have datastream, now what?...

[MattStrike]

I am new to EFILive, and am looking for help from people that know how to do things as I am somewhat (very) lost.

I want to monitor all available serial data from the OBD I computer in a few different cars, both 160 baud and 8192 baud. I have a simple cable (http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Shop/1624/aldlif.jpg) I made myself. I have been using it in a 1986 LeSabre 3.8 and a 1991 Cutlass 3300 using either freescan or winaldl to read the data, but those programs have limited compatability.

I want to monitor data from the following cars:
1986 Buick LeSabre
1989 Buick Electra PA
1991 Buick Regal
1991 Olds Ciera
1994 Buick Park Avenue (wierd aldl 16 pin OBD I interface - data on pin 9)

I'm sure once I learn how to get data from one I should be able to figure out the rest. The critical car is the 1986 LeSabre at the moment, but help with the 1994 PA would be appreciated. I also have project plans to convert the 1986 computer and associated electronics to something that has a 8192 baud interface, and being able to monitor the changes I shouldn't make are a necessity.

[Blacky]

Go here: ftp://ftp.diy-efi.org/pub/gmecm/
Download ALDLStuff.zip, unzip it and find the matching vehicles in the word document. Each vehicle corresponds to a *.ds file, the data in the file can be entered into EFILive V4 to create the data stream definitions.

Regards
Paul

[MattStrike]

How do I enter the data into the program? I put the *.ds into the Vehicle Data Streams folder, but EFILive doesn't see it. If I type in the file name manually (a008.ds) at that point, I get an error (can't load vehicle file from C:\... : Mismatch in data packet..)
In the macros tab status window following the error, these are the entries:
27:23.784: Updating vehicle information...
27:23.784: Opening COM1 8228,8,N,1
27:23.785: Can't open Com1. The system cannot find the file specified.

I'm hoping it's as simple as the program needs to be connected to the car to actually proceed beyond this point? I never could figure this out back when I first stumbled across EFILive in 2003 due to not knowing anything about this stuff at that point..
I am using a USB to Serial adapter if that makes any difference; it works on the other programs and I assume it would work here as well (it is setup properly...just not connected at the moment).

[Blacky]

You can't use the *.ds files directly with EFILive.

You need to either find a *.xml file that matches your vehicle that came with EFILive.
or
You need to create your own *.xml file using the data in the *.ds files. To do that, after starting the EFILive software use the menu option:Edit->Vehicle. Then Click the [Delete Item] button while the first item in the left hand pane is highlighted. That will clear the existing definition allowing you to create a new one. The EFLive V4 documentation explains how to edit the new definitions. Remember to save the newly created definition with a different name so as not to overwrite the definition file that started with.

Unfortunately many Serial/USB adapters do not work with the PCM communications baud rate of 8220bps. Most only support 9600, 19200 56700 etc. You may need to check with the USB-Serial adapter's manufacturer to see if it will support a baud rate of 8220bps.

Regards
Paul

[Blacky]

In the macros tab status window following the error, these are the entries:
27:23.784: Updating vehicle information...
27:23.784: Opening COM1 8228,8,N,1
27:23.785: Can't open Com1. The system cannot find the file specified.


The "Can't open Com1" messge means that your USB-Serial adapter is not using COM1. Look in the Windows device manager to see what COM port it is using and change EFILive's COM port to the same one.

Right click on My Computer, select Properties, Hardware, Device Manager, and expand the Ports (COM and LPT) item. That will show you what COM port the USB-Serial adpater is using.

Then back in EFILive, Select Edit->Properties->[Comms] and make the COM port the same.

Still, I don't think it will work with a USB-Serial converter. You need a real COM port, or a USB-ALDL interface cable.

Regards
Paul

[MattStrike]

...
Reading the help file doesn't help me, maybe it assumes I know what I'm doing?

what should I be using to view the .ds file? Notepad seems to open them, but has small squares and other odd symbols.

Can someone provide a walkthrough with examples on how I should be interpreting the .ds for EFILive? No such documentation appears to exist, and I'm having issues understanding everything at once.

[Blacky]

Huh weird, I replied to this comment last night. Don't know where my post went. Well here it is again...

Notepad is fine for opening the *.ds files. The small squares are non-displayable characters that are most likely left over from some earlier formatting.

Open an existing ds file (297.ds) using notepad, and a matching EFILive definitions file (gm297.xml) using EFILive.

Take a look at the image, it explains how things are related between the two files.

Regards
Paul

[MattStrike]

Thanks, that clears up a lot of questions, but I still have a few...

What module do I use for 160 baud ecms?

The last 5 words of the datastream have different values depending on the mode the ecm is in (10k mode vs all other modes). Is there a way to sense this mode and change the data of the last 5 words? (A003.ds and A008.ds)

I can't seem to setup the guages (nothing shows in flag or dtc tabs either)... I can clear them but get a error "Access violation at address 004feab3 in module 'EFIlive'. Read of address 0000008c" and cannot assign attributes to them.

[MattStrike]

I figured out my guages problem. The guages, however, are all displaying 0 to 300 despite having checked the signed checkbox in the given attribute.
edit: Figured that out just now...