help needed getting usb lead to work

Big_daddy

Going going gone.....
Oct 20, 2006
3,930
0
Brummy
oh seen, thanks im will invest in a usb version, not sure what to do with my serial version. Oh well. Thanks for you help.
 

Cupraloon

Guest
I'm beginning to wonder whether i should have bothered Tbh...

I tried both 409 & 311 versions with the Alpha-bid USB cable and cannot for love or money get my lappy to work on any com port, using W2K pro, so I'm in the process of installing XP, to see if thats the difference it needs and will try using the drivers I've downloaded from the posts above and see how we go......:confused:

What bugs me, is the cable I bought; I got because I saw another post on here from a guy who's bought the very same and said it worked for him, so I must be doing summat wrong then, and I'm supposed to be an IT bod :whistle: and if i can't get the thing to work, how the hell do others manage it :shrug:
 

RichieRich

Mk4 Golf GT TDi
Sep 17, 2005
2,367
0
Oxfordshire :)
www.bebo.com
i have had vag-com working on my comp with my car but as i got my own lead it dont work my com ports are the same the device status is ok but dont sycronise? if anybody can enlighten me would be great...
 

Cupraloon

Guest
Posted this originally on another thread, it may be of use.....

I couldn't get it to work properly either, personally i'd uninstall 409 and install 311.2 which is the version i'm now using, with my Alpha-bid USB cable.

You will also need Windows XP home should do it, cos i couldn't get win2000 pro to accept the FTDI USB drivers. from here http://www.autonostics.com/pages.php?pageid=3

To summerize what i found to work

Windows XP (home)
Alpha-bid USB cable (£3.99) + P&P
Ross-tech 311.2 software version (free)
FTDI USB drivers listed above (free) top one not the alternate driver.
you'll more than likely need to go into device manager and change the com3 port settings BAWD rate from 9600 to 4800. cos I couldn't get it work at 9600

You'll also need to buy a license from Ross-Tech at $99 (£50) to get any access to your car, cos the free software won't allow you to change any settings..


I must admitt it was a right pain in the butt, trying to get it all working properly, but now i have.... was it all worth it... probably cos it allows "you" to do it and not have to pay someone else, but once you have done what you want, it's done isn't it.......:confused:

And my local SEAT garage quoted £40 & F1 in Brighton quoted £30, all in all it all cost me £62, if you don't add the time and replacing broken bits on my laptop... [:@] which cost me a further £60 odd squids...
 

RichieRich

Mk4 Golf GT TDi
Sep 17, 2005
2,367
0
Oxfordshire :)
www.bebo.com
well i dont really want to unistall my version as i is registered and licenced lol but got it free.... and i dont know if i will be able to again... :( mine is on com2 from 14... i might try the BAWD rate...
 

HarveyGTI

Guest
i have a cable and have the driver but when i test all the com ports they all say "interface not found".

im stuck

thats what I get

I have a Keyspan USB serial converter cable - www.keyspan.com

P/N USA-19HS

It was not cheap either and I bought it from the VAG com site and it still does not work

:help::cry:
 

Uwe@Ross-Tech

Full Member
Jan 7, 2002
392
0
www.Ross-Tech.com
I have a Keyspan USB serial converter cable - www.keyspan.com

P/N USA-19HS

It was not cheap either and I bought it from the VAG com site and it still does not work

Huh? Ross-Tech does NOT sell USB<->Serial Converters.

In fact, our FAQ states the following:

"USB<->Serial converters are often unable to handle the baud rate and timing requirements that are demanded by many control modules using the VAG protocol. We have had very poor results with most available USB<->RS-232 converters, therefore USB<->Serial converters are "Not Supported." Please do not ask us for technical assistance if you are using one of these converters."

-Uwe-
 

HarveyGTI

Guest
Huh? Ross-Tech does NOT sell USB<->Serial Converters.

In fact, our FAQ states the following:

"USB<->Serial converters are often unable to handle the baud rate and timing requirements that are demanded by many control modules using the VAG protocol. We have had very poor results with most available USB<->RS-232 converters, therefore USB<->Serial converters are "Not Supported." Please do not ask us for technical assistance if you are using one of these converters."

-Uwe-

thanks lol

That would explain it then:blink::cry::):doh:
 

mstombs

Guest
I also bought a cheap alpha bid US cable - here's how I got it to work:-

Plugging in the usb cable it installed (XP PRO) usb-serial drivers from supplied mini cd.

XP pro added it as COM22, used device manager to change this to COM4 so the software 409.1 could access the port.

409.1 could not access the interface till cable plugged in to car.

Couldn't read anything till ignition turned on.

