Re: [avr-chat] AVR and Hardware For Reading Automotive On-Board Diagnostics Connector?

[Peter Loron]

On Mar 4, 2009, at 5:26 PM, Robert L Cochran wrote:

> Is there an AVR that is especially good for reading data from an
> automobile's on-board diagnostic (OBD) connector? Is there already
> hardware that can do this: a cable for plugging into the OBD port,  
> and a
> board which can read the codes coming from the port? By automobile, I
> mean an automobile built for the North American market. I assume that
> the OBD connector varies in style and pinout from country to country?
>
> I know my auto mechanic has a device weighing 25 kilograms with a long
> heavy cable terminated by a fat connector that plugs into my OBD port,
> reads the trouble codes, and displays them on a screen. That is pretty
> much what I want to do, along with intelligent matching of what the
> codes probably mean, but I want the smallest possible form factor.
>
> Thanks
>
> Bob Cochran
> Greenbelt, Maryland, USA

Many of the new cars worldwide use a CAN bus. Older vehicles used  
various standards. There are many commercial tools out there to do  
various levels of interfacing with the car. Many companies sell chips  
that will interface with one of the CAN standards, but the real magic  
is in interpreting what you are able to read off the bus.

http://autoenginuity.com/
http://www.scantool.net/

etc...

Just do a search for OBD2 tool...

-Pete