So for those interested in a device that can do more than a standard ODBII dongle you may be interested in the M2 from Macchina. Especially if you have a computer hooked up. Although not necessary.
It is currently in pre-production developer only release but just got mention that their first release version is in current production and may be available for sale soon.
These devices will support pretty much all of the ODBII Protocols unlike some dongles. This is being produced as an open device with the hardware diagrams and firmware available.
The design of this board is a 2 piece board with an option for under dash (With ODBII connector) or under hood (No ODBII connector but a generic socket that you wire with directly)
The interface board is the base for the unit and there is an Arduino Due based CPU board installed on it now. They have mentioned other CPU boards may be available in the future if there is a need for them. The firmware is written in C++ for the Arduino and thus can run just about any program. These come with an XBee socket onboard which allows any sort of wireless connection. I have a developer version of an integrated WiFi / Bluetooth module which will allow either connection.
It also has a microSD card slot so you can record directly on the unit. The size is the same as a standard ODBII dongle.
The Protocols it had hardware to support include:
CANBUS (x2)
SWCAN
J1850VPW/PWM
K-line
Since the hardware is universal the software can be created to do just about anything with this piece. If someone builds a programmer feature into the firmware then you can reprogram your PCM etc.. (Note this functionality is NOT currently written yet and no telling when it will be.)
The CANBUS protocol is using a driver that has been in existance for a while now.
SWCAN is similar to CANBUS and is the low speed GMLAN that has been used since ~2006 when they went to CANBUS. (CANBUS was mandated to be done in all vehicles by 2008. SOME GM's may have changed to it sooner but our trucks switched to it in 2006 for some components with the rest switched over in 2007.)
For those not aware, j1850VPW was what GM used in our trucks from about 1996-2005.
In 2006 SOME of the systems were switched over to CANBUS but I don't believe everything was. The Door modules and some of the other stuff may still be J1850 in 2006.
With the CANBUS vehicle GM has split the databus into two sections in all vehicles I am aware of up through 2014 and probably beyond. The High Speed bus is a 500k baud system that connects the engine, transmission, ABS, AirBag and some other mission critical systems together. This CANBUS is a standard 2 wire system as used in other vehicles from other manufacturers as mandated by the feds since 2008 as previously mentioned.
GM also included a slow speed SWCAN bus which only runs at ~33k baud and only needs 1 wire to communicate. This is very similar to CANBUS and uses same protocol. The main difference is that the chasis ground is used as the CANBUS - and the SWCAN dataline is used in place of the CANBUS + line. Some CANBUS interfaces CAN be used as SWCAN devices if you tie the CAN- to Ground and the CAN+ to the SWCAN bus. But this is not the best solution and may not work in all cases.
I will be helping to develop the protocols on this board so by the time I am done I will know this unit inside and out.
This device can be used by plugging it into your ODBII port or wire directly into the dataline(s).
You can then have it log information to a microSD card (when programmed to do so) or connect your computer to its microUSB port.
At the current time the M2 interface will present a common Lawicel interface (SocketCan) to the microUSB port which can be used with a program called SavvyCAN to look at the data being transmitted. There are other programs also compatible with this but SavvyCAN is the only free one I am currently aware of. There may be a way to connect to Linux and use as a standard SocketCan device but I am unaware how to do so. Lawicel 2.0 will also be supported and ELM support is being developed as well. I will insure that it is compatible with the STN devices as well. Which means you can connect to it via your laptop and use standard ODBII software. It will also mean when the Bluetooth/WiFi stuff is fully integrated you will also be able to access from your phone if you so desire.
If you are still wondering what this has over a standard ODBII dongle, mostly that it is open sourced using Arduino and that it is using a much faster processor than the ELM or STN devices and will be able to be used for anything the software is written for it for.
If you have any other questions about this please ask here...
Oh and if you are interested in buying the device or getting more information feel free to check it out at:
http://www.macchina.cc
Once I have done some work on the device myself I can certainly provide some programming help for anyone looking to add things themself. It is programmable via Arduino IDE.
