ECUTalk - Pocket PC Compatibility

ECUTalk Consult Software Pocket PC Compatibility - ARCHIVED - no longer relevant/up to date, for ECUTalk v1.3.5 and earlier...

Note: ECUTalk generally requires a SERIAL consult interface when using a Pocket PC. Read the paragraph at the bottom, "Why USB Consult Interfaces wont work", if you think I'm pulling your leg.

ECUTalk should work on any Pocket PC (2000, 2002, WM 2003, WM5) that supports the .NET Compact Framework 1.0 and has a serial port. This compatibility list is just confirming which PDA's have been used successfully.

Im compiling a list of setup's users have got the PPC version of ECUTalk working on. It should support any Pocket PC that can host the .NET Compact Framework and has support for a Serial COM port, but these are confirmed cases of it working (and the hardware used). If you have successfully got it working, if you could spare a few minutes and let me know of what you used to get it running. The most common setup is a serial sync cable for your PDA and a male-male null modem adaptor, along with a serial consult interface cable (try PLMS or blazt.biz). Some Pocket PC serial cables don't need the null modem adaptor, namely ones like the Gomadic cables which are already made for communicating with "devices" rather than a PC for syncing, and hence doesn't require a null modem adaptor.

iPAQ users - Aside from the very early H3100/3600/3700 PDAs, all iPAQ's share the same connector/pinout. Thus an iPAQ will require any serial sync cable made for iPAQs, preferably one with charing facilities, and will also require a null-modem adaptor (unless the cable is already set up for GPS/serial devices, with pins 2/3 swapped already - which is what the null-modem adaptor does otherwise). Some example setups are given below.

Reported to work
HP iPAQ 6915 - HP Serial Autosync Cable: Part FA122A + Male/Male Mini Null Modem Adaptor.
Another HP iPAQ 5550 - Serial Cable with Power (this). Also a car charger (this) to suit.
Dell Axim X3i - Serial Adaptor (this) from serialio.com
O2 XDAII/XDAIIs - Serial Sync Cable + Null Modem Adaptor (expansys).
HP Jornada 568 - Serial Sync Cable (this or this) + Null Modem Adaptor. This PPC has issues with streaming sensors totaling 6, 7 or 16 bytes due to this PPC's crap serial driver.
Fujitsu Siemens Pocket Loox 420 - with Serial Sync Cable + Male-Male Nullmodem Adapter
HP iPAQ h2200 - Serial Sync Cable (this) + Null Modem Adaptor.
HP iPAQ rx3715 - Original Serial Sync Cable + Null Modem Adaptor.
HP iPAQ 3950/3970 - Serial Sync Cradle / Cable + Null Modem cable.
HP iPAQ h4150 - Serial Sync + Null Modem Adaptor.
HP iPAQ h5450 - with "serial dock and kyocera null modem adaptor".
HP iPAQ h5455 - Gomadic Serial Cable w/Power (this) + PSP Power Adaptor (this) for power.
HP iPAQ h5550 - GPS Mouse Adaptor (this). A serial sync cable (this) + Null Modem Adaptor would probably work also.
HP Jornada 540 - Serial Sync + Null Modem Adaptor. Probably the cheapest setup you can find to run ECUTalk. Most likely the slowest performing PDA, but also one of the cheapest second hand. It's a 133mhz PPC 2000 device. 16MB versions should work fine also (so long as you havent used up too much of the memory with other things). You can pick these up second hand on ebay pretty cheap ($40).

Reported to NOT work
O2 XDAII mini and clones with mini-usb as only connection - no serial port
HP iPAQ 1900 series - reportedly no serial port capabilities
Orange SPV M2000 - may crash when reading part number (fixed in future versions, probably) but also reads sensors it shouldnt, or misses sensors it should get.

Adaptors:
Recommended Null-Modem Adaptor (male-male, no gender changers needed): http://www.expansys.com.au/product.asp?code=3011213

Alternative: DB9F TO DB9M NULL MODEM CABLE 2M + DB9M-DB9M Gender Changer - see if you can combine postage. This would be cheaper than jaycar alternative below.

Alternative: Jaycar WC7513 Null Modem Lead D9 - D9 Socket - 1.8M + 2 x Male-Male Gender Changers

Why USB Consult Interfaces wont work
Do NOT get a USB consult interface, unless you have money to waste - and then still dont get it, but donate the money to charity instead. There are 2 reasons why USB consult interfaces wont work:

1) 98% of Pocket PC's do NOT have USB host capabilities, that is the capability to use USB device (the usb connection is there only because the Pocket PC is a USB device itself, when used by a PC).

2) Not all USB Consult Interfaces use the FTDI chip - which is the only major chip with support for Windows CE. The blazt USB consult interface since around March 2007 has come with FTDI chip.

So, the remaining 2% of users who are blessed with a PDA with USB host capabilities, you cant use a USB consult interface unless it comes with a FTDI chip (and even then, I wouldnt recommend it as I dont know anyone who has personally verified this will work).

Just to add, to those who bought a USB consult interface due to some assumption that USB is better. It's not. A USB consult interface is simply a serial consult interface, with its RS232 serial driver IC replaced with a serial->usb converter. The USB drivers then emulates a COM port so that it works with software designed for serial devices. USB consult interface should only be used on a laptop that doesn't have serial ports, and then only if you do not intend to use it with a Pocket PC. If you do intend to use it on a Pocket PC, then buy a serial consult interface and a seperate usb/serial converter (FTDI chip preferable, otherwise just the cheapest on ebay).