GROUP BUY: USB CONSULT!

[slipnfall]

Thanks for the payment.

I don't know of any wireless USB devices like that, although I've never looked for one either. I'm sure they exist, but I can't vouch for how well it would work(if at all).

[maxnix]

I'm just adhering to what I see as typical group buy protocol.

Why there are no "group buy" business models!

[slipnfall]

I'm trying not to take your comments to heart, so I'll let it go at that.

[maxnix]

Sorry, we were spoiled by Robert who shipped the ECU right after we paid for them and he modified them.

What a concept!

[slipnfall]

These are Wes' terms, not mine. I would gladly begin shipping, but am waiting for the 'word'.

::edit:: More accurately, I don't even have shipping addresses yet. Wes is a good guy, so you guys have nothing to worry about. I think the main reason he wanted to do it this way was so that members could deal directly with a more well known Q member. ::edit::

::edit:: ugh, typo ::edit::

[maxnix]

Jamie, thanks for what you are doing, but he did the NICO ECUs also. So, who knows????

If I had known the rules of this transaction, I would have bought all ten so you could get started right away. I believe in your product, and thanks for bringing it to us.

[ILuvNkdChx]

Just wanted to put this link out there: They are small refurbished touch screen computers that you could use with your CONSULT. They are by no means top of the line but I am always on a budget with the car and these seem like a good buy. They do run Win98 so you would need to do something about the USB recognition or install Win2000 with a remote CD drive (and upgrade RAM). It only has 1 USB drive but since it is a touch screen there is no need for a keyboard or mouse, just a stylus pen (which is included). It is obviously just a thought. http://cgi.ebay.com/Ramline-Ta...wItem

[Q451990]

Very interesting... especially for someone who will be doing a lot of tuning and regularly using them in the car while driving!

Heath

[slipnfall]

Thanks for the support maxnix: 'appreciated.

Those touchscreen PCs are pretty reasonably priced, too bad the bezel wasn't so big.

Even cooler would be to integrate this into an in-dash nav system. External PC not included.

[ILuvNkdChx]

I have been reading up on the little touch screens and some club members on Yahoo swear by them. They sell a navigation package for $100, so all you would have to do is flush mount it in the dash...touch screen navigation for under $250 is a good deal in my book.

[slipnfall]

OK guys: I just got the final payment from Wes: boards will start shipping next week! They should all be mailed by the end of the week, worst case Monday of the 'following.

Thanks again to everyone. Please visit http://consult.hackthebox.org for important install instructions and required device drivers.

Mac users: I don't have a dedicated install guide for you, but just email me and I'll let you know where to find drivers.

[slipnfall]

Oh and of course I can be reached via email after you receive the board if you happen to have any questions or problems!

[Q451990]

Actually even the 1996-1997 Q has a dual plug arrangement so it can be used.

My '97 truck has the dual plug arrangement. I'll have to try it with that and see how it works.

Well, I finally got my Truck, Laptop, and the adaptor in the same place at the same time. It works great! I would highly encourage the early Y33 guys to check for the grey Consult connector. This is worth having if you can make it work!

Heath

[slipnfall]

This is great news: thanks Heath! I love hearing confirmation of new applications.

'Maybe pathetic, but recently while browsing car classifieds I limit my 'choices' to CONSULT-I Nissans/Infiniti's.

[3Q Jay]

Hi Jaime-I sent you a scond reply this morning, and yes--I do have the NICO modified ECU.

for the group, Jaime's product arrived and looks good, we're having some troubles interfacing to the ECU, and think it might be related to the non-stock ECU.Has anyone succeded in linking when the NICO ECU is involved?

[3Q Jay]

...and.....pin 7 on the 'car' side of the consult connx has 12V switched ignition.

i have some additional wires (not sure if active has anything to do with it) on the car side connector.

[slipnfall]

I'll see if I can get in touch with Robert and get some technical info from him. I personally am running a modified KA24DE ECU (via a daughterboard), and I presumed the Q's were similar.

