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Sensor monitoring through a laptop

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cheesebox

New CEG'er
Joined
Nov 10, 2006
Messages
17
Is their a cable I can buy and a software package I can use to monitor sensors I am very computer inclined, and I think it would be interesting to monitor and maybe tweak some things with a medium I am already very familiar with. If anyone has experience with this I would love your input :cool:thanks alot
 
If you are really set on using a laptop, you need a serial port (usb to serial port adapters are hard to make work with this) and then check out "Alex Pepper's OBD II software", at (I think) www.obd-ii.com??

THE most recommended software for laptop use.
 
check out http://www.auterraweb.com/ .... they have both palm and laptop software ... I have used the palm software and have been very pleased with it, this one will let you check any vehicle out there, I believe the alex pepper one you have to specify the protocall you want and that will limit you to certain vehicles
 
cheesebox said:
Is their a cable I can buy and a software package I can use to monitor sensors I am very computer inclined, and I think it would be interesting to monitor and maybe tweak some things with a medium I am already very familiar with. If anyone has experience with this I would love your input :cool:thanks alot
Click to expand...



I hate to say it, but the XCAL2 provides the best datlogging potential of any OBD2 device, it can read codes and clear them too.

And that is just the side benefits of it since it can flash in a new tune as well!!

For $320 you can get one shipped and then later buy a tune for it, or get it with a base tune for $369 I think.
What a deal! It has much faster and more comprehensive datalogging and good software for examining your files.

Check it out.
 
fwiw

fwiw

I used AutoTap for several years now on my SVT Lightning and HD F150 using the serial cable with good results. Not great, but good. Issue was it being serial.

Recently purchased the USB version and it works on both the HD F150 and the CSVT like a charm. I don't care for the version 3 software however as it doesn't like to save or reopen the seperate files I create. The 2.05 version works fine with the USB interface.

Bob
 
Alex pepper's software works fine (for us anyways) going from serial to usb. But gonna use xcal2 from now on. Xcal2 is a bit handier too since you can use it w/o a laptop to pull/reset a code.
 
For the money Alex's OBD-II setup is unbeatable. ~$100 for the ability to hook up to nearly ANY OBD-II vehicle. (~$130 to include the brand new European models IIRC) Not just one specific Ford PCM code. It also does manufacturer's enhanced login and can route test commands to the PCM.

However when you add the "get a tune & is mildly adjustable" factor in then the X-Cal unit shows it's true strength.

It's all in how you look at it.
 
Last edited:
DemonSVT said:
For the money Alex's OBD-II setup is unbeatable. ~$100 for the ability to hook up to nearly ANY OBD-II vehicle. (~$130 to include the brand new European models IIRC) Not just one specific Ford PCM code. It also does manufacturer's enhanced login and can route test commands to the PCM.

However when you add the "get a tune & is mildly adjustable" factor in then the X-Cal unit shows it's true strength.

It's all in how you look at it.
Click to expand...

Just to clarify, the XCAL2 can datalog or clear codes on ANY compatible pcm, it can only load a tune on one specific vehicle.
 
warmonger said:
Just to clarify, the XCAL2 can datalog or clear codes on ANY compatible pcm, it can only load a tune on one specific vehicle.
Click to expand...
So the XCAL can do most 96-04 Fords then. That is better then I thought being the tuning portion is PCM code dependent. It still leaves the other 99% of OBD-II vehicles out of the loop though right? That was my main point about Alex's being a diagnostic tool and the XCAL being a tuning tool; primarily speaking of course... I'm not knocking the great datalogging ability of the XCAL.
 
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