OBD Software

[admfubar]

  This is mainly for Dennis, this link has a number of packages to check out. 

https://www.elmelectronics.com/help/obd/software/

here are a few troubleshooting tips from the linux mint forums

https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=216625

https://forums.linuxmint.com/search.php?keywords=elm327

https://forums.linuxmint.com/search.php?keywords=obd2

[Bill Mayhew]

ELM327 is the way to go for the hardwsre; it is the de facto standsrd, and almost all software suites will work with an ELM327 device.  The ELM327 is a preprogrammed Microchip PIC from ELM Electronics that can decode several of the automotive protocols into a serial output.  Not surprisingly, China, Inc. has counterfeited the ELM327 and a wide array of Chinese origin allegedly ELM compatible scan tools are are available from about $10 and up on Internet shopping sites.  Not all the clone import scan tools are of good quality, and price is not necessarily an indicator of quality.  Definitely read the feedback before purchasing.

About a year ago, I got a Bluetooth ELM connector made by a Chinese manufscturer called BAFX that had a lot of positive remarks.  The BAFX tool is powered from the vehicle DLC port and contains a bit of glue logic, a Microchip PIC (don't know if it is genuine ELM), and a generic Chinese FTDI (FTDI-like?) to Bluetooth daughter board.  A lot of popular cell phone applicstions support the device natively.  I have used the BAFX with Torque and LEAF Spy.  I used the latter to issue a a proprietary code reset command to my car's electric brake boost controller.

The nice thing about ELM327 is that tne chip talks AT commands over its serial interface similar to the way an old Hayes modem worked.  I found several terminal emulator programs for Android that speak to serial over Bluetooth directly and they see the BAFX scan tool as a generic serial connection.  It is possible to try out commands using the terminal program.  The hardware manual for the ELM327 is on ELM's web site.