I'm gonna build this cable but have a quick question and want to confirm what I'm thinking is right.

84 vette, stock ecm. At this point I have been told that I can do a "read only" usind the ADLL cable and WinALDL.

I want to do this just to get a feel for it and because I do have 3 chips.

Now when making my cable I use R1 and R2, but I don't need R3,R4? The resistor for R3 is only used for "diagnostic mode"?

 

Which print ? Got a link ?
If the same one I think it is, then you are correct. You will use R1 ( to the base ) and R2 ( 12 V or pin 4 ) though I had to play with the value of R2 to get it to work on some laptops. Ended up about 3.3K if memory serves.

 

http://winaldl.joby.se/aldlcable.htm

This is the link from the "free tune" sticky.
Remember mine is the 84 so I believe I have to use the 1st print and supply my own 12v.
I went to buy the resistors today does the watts matter?

 

Yup. Same one I used !

Notice that NOTHING changes as far as connection to the car !
That second drawing is what I did, and had to play with R2 to get to work, but that depends on the laptop, not the car !

Not really, at this level. 1/4 watt should be fine, and small. Easy to fit. You can use 1/2 watt which are a bit larger, easier to handle.

 

thank you. I just wanted to be sure before I start buying some of the wrong parts. I got everything just need to find the DB9 end, Radio shack didn't have it. I may have a spare cable I can take apart at my office.

 

Well got the cable done today and now to my next problem.
I'm using Vista Ulimate O/S
usb/db9 Adapter, keyspan
Connected up but won't communicate

Set up Winaldl to com 2 same with the usb adapter
Set both up to 2400 baud rate.

and I get nothing. I have been reading that Vista may be my problem

 

In professional circles, there is a rumor that the top of the line Vista-Pro ( or whatever ) is less evil than the lower 5 or 6 versions, but none of them good.
It seems yet that Vista is to be avoided if at all possible, yet much new hardware won't have drivers for "lower" M$ OS, like XP. It's all about DRM, and record licensing. Thank the movie people, and the RIAA.

Two options. 1. Try another comfuser with something else on it instead of Vista.
2. Will ANYTHING work through the Keyspan adapter ? Modem, GPS, anything ? If so, then it's probably not the USB adapter or Vista.

 

I use the keyspan adapter quite often for programming plc's and touchscreens.

I have an older 486 and maybe I can get the winaldl on that to try.

I can match up the com ports between the two.
Of course another thought is maybe I do need the 12v external source

 

The theory is, that when the ALDL end of R1 goes high, it causes the transistor to short pin 2 to pin 5, a bit.
SO, if you tap the pin 2 end of R2 with the ALDL end of R1, and can get winaldl to do anything at all, the cable should work. If winaldl does nothing, then you may need the external 12 V.
If you can tap the ALDL end of R1 on pin 4 of the DB9 and it responds, but not when you tap the other end of R2, then you can play with the value of R2. That's what I did, and ended up changing R2 to about 3.3K for my laptop.
Maybe easier.....
Hang a voltmeter on pin 2 of the DB9, with the key off, and the ALDL connected. You should see a steady voltage. Key on. If the voltage stays rock solid, the cable won't work as-is. If that voltage drops a bit, and fluctuates, then the cable is working.
Hope this helps.....

 

SUCCESS! Finally got it. I used my old laptop and also redid my cable. Now I'm only get the first 4 rows on the raw data tab. Shouldn't I be able to get more info in the other tabs?
WinAldl website only gives a brief description and some screenshots. Is there another site?
thanks

 

Until you get ALL data on the raw tab, I don't think anything will be of much use.
Are you sure you have it configured for the correct ECM ?
It's been a LONG time since I've tried to use windlad ( serial port problems under Linux ) but as I recall, there's a little window up next to the configuration button that shows how many bytes have been received and decoded. If memory serves, it should be 20 or so, and changes with each frame of data.
What are you seeing there ?
I also seem to remember that the port speed I left default at 9600 for the port in windows, let winaldl default to 2400, and it "just worked" under windows.

 

Cflick, I finally got it. I needed to put the R3 resistor in.
All my screens are working now.. yippee!
Only thing is I don't really now what I'm looking at so I've been trying to search around to see if there is some sort of manual or something to tell me what things mean. The cable I guess was the easy part.

 

R3 ? Methinks that puts the ECM in a mode you don't want it to be in, but it may depend on the ECM.
As for what things mean, probably the most comprehensive info would come from a search for the specific terms you're not sure of, on THIS site.
Winaldl is old, and dates from a time when not a whole lot was known about many of those items by very many folks. That's changed, and the best info is on ThirdGen. ( from what I've found )

 

Without R3 the ECM is transmitting to the digital dash (crossfire vette). With R3 the ECM goes into diagnostic mode. Which changes how the ECM operates along with changing the calibration. So you can't tune with R3 and you can't get a data stream without R3.

This is why so many switch to a different ECM.

RBob.