove. But Ross-Tech says they dont work, I tied and it didnt work plus 3/4 other ppl tried and it didnt work! So im going to got for the PCMCIA serial card. found one for £68 all in. Best i found and it should work according to ross techg. So we will see!
Have you tried DABS.com?
They start at around £10. For that you get 2 serials and a printer port !
do a "quixklinx" search on 24ZTWS for the one I am talking about.
I ordered on at 8pm on a Friday, and it was on my doorstep 10am Monday morning !
Shock_Xe
02-03-2003, 21:51
thats pci not PCMCIA
shock have you tried latest version of the software? I believe USB support has been incorporated only on the very latest beta versions of the software.
i have been speaking to auto-intern, the german distributor, which is also very competitive in pricing (about 200 euro including cable) and they told me that they are developing a USB to serial adaptor that will be working with vag-com since they have specs from ross-tech.
on another note, shock did you manage to get the HKS SSQV fully working?
Shock_Xe
05-03-2003, 11:24
Originally posted by beez
shock have you tried latest version of the software? I believe USB support has been incorporated only on the very latest beta versions of the software.
i have been speaking to auto-intern, the german distributor, which is also very competitive in pricing (about 200 euro including cable) and they told me that they are developing a USB to serial adaptor that will be working with vag-com since they have specs from ross-tech.
on another note, shock did you manage to get the HKS SSQV fully working?
No and no
Still get sync errors with converter. Need usb cable not usb converter for software. Ross tech said converteres dont work! Ordered a PCMCIA Serial card and should be with me like yesterday.
Stopped HKS SQV from stalling but still over fueling. Nice to put on now and again though
this is the info i got from auto-intern
we are developping at present a diagnostic adapter with USB connector similar to Ross-Techs TWIN-USB, but this adapter will be available only in about 4 weeks. If you have a serial connector on your computer, we would strongly recommend to use this for diagnostic purposes, because the serial cables have been tested and used already for a long time and are definitely more reliable than a newly developped product, even if extensively tested. The USB bus provides no additional advantage over the serial bus, but only complicates the matter. Therefore, products like the TWIN-USB serve only to support customers with modern laptops which are not equipped with serial connectors any more.
If you want to buy a serial diagnostic adapter from us, we can offer you 3 different models depending on your needs. Our simplest and cheapest model called OBD2-Tester Standard2 (because it is the 2nd generation) for EUR 99.- will be sufficient for most private end users possessing 1 or a few cars, but does not support either the special adapter VAS 5051/2 needed for older cars with 2x2-pin-diagnostic connector or the dual K-Line of some of the newest Audi A4 types. Our 2nd model OBD2-Tester Pro2 for EUR 129.- supports the VAS 5051/2, but no dual K-Lines. Our 3rd and highest model OBD2-Tester K1-K2 supports both at a price of EUR 189.-.
The adapters will be delivered together with a software CD containing a functionally reduced shareware version of the VAG diagnostic program VAG-COM. In this shareware version you can use most diagnostic functions but no active changes of the configuration of any electronic control unit is possible. If you want to change an ECU, you need the licensed version which can be activated however at any time by a special activation code that we will sent you after you have bought the license which costs EUR 109.-, if you have bought an adapter from us before. You are free, of course, to buy a complete package including the licensed version of the program from the beginning.
If you with to learn about details of the diagnostic program VAG-COM in English, please refer to the manufacturer's website www.ross-tech.com. In short, it provides the same functionality as the VAG 1551/2 test device of the VAG dealership.
and regarding USB to serial
the price of our new model will for the time being simply the sum of the price for the diagnostic adapter (EUR 99.-, 129.- or 189.-) and the price of our present USB-Serial-Adapter which is EUR 64.-. The K1-K2 version for dual K-Lines will be functionally equivalent to Ross-Tech's TWIN-USB in essence (superior in some respects) and will work at least as reliable. It will be 100% compatible with VAG-COM because Ross-Tech has agreed to adapt VAG-COM to our adapters in the same way as they have done with their own.
this is not an advert, i am not on a commision from Auto-Intern, they just seem decent guys with reasonable prices. I saw something like 200 GBP from UK Ross-tech distributor site.
good luck shock, i think i will stick to Bosch for TT 225 DV and no noise heheheh
KingDragon
05-03-2003, 14:45
Let me explain some things about those different VAG-COM cables.
All VAG-COM cables been sold are serial cables. VAG-COM is able to communicate with the car's OBDII by using the computer's serial port RS-232 (DB25/DB9). VAG-COM software is accessing the standard Windows Com Port using the Windows VCOMM API calls or by using a Com Port Library. This is pretty straightforward and it works ok. At least if you have a serial port. But, then there is the the lack of serial ports, these days. At least you have a USB! So what, now?
There are chips from chip manufacturers such as FTDI, PROFILIC and others which are been used by other companies in order to build the so called USB to serial bridges (or converters), which can work in two diferent ways.
Depending on the software drivers been used by the author of the software there are two options:
The first one is to use Virtual COM port drivers so the converter can be seen as a virtual COM port which appears to the system as a Com Port and you can access it as a standard serial port
OR,
by using the second one, the author is able Direct drivers, which means he can use a Windows WDM driver which communicates with the device via the Windows USB Stack and a DLL which interfaces the Application Software to the WDM driver.
The latest cable sold by Ross-Tech is not a revolutionary USB to OBDII cable, but rather a serial to OBDII cable with such a chip FT232 inside it and its using the second option of drivers.
Thats why on VAG-COM 208.1 (with no support for USB) you see ports COM1 to COM4) and on VAG-COM 212.2 beta (with support for USB) you see COM1 to COM4 and USB. The 212.2 is been coded with the second option of drivers.
Therefore, I suppose that now you understand the difference between the so called USB to OBDII cables and USB to Serial Converters + Serial to OBDII. As you may understand these are the same. Only the software drivers change. And the willing of the software author to support them.
Cheers