– CarSoft
– VAG COM
– INPA with serial port
– K+D CAN with USB (opaque colour casing)
– ADS/OBD interface
My current favourite is the K+D CAN USB. It works on all current models as well as everything for e46/e39 era. For older cars with the big round diagnostic connector under the bonnet you’ll need:
– a proper serial port on your laptop
– a lead with the serial port type connector
USB to serial or PCMCIA will not work for some modules on older cars (fine for newer stuff)
I’ll update when I can but I’m just in the middle of some crazy busy work at the moment!
INPA
INPA is the easiest to get up & running but there are a few things you need to consider when setting it up, there are different protocols for different era of cars, for example:
– OBD is used on e46 & later e39s along with any car of that generation & newer cars use OBD
GT-1/Progman
The reason for this is the software (DIS/Progman/NCS, etc.) is designed either for use in the BMW factory or in the BMW dealers, not a general release product. Two of the most basic issues (which have been over come) are:
– GT-1/DIS, etc. is designed to run through a “diagnostic yellow head” (or could be orange too, I’m not going to pretend I know the infinite detail on this). These boxes are essentially a translator that turns (for the want of a better word) the BMW speak into regular computer speak. Some clever people have figured out how to simulate this “diaghead” by using an “emulator” set up. This emulator set up also relies on the virtual network capabilities of VMWare, the emulator can either be on the UNIX side (this is the “FISTER profile” that some of you may have read about on other forua), or it can be on the Windows side (this is the Diaghead emulator). These emulators are used in conjunction with the NetServer that is built into INPA (or more correctly that is built in to EDIABAS). Don’t worry so much about understanding this, all that you need to know is for running DIS/Progman you need to run IFHSRV32.exe in order for it to work!
Models that require D-CAN:
– E60, E61 after 3/2007
– E83 after 9/2006
– E81, E87 after 3/2007
– E90, E91, E92, E93 after 3/2007
– E70 (New X5)
– R56 (New Mini)
– And others…
Why would I buy a cable with a serial connector I hear you say? Well if you have an e36 (or early e39 or e38) you will need to use “ADS”. ADS only works properly with a real serial port. If you are using a USB to Serial adapter this may not work for all modules in an ADS car. Just be weary of that. So if you have an e36 you’re better off with an old laptop with a real Serial port using a serial port cable like this:
Serial Port Cables
1. ADS
As mentioned previously the ADS interface is a different protocol, if you don’t have an ADS interface with an e36 then what you’ll be able to read with a regular OBD cable is limited. Unfortunately the ADS interface seems to be the hardest to get & most expensive of all the interfaces. Here’s a picture of my ADS interface, Do It Auto also do a version of this interface. It works fine on the e36, e39 & e63 (note my e63 is pre-March 2007)from my personal experience.
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Non-ADS Serial port interface
This is a cheap interface & is readily available plus requires no modification. It works just fine on e46/e39 with either the round 20 pin connector under the bonnet or the OBD2 port in the drover’s footwell. Set up of this cable is straight forward, no drivers required.
- VAG-Com Cable (modified)
So your laptop doesn’t have a serial port & you have a car that was registered between 03/2001 – 09/2006 (give or take), you could go down the route of buying a VAG-COM cable & modifying it slightly. It is not the route I would recommend (I experimented with my own cable & it worked), for a few extra quid you could avoid the hassle. If you are buying one of these cables make sure it has the FT232RL chip in it. There are different chips that work in these VAG-COM cables but for BMW purposes they must have the FL232RL chip in it. You can ask the seller & it will be visible through the blue transparent casing on the connector.
Here’s the modification needed to get the VAG-COM cable up & running:
Interface suitable for: 09/2001 – onwards.
- Carsoft Interface. This will work for all K CAN (e36, e39, e46, e53, e63), but for God’s sake just don’t bother!!