I'm working hard to get the rest of the boards shipped out: I was unexpectedly out on business three days this week and just got behind. Hang in there.

[slipnfall]

One user has reported the consult would only work on his Q when running. Give this a shot and let us know!

[3Q Jay]

tried that too.when everything is connected, and i start the Calumsult, and then open the COM4 port (the one that is connected to the d-labs adapter), i get flashing door panel lights. alternating lf door, then rf door and so on. the blinking pattern is not the same and i haven't figured out a pattern there, but the phenomenon (if not the pattern) is very repeatable.

one thing is that i downloaded the d-labs driver version 1v21, since i assumed it was the latest and greatest. i did not try the 1v2.

what is the purpose of the 'failsafe' drivers?

[slipnfall]

The failsafe drivers are the 'default' drivers from the UART-USB bridge device manufacture. The ones I provide are customized to install in specefic directories, shows different product name, etc.

Version 1.21 is indeed the latest: the FTP server is broke and I haven't been able to update the main page description.

It sounds like the board is communicating with the BCM. As you know the BCM, ECU, ABS, HICAS modules all communicate over the same wired link. It is up to the software to 'address' the appropriate device. Try out a different piece of software, and if not too difficult, can you disconnect the BCM?

[slipnfall]

PS - the first seven boards have shipped. Of which the first three should have already arrived by now.

I had to switch to USPS Priority Mail, because USPS online won't allow 1st class printing (but through paypal you can, go figure).

[3Q Jay]

It sounds like the board is communicating with the BCM. As you know the BCM, ECU, ABS, HICAS modules all communicate over the same wired link. It is up to the software to 'address' the appropriate device. Try out a different piece of software, and if not too difficult, can you disconnect the BCM?

I loaded the 'sample' version of datascan 1.5.2. this has a feature that allows to search for the address. The software defaulted to address EF, which didn't work. it *did*, however search and found several active devices on the databus. thru trial and error, i found that address EE would return an ecu part# progress!! it read the p/n as the 67U00. unfortunately, it is still not reading parameters.

anyone else tried theirs yet?

[maxnix]

Soon, I hope.

Sounds like a software problem more than a hardware problem, unless the UART drivers are not quite right.

[goody90q45]

Yes, Windows 2000 works fine(this is what I use it with), along with Win98SE. Win98 has some slight issues you need to be aware of, but this is due to the nature of how Win98 assigns port numbers to devices. Nothing major.

Jay- I purchased the Blazt package in December and was unable to get it to work properly on my son's laptop. With the group buy going on I brought it out last week to try again on my daughter's laptop. Still no luck. I need to get past the problem quoted above.

The Blazt package included the cable (gray consult to USB), the full, registered version of Nissan Data Scan and the Blazt drivers to run the software. The problem I'm having is when trying to connect the error message "Invalid COM port" comes up. I think this is related to what SlipNFall mentioned.

Jared (Silver2K2) brought his cable and laptop last week and Nissan DataScan worked fine on my Q, but his setup is a consult cable with serial port. I also spent a couple of hours with Andy (MXR662) yesterday reloading the drivers and couldn't get it to connect (same errror message).

I'm curious what combination (cable / driver) RyanH or Q451990 has to make OBD ScanTech Nissan work for them. For now I'm stumped but it sure was cool to see NissanDataScan work on my Q for the couple minutes it was connected. It's worth it just to be able to read and reset the ECU codes without having to remove the ECU.

