OBD to serial to USB

[kjhansen]

When I first downloaded this program to evaluate (last week) I was using an older laptop without USB ports. So I ordered and received the OBD-to-serial cable and it seemed to work fine. Since then I've purchased a new laptop with USB but no older serial ports. From what I've read here, I can't just get a USB-to-serial adapter and run EFILIVE on my new laptop. Is that true?
Unfortunately I can't run it on my old laptop either. It started giving me a series of errors, first being "error loading MIDAS.DLL" although Midas.dll is right there in the file..., then "Access violation at address 0051A5F2 in module 'EFILIVEV4 EVAL.EXE'. Read of address FFFFFFF," then "Access violation at address 0051961D in module 'EFILIVEV4 EVAL.EXE'. Read of address FFFFFFF," then "Access violation at address 0051A5F2 in module 'EFILIVEV4 EVAL.EXE'. Read of address FFFFFFF," then it doesn't work any more--it comes up but doesn't show macros or allow you to select a vehicle type or anything. When I shut the program down, it leaves me with the error message "Unable to write to C:\EFILIVE\V4\EfiliveV4.ini". And it won't clear no matter how many times I hit the OK button. I have to shut the computer down to get it to clear.
Any thoughts?
Keith

[mr.prick]

When I first downloaded this program to evaluate (last week) I was using an older laptop without USB ports. So I ordered and received the OBD-to-serial cable and it seemed to work fine. Since then I've purchased a new laptop with USB but no older serial ports. From what I've read here, I can't just get a USB-to-serial adapter and run EFILIVE on my new laptop. Is that true?
Unfortunately I can't run it on my old laptop either. It started giving me a series of errors, first being "error loading MIDAS.DLL" although Midas.dll is right there in the file..., then "Access violation at address 0051A5F2 in module 'EFILIVEV4 EVAL.EXE'. Read of address FFFFFFF," then "Access violation at address 0051961D in module 'EFILIVEV4 EVAL.EXE'. Read of address FFFFFFF," then "Access violation at address 0051A5F2 in module 'EFILIVEV4 EVAL.EXE'. Read of address FFFFFFF," then it doesn't work any more--it comes up but doesn't show macros or allow you to select a vehicle type or anything. When I shut the program down, it leaves me with the error message "Unable to write to C:\EFILIVE\V4\EfiliveV4.ini". And it won't clear no matter how many times I hit the OK button. I have to shut the computer down to get it to clear.
Any thoughts?
Keith

LOL
yes, this is true.
you need the device (V1/V2) and
the software to connect to a vehicle.

[MICK]

You are using the V4 OBD1 scan tool.

You have purchased a OBD 1 interface that has DB9 serial plug and not usb.

I use a keyspan usb to serial converter for this as it doesn't corrupt the header information on data transfer, like some other usb converters can do, yes they are different.

A better interface to purchase is the ALDU1 from Craig moates web:
http://www.moates.net/index.php?cPath=31

It has worked flawlessly for me.

You might get yours working good enough, be patient and look through all the settings.

cheers

Mick

[ntae]

LOL
yes, this is true.
you need the device (V1/V2) and
the software to connect to a vehicle.

My understanding is he is running EFILive V4 software

that is OBD not OBD11

the V1 / V2 cable will NOT work with V4 software

but in saying that a V2 will work with V4 software after Paul as done an update but this may be some time away

i would do as per MICK's post


Geoff

[kjhansen]

OBD I, yes. I have a 1994 Pontiac Bonneville SSEi. OBD I computer, OBD II ALDL port. All was well (more or less) until I was forced to get a new laptop... Don't get me wrong, I love having an up-to-date laptop, but they don't put the old-fashioned serial ports on these things. I e-mailed the folks at OBD Diagnostics and they said they'd exchange the cable for the appropriate USB cable, so that's what we'll do. Then I'll have to figure out how to open a USB port for the program to use! I'll worry about that when I get the new cable.
Thanks for your input.
Keith

[mr.prick]

OOPS
i thought he was trying to hook his laptop straight
to the car with unregistered software.
my bad.

[kjhansen]

Well I got my USB/ALDL cable and hooked up my new laptop with the evaluation copy of EFI Live V4 to my `94 Pontiac and it worked like a champ! I still have a question before I buy the pro version. Do you get the full boat of sensor data with the pro version? The eval version only gives me 8 data streams out of over 20 and doesn't actually show ANY DTCs (there was one, and it did clear when I used the DTC Clear macro). Is this the eval copy or just the .xml that is available for the car? I had to use the '95 Bonneville SSEi xml file because there wasn't one for the '94--but they should be identical anyway.
Keith

[Blacky]

Do you get the full boat of sensor data with the pro version?

Yes, see the page in the user manual about the differences between the Pro and Eval version.
In the documentation, Select Release Notes->Pro vs Eval.

Regards
Paul

[kjhansen]

Thanks. That clarifies it.
Keith