Car now dead - but VAG-COM still working so hope I didn't do anything from the laptop...
 

danregs

Leon Cupra 20VT
Oct 26, 2004
427
0
Exeter
www.bugproject.co.uk
just for anyone else that might be having problems and reads this thread in the future...

i bought a usb cable from ebay and couldn't get it to work when i first tried it.

changed the port to com port 1 in the device settings, and changed the baud rate to 4800 (9600 would not work).

also downgraded from 409 to 311.2, paid for a license from ross-tech and now works a treat! :)

oh, and i disabled my zonealarm firewall too, as according to ross-tech's website, vag-com and zonealarm don't always get along together too well...
 
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spyke85

I Like Cheese!
Oct 26, 2003
2,247
0
Bolton
Visit site
Stupid mem, new laptop and lost the CD with the drivers on for my lead. Not sure which one it is, it's got VAG-COM 409.1 Test Your Best Choice on the bit that goes in the OBD port. Does anyone have the driver for this? The whole lead is blue, worked great before.
 

Mr OCD

Active Member
May 1, 2008
1,974
4
Manchester, UK
I'm beginning to wonder whether i should have bothered Tbh...

I tried both 409 & 311 versions with the Alpha-bid USB cable and cannot for love or money get my lappy to work on any com port, using W2K pro, so I'm in the process of installing XP, to see if thats the difference it needs and will try using the drivers I've downloaded from the posts above and see how we go......:confused:

What bugs me, is the cable I bought; I got because I saw another post on here from a guy who's bought the very same and said it worked for him, so I must be doing summat wrong then, and I'm supposed to be an IT bod :whistle: and if i can't get the thing to work, how the hell do others manage it :shrug:

Had same problem... with same cable ...

Its the comm ports - all of the allocated 1-4 that VAGCOM needs are taken by other system resources on the laptop... you need to free up a comm port and allocate the resource to another comm port...

E.g.

On my laptop:

Comm1 - Bluetooth
Comm2 - Bluetooth
Comm3 - Modem
Comm4 - Some other shite...
...
...
then eventually Comm8 showed USB Serial which is the cable... trouble is you only get comm1-comm4 available in VAGCOM...

So swap the ports round ... I changed the Modem to comm9, USB Serial cable to comm3 then rebooted - works spot on ... ;)
 

p1tse

Full Member
Dec 1, 2004
294
0
i have a cable and have the driver but when i test all the com ports they all say "interface not found".

im stuck

i've got port found
interface not found

have tried downloading the above links drivers, but how do i get rid of the ross tech version i tried first when i downloaded 409.1-US version?
 

Mikael

Guest
I got the same error until i ensured that I had complete drivers (from www.autonostics.com). Some cables seem to be delivered with incomplete drivers;
*FTCOMMS.VXD*
FTDIBUS.CAT
FTDIBUS.INF
ftdibus.sys
FTDIPORT.CAT
FTDIPORT.INF
FTDIUN2K.INI
FTDIUNIN.EXE
FTDIUNIN.INI
FTSENUM.SYS
FTSENUM.VXD
ftser2k.sys
FTSERIAL.SYS
FTSERMOU.INF
FTSERMOU.VXD
FTSERUI.DLL
ftserui2.dll

I got a set of drivers with the file marked with * missing, this caused an error in Me and in Vista I got a bluescreen.

Getting full set of drivers and setting the com port right as described by m0rk in other post seems to get it working.

(Having the cable plugged in and the key turned to 2nd 'click' when you 'test' the cable in the software can be good to try as well)

Good luck...
 

Seat Gooner

A.K.A Mark
Feb 28, 2009
1,952
0
Wisbech
as long as you get "port ok" then interface not found this means it needs to be hooked to your car

the rate needed putting down to 4800 tho then it worked a treat :D
 

jakex

Guest
Thought I'd put an update on here as the latest Ross Tech software will not work unless you bought the lead from them too.
My lead (from fleabay) works fine with 4.9 VagCon, but the latest VagCon light/free gives me an error telling me it's not a Ross Tech lead so F.O.!
What the hell are Ross Tech doing?. What's the point of giving away the light version of the software if you have to have a Ross Tech lead, that in my opinion is just stupid as anyone can build their own lead. That is just a PR disaster for Ross Tech and won't generate any sales.
 

Uwe@Ross-Tech

Full Member
Jan 7, 2002
392
0
www.Ross-Tech.com
That's totally incorrect. VCDS-Lite is explicitly designed to to work with interfaces that worked with VAG-COM 409 or earlier, and in fact we have a very substantial number of customers who using 3rd-party interfaces with VCDS-Lite. However, we are not in a position to test with every last interface ever produced in China, so we cannot guarantee compatibility with any particular interface.

-Uwe-
 
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