Rodney
It is currently in pre-production developer only release but just got mention that their first release version is in current production and may be available for sale soon.
These devices will support pretty much all of the ODBII Protocols unlike some dongles. This is being produced as an open device with the hardware diagrams and firmware available.
The design of this board is a 2 piece board with an option for under dash (With ODBII connector) or under hood (No ODBII connector but a generic socket that you wire with directly)
The interface board is the base for the unit and there is an Arduino Due based CPU board installed on it now. They have mentioned other CPU boards may be available in the future if there is a need for them. The firmware is written in C++ for the Arduino and thus can run just about any program. These come with an XBee socket onboard which allows any sort of wireless connection. I have a developer version of an integrated WiFi / Bluetooth module which will allow either connection.
It also has a microSD card slot so you can record directly on the unit. The size is the same as a standard ODBII dongle.
The Protocols it had hardware to support include:
CANBUS (x2)
SWCAN
J1850VPW/PWM
K-line
Since the hardware is universal the software can be created to do just about anything with this piece. If someone builds a programmer feature into the firmware then you can reprogram your PCM etc.. (Note this functionality is NOT currently written yet and no telling when it will be.)
The CANBUS protocol is using a driver that has been in existance for a while now.
SWCAN is similar to CANBUS and is the low speed GMLAN that has been used since ~2006 when they went to CANBUS. (CANBUS was mandated to be done in all vehicles by 2008. SOME GM's may have changed to it sooner but our trucks switched to it in 2006 for some components with the rest switched over in 2007.)
For those not aware, j1850VPW was what GM used in our trucks from about 1996-2005.
In 2006 SOME of the systems were switched over to CANBUS but I don't believe everything was. The Door modules and some of the other stuff may still be J1850 in 2006.
With the CANBUS vehicle GM has split the databus into two sections in all vehicles I am aware of up through 2014 and probably beyond. The High Speed bus is a 500k baud system that connects the engine, transmission, ABS, AirBag and some other mission critical systems together. This CANBUS is a standard 2 wire system as used in other vehicles from other manufacturers as mandated by the feds since 2008 as previously mentioned.
GM also included a slow speed SWCAN bus which only runs at ~33k baud and only needs 1 wire to communicate. This is very similar to CANBUS and uses same protocol. The main difference is that the chasis ground is used as the CANBUS - and the SWCAN dataline is used in place of the CANBUS + line. Some CANBUS interfaces CAN be used as SWCAN devices if you tie the CAN- to Ground and the CAN+ to the SWCAN bus. But this is not the best solution and may not work in all cases.
I will be helping to develop the protocols on this board so by the time I am done I will know this unit inside and out.
This device can be used by plugging it into your ODBII port or wire directly into the dataline(s).
You can then have it log information to a microSD card (when programmed to do so) or connect your computer to its microUSB port.
At the current time the M2 interface will present a common Lawicel interface (SocketCan) to the microUSB port which can be used with a program called SavvyCAN to look at the data being transmitted. There are other programs also compatible with this but SavvyCAN is the only free one I am currently aware of. There may be a way to connect to Linux and use as a standard SocketCan device but I am unaware how to do so. Lawicel 2.0 will also be supported and ELM support is being developed as well. I will insure that it is compatible with the STN devices as well. Which means you can connect to it via your laptop and use standard ODBII software. It will also mean when the Bluetooth/WiFi stuff is fully integrated you will also be able to access from your phone if you so desire.
If you are still wondering what this has over a standard ODBII dongle, mostly that it is open sourced using Arduino and that it is using a much faster processor than the ELM or STN devices and will be able to be used for anything the software is written for it for.
If you have any other questions about this please ask here...
Oh and if you are interested in buying the device or getting more information feel free to check it out at:
http://www.macchina.cc
Once I have done some work on the device myself I can certainly provide some programming help for anyone looking to add things themself. It is programmable via Arduino IDE.
Rodney