Connecting the laptop

[davetherave1970]

Hi all

I have the software and the connecting pin out lead but both my laptops are newish and don't have the serial port. I have a adaptor for my Road Angel updates which plugs into the USB and works OK.
Does anyone know if this adaptor will work for the Cerb connection? Has anyone used similar? Don't want to just try it and damage anything!!
If not it looks like I'll have to buy an old laptop

Help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[andy4200]

What type of laptops do you have? My new Dell has serial, I just assumed it was one of these things that all computers had

[Podie]

Increasingly, legacy support (parallel and serial ports) are being left off new machines, although Dell do still (thankfully) provide them on their machines.

To answer your question Dave, it depends on how the software is written… it may well be written specifically for a serial port… then again it may well work via USB. Unfortunately there is only one way to find out...

[trooperiziz]

davetherave1970 said:

Hi all I have the software and the connecting pin out lead but both my laptops are newish and don't have the serial port. I have a adaptor for my Road Angel updates which plugs into the USB and works OK. Does anyone know if this adaptor will work for the Cerb connection? Has anyone used similar? Don't want to just try it and damage anything!! If not it looks like I'll have to buy an old laptop Help would be appreciated. Thanks.

I used a PCCard serial adaptor to connect up the laptop and that worked fine. I would assume a USB adaptor would be ok.

[J_S_G]

Kind of depends on how clever the USB adapter is... Whether it's almost a straight pass-through, and the Road Angel is doing the clever stuff, or whether the adapter. You're going from 9 (or 25) pins -> 4 (and there's power there, too, not just data), so the work's got to be done somewhere...

[davetherave1970]

Do I chance it
I think I'll wait until the weekend, maybe someone in PH land might have tried it and reply!

[J_S_G]

I'd go for it... it'd be bl**dy lucky to randomly send out the exact sequence of 1s and 0s to do some damage!

[budaholic]

Yup, I can confirm it works. I've got a Sony Vaio that doesn't have a serial connection.

Used a USB > Serial adapter cable.
Only problem I had was with drivers for it. Kept crashing until I found updated ones.

So, go ahead, and good luck.

Budaholic

[davetherave1970]

Well I'll give it a go then!!

I've just tried to open the software and it says "The parameter is incorrect". Is this just due to it not being connected to the car?

Maybe someone could spent some time showing me how it works? Followed by a few near Essex?

[trooperiziz]

davetherave1970 said:

Well I'll give it a go then!! I've just tried to open the software and it says "The parameter is incorrect". Is this just due to it not being connected to the car? Maybe someone could spent some time showing me how it works? Followed by a few near Essex?

You could read the help files

You won't get a reading until it is connected to the car and the engine is running.


>> Edited by trooperiziz on Friday 4th February 08:40

[davetherave1970]

trooperiziz said:

You could read the help files

That seems like hard work

[davetherave1970]

Well I finally had the balls to connect it up.
Don't work "Couldn't find serial connection." Looks like my USB - Serial adaptor doesn't do the job. But on the up side it didn't damage the ECU
Anyone know where I can get a cheap laptop to do this job only?

[Podie]

davetherave1970 said:

Well I finally had the balls to connect it up. Don't work "Couldn't find serial connection." Looks like my USB - Serial adaptor doesn't do the job. But on the up side it didn't damage the ECU Anyone know where I can get a cheap laptop to do this job only?

How often do you need to do it..? I can lend you one for a short period.

[J_S_G]

davetherave1970 said:

Well I finally had the balls to connect it up. Don't work "Couldn't find serial connection." Looks like my USB - Serial adaptor doesn't do the job. But on the up side it didn't damage the ECU Anyone know where I can get a cheap laptop to do this job only?

Have an IBM ThinkPad I was about to get rid of that should do the trick. Was planning on selling that + GPS adaptor + software + in-car power brick (proper transformer, not battery-sapping invertor) for £200 or so if anyone's interested...

[jo williams]

davetherave1970 said:

Well I finally had the balls to connect it up. Don't work "Couldn't find serial connection." Looks like my USB - Serial adaptor doesn't do the job. But on the up side it didn't damage the ECU Anyone know where I can get a cheap laptop to do this job only?

I bought a USB - Serial adaptor from Ebay that works fine on my car. It came with some drivers which you need to have installed on the laptop, but it mimicks a serial port perfectly. Cost about £14 I think. Although I seem to have lost it........

Jo

[methodwares]

Hi, would i be possible for someone to email me the software? i've build my serial cable from old scrap parts laying around out IT guys office.

thanks

[davetherave1970]

Podie said:

How often do you need to do it..? I can lend you one for a short period.

Now that's a kind offer.
I'm not at this weekends meeting so I'll get in touch when I get some time to meet up!

If I find it useful I'll get one myself!

Thanks Podie

Also thanks to James. I keep it in mind but don't hold onto it just for me.

Jo, this maybe where I'm going wrong. I don't think I installed from the disc. I just let windows install the adaptor. (now looking for one disc in draw of many!)

John, YHM.

[jo williams]

davetherave1970 said:

Podie said: How often do you need to do it..? I can lend you one for a short period. Now that's a kind offer. I'm not at this weekends meeting so I'll get in touch when I get some time to meet up! If I find it useful I'll get one myself! Thanks Podie Also thanks to James. I keep it in mind but don't hold onto it just for me. Jo, this maybe where I'm going wrong. I don't think I installed from the disc. I just let windows install the adaptor. (now looking for one disc in draw of many!) John, YHM.

Let me know if you can't find it, as I may have my one kicking around and could email it to you.

[nervous]

wait... i can plug my laptop into my car? that is sooo cool. what will they think of next? theyll put a man on the moon next.

firstly then, pleeeease can i copy this software from someone? perhaps theres a link or someone could PM me? id be hugely grateful (what the hell, take the wife)

second, is the purpose of the software to act as a diagnostic/ reset only or does it work as an input/output such that you can monitor and adjust individual parameters of the car (not that i would cos i wouldnt have a single clue). be good fun to see how the engine etc is performing though.. can anybody talk me through this? happy to pay in the chocolates left in the bottom of the quality street box from xmas that no-one likes. or sprouts, cos i keep finding them in the fridge too

thanks gang,
mjb

[Podie]

davetherave1970 said:

Podie said: How often do you need to do it..? I can lend you one for a short period. Now that's a kind offer. I'm not at this weekends meeting so I'll get in touch when I get some time to meet up! If I find it useful I'll get one myself! Thanks Podie Also thanks to James. I keep it in mind but don't hold onto it just for me. Jo, this maybe where I'm going wrong. I don't think I installed from the disc. I just let windows install the adaptor. (now looking for one disc in draw of many!) John, YHM.

Dave, no problem mate.

Bring along your laptop and USB adaptor - I assumed you'd have installed driver software... I'll happily take a look for you mate.