Reading the ALDL data myself

[BJM]

I wanted to try and make my own simplistic TurboLink like program. I found the Thirdgen guys are doing it here 160 baud ALDL link .

I planned on using HPVEE as my programming language if anyone is familiar with it. I don't know how to read data from a serial port on the computer for use in a program. Are there any pre-canned programs I could call using HPVEE?

Thanks in advance

 

[Brooks]

HEATHEN!!!

(I'm a LabVIEW junky)



HP used to have some canned "instrument control" objects that used the serial port and allowed you to send/receive ASCII commands and data. You may want to give them a call if it's no longer available on the webpage (Might not be since the change to "Agilent")

Good luck,

Charles Brooks

 

[BJM]

I am not familiar with Agilent, what is it?

I started with HPVEE because that's what was there from the previous person on the program. I was using it to operate and code the algorithm that converted digital values to loads for one of the space stations robotic arms.

 

[Brooks]

Some time last year Hewlett Packard decided they needed to split the company into "IT and computing products" and "Test and Measurement" products.

The T&M division was spun off as a child company and re-named "Agilent Technologies" .

I just checked the Agilent web page and they still have a ot of VEE support so you may be able to find what you need and download it free of charge. Look for serial control/communications modules and modify them as you see fit.

Charles Brooks

 

[salvageV6]

Hey Charles do you know how to interface Labview with the Direct Scan data stream?

Just wondering.

TIA

 

[Brooks]

Hiya Salvage, do you mean create a LabVIEW app to monitor the same bus DS does? If so, no I can't. I've built passive bus monitors using DIO boards and LabVIEW in the past but I always worked from an interface control document (ICD).

In this case I don't know what the data format is for the bus.

Charles Brooks

 

[salvageV6]

Well I will assume also you don't know the data stream directly from the ECM connector either?

Shoulda asked that one too.

We have Labview at work, full license, and it would make a sweet data logging, fancy display for the fast update data off the ECM. Easy to interface with an EGT, boost logger, various air temp. sensors and whatever else you wanted to log and monitor.

If we only knew the protocol and speed and....

Oh well....

 

[BJM]

Follow the link in my original post and the guy who wrote the software shows many of the common ALDL outputs and speeds and synch data.

 

[Brooks]

Salvage, do you mean the ALDL data stream?

Sure, it's been hacked and with a MAX232 chip and a little time with LabVIEW you can slap something together using the serial port no problem. Do a search on the net for ALDL info and you'll be surprised what you find. Hell, there are people right here on this board that can help you with the ALDL datastream.

Remember, when all is said and done, Turbo-Link can be had for $150. A mere pittance if you value your programming time!

Creating an ALDL scan tool with LabVIEW would be a fun exercise though. I'm so addicted to LV that I convinced my boss to buy a license for home use

I completely agree with you on the ease of use. The rapid development time is the biggest advantage LV has.


Charles Brooks

 

[BJM]

I thought TurboLink was $249. Has that changed?

 

[Brooks]

Direct Scan is $250 but Turbolink runs $150.

Check out Ken's page at Turbo-Link

He has a comparison of various scan tools on the page as well.

Charles Brooks

 

[salvageV6]

No I meant the ECM connector that you clean up and use for Direct Scan.

Labview would work perfectly for fast updating as well as being able to add sensors and thermocouple inputs via a PCMCI card and National Instruments input board or something similar.

Need the fast update for Labview.

Direct Scan is a very old ugly DOS program

If we only knew the protocol for the data