In the next few days I'll try a couple of the sample programs linked in this thread to see if I can make any of them work.
Modified by goody94q45 at 7:02 AM 3/25/2007

[slipnfall]

The problem with Win98, generally, is that it associates the device to a particular COM port. So if you install multiple cables, or it by chance doesn't recognise you connecting multiple times, it will advance the COM port number. When the PC 'runs out' of ports, it will *show* it installed on one of the lower #'d ones, when in fact it isn't. The workaround I've found for this is to actually go into the Control Panel->Add/Remove Hardware->Show hidden Devices->Uninstall. Do this for every instance of a USB->UART (COM) bridge or adaptor. This will free up those ports, and upon restart(with cable plugged in), it should install on COM3,4, whichever is the next available. This holds true for other serial devices you may have installed in the past also.

Also it's important to install the device drivers before plugging the device in for the first time. Windows may still complain about Authentic drivers, and ask you to locate a file, but at least it knows what it is installing.

Hope this helps, drivers can be a pain sometimes.

[goody90q45]

Hope this helps, drivers can be a pain sometimes.

Thanks for the quick response.

You got that right. I'm PC challenged when it comes to these things (learned math on a slide rule and PC's from my kids) so I have to turn to the experts sometimes. The program chose COM5 to install so it looks like I need to delete whatever is taking up space in COM1-COM4 and reinstall the BLazt program or just shup down and reconnect?

[slipnfall]

Does your son's laptop run Win98? If so, yeah go in and uninstall the cable as desribed above(and any duplicate instances of it). Restart, then re-install their drivers. Restart again with the cable connected. If it prompts you for files, just point it to the directory the drivers installed to.

[3Q Jay]

Today's update:i tried plugging into the fy33. it took me 10 minutes to find the consult 1 connector, but yes, the '97 fy33 does indeed hade both cvonsult 1 and 2 connecotrs.the address for the did not have to be changed, but it *did* show an active address EF on the databus, while the hg50 did not show EF. Anyway, it found the ECU and returned the correct p/n 6p100.

i tried the data functions and it read the same as when i had it on the G50, that is the speed reading doesn't move, and the tach is buried past 8000, regardless of true RPM. maybe this is correct for the 'demo' version of nissan data scan 1.52, i just don't know.

then tried calumsult, and it immediately read the ecu as well, but would not return any data parameters. if i key the 'init' button on the debug screen, it would return 000010. repeatable. didn't do this on the G50, still no data. unfortunately, the U13 is not here or i would try it, too.

i'm sorta kinda thinkin that this is indeed a software issue, and we need the full version of nissan datascan 1.52, but still am hoping some others will weigh in with their experiences.

[Q451990]

My experience is that the software will work, although it's functions are limited... in Nissan Scantech, I can cut cylinder power - but only to the #1 cylinder. The others are grayed out. But with this adaptor, anything that's available works properly. I can see RPMs, MAF voltage, coolant temperature, etc.

Maybe I just got lucky with my driver installation. I followed the directions at http://consult.hackthebox.org using my laptop with Windows XP Home.

I have the NICO ECU sitting here on my shelf. I guess I should install it and make sure this works with that one too. Currently I'm running a stock 1993 ECU in the Q.

Heath

[3Q Jay]

With the sample version of datascan 1.52, here is what it reads from my ECU (either key ON, or engine ON, no difference)

Register 0 active - CAS Position (RPM) MSB - supportedRegister 1 active - CAS Position (RPM) LSB - supportedRegister 2 active - not supportedRegister 3 active - not supportedRegister 4 active - Air Flow MSB - supportedRegister 5 active - Air Flow LSB - supportedRegister 6 active - Air Flow RH MSB - supportedRegister 7 active - Air Flow RH LSB - supportedRegister 8 active - Water Temp - supportedRegister 9 active - O2 Sensor - supportedRegister A active - O2 Sensor RH - supportedRegister B active - Speed - supportedRegister C active - Battery - supportedRegister D active - Throttle - supportedRegister E active - not supportedRegister F active - Fuel Temp - supportedRegister 10 active - not supportedRegister 11 active - Intake Air Temp - supported

I'm somewhat disappointed if this is all we get (no aac duty for example). wondering if this is related to the sample version or something else.anyother recommended softwares for the Q45, with NICO ECU?