Smokin

Well... I got the PCMCIA card in today... It didn't work when I plugged it in. I guess I need to go back and check all my solder joints and settings for the card... That and re-read the entire post again. I was really hoping that it would fire right up!

EDIT - One quick question... The DB9 connection that is shown on the schematic... What view am I looking at when soldering on the leads to the PCB??? Am I looking at the back or the front of the DB9 when figuring where the wires go?

cowtown

DB9: Pin 1 is the square solder pad. Count from there 1-5 then the next row is 6-9. You can also match the traces to the pin numbers on the schematic.
Colin

Smokin

Well.. After fooling around with my other PCB... I decided to give it another try. My last attempt at the PCB looked okay at best but apparently had a few breaks in the copper. I checked it with my multimeter and did not have continuity where I should have. So... I figured I would give it another shot. This one checks out and looks a little better too. There are a few areas that were accidentally etched away but I can correct that with a little extra solder. The toner method was used again with a little better results. I decided to add the Porsche logo to it for kicks... I'll post again as to the results when I have the time to solder it all together and try it. I should be able to drill all the holes tonight.

cowtown

Smokin' that looks good. PM me if you want higher-resolution layout files to work with. There's also a new one with diagnostic lights. Just a side note, but Porsche has been scrupulously sending cease-and-desist letters to people using their logos/trademarks, even hobbiests like us. So you might not want the logo on there....

FotoVeloce

Excellent. This site truely kicks butt.

On the note about the logo. I'd second that advice. The letters are *mostly* the result of some court rulings regarding protection of brand. If I understand them correctly (and Mazda is doing this same thing.. I belive they all are or will shortly) it's a matter of proving that you intend to defend and consider your mark (trade mark, logo, whatever mark you use as an entity) to have value. If you do not defend against unauthorise use, it's been speculated that ALL rights to protection of your mark are in jepardy. So.. they have to harrass even the small-potatoes people too..

PS. I'm no lawyer, I just happened to work in an IP sector for the last 6+ years.

Smokin

I um... <cough> scraped the logo off... <looking down at feet>

Colin... I soldered in an LED to show when 12V is active. I haven't had a chance to do much else yet. I won the bid on some very small drill bits to drill this. even 1/16 in. drill bits are too big!

FotoVeloce

Ah geez.. now I feel like a major kill-joy... I hope it wasn't on my account. I reallly like the touch... I was just thinking if you end up selling those things.. then... you might get a nasty-gram from a 20-something IP attorney's legal-aid...

BTW.. these cars sure look good in red!!

cowtown

Smokin-
I got your PM re: the high-res layouts. I'll post the link here in case anyone else wants them too. They are BMPs and about 1.5MB each.

v3.0 (the one you have been building)

v3.1 (the new one with diagnostic LEDs)

FotoVeloce

Please excuse my ignorance here, but this device works on the '90 964's as well (the PCB notes 993 but it also says ODB not ODB-II. Sorry if this was covered before but I see that Smokin has the same year as I do and if it works with a 90 I'm gonna build one too!

And now another stupid follow-up question. It's been about 2 decades since I've worked with PCB plating and etching. There was some mention about printing the layout onto a board then etching (or plating)? Is there a link to this process (or did I miss it in the previous pages of this thread).

Please feel free to flame me, of course.

*UPDATE*

OK.. I started reading back and found what I needed back on pages 22/23 regarding the 964 ODBI system. Oh.. and a cool mention of using a Bluetooth RS232 transmitter (I have no serial on my craptop). Neat!

Anyone get the Bluetooth working?

LouZ

STOP THE PRESSES!

ECUFIX restocked the RS232 ISO Opto-interface.

http://www.ecufix.com/shop/index.php...roducts_id=183

I have one and it works (after the snip of the LED).

MPB993

Thats the VAGCOM one I've been using on my 993.

Oracle

Just ordered mine
Now the wait...

MarkD

I was just going to post the same thing... Andy will start shipping them on Monday. Said he was getting about 50 in so there *should* be plenty.

JerryW

Just ordered mine too -- but I'm still in for the other board too !

f11

I worked on the Bluetooth connection via a D-Link BT USB fob in the back of my laptop. I can get a LED-indication of connection, but no handshake - communication is never established. I think the problem is that I have to configure the USB fob for a specific baud rate, and there's no way to configure a choice for 8800 baud.

I was hoping that the BT-fob-to-BT-serial-converter baud rate could be faster than the OBD-interface-to-PC baud rate (essentially an inline conversion of serial to BT back to serial at the PC) without affecting the handshake, but it doesn't look like that's gonna happen. I still have to try a laptop with the BT built into the motherboard and see if I can jury-rig it to work with the BT serial converter.

I'm not sure why I can't do what I want to here, as the BT-to-BT inline conversion process should just look like a radio-based wire to the PC software and the OBD interface, but there may be some timing issues that aren't buffered preventing my scheme from working. Nuts!!

Rod