Just wondering if anyone has any advice for what I should try. I just finally installed the Emanage support tool software on my laptop as per the instructions. I am following the instructions as to how to connect the main unit to the laptop, (ignition key off, plug unit into laptop, ignition ON, start emanage program)... but when I do this it just tells me "could not connect to main unit, want to work offline?" and that's it. I tried switching the com port to com 2, and it tells me then that it is "online" and doesn't give me the previous error message, but it says this even when I am not even connected to the main unit! I can be sitting at my kitchen table and switch it to COM 2 and it will say "online" as if everything's working great even though it's obviously not.

I am using a USB to USB cable rather than the USB to Serial cable which Greddy provides. I got the cable from Hal and he said he has used this exact cable with his laptop and the max before, so that shouldn't be the issue. I know my USB port is working because I just plugged my USB mouse into the laptop and it recognized it and worked perfectly.

When I first plugged the main unit into the laptop and then turned the ignition on (didn't start the car) it did the little thing that windows always does when you plug in a new USB device, asks you if you want to search for drivers, etc. If I recall what happened next it said it could not find the appropriate drivers. Is there a driver somewhere on the emanage cd that I need to find possibly?

 

I know you said hal used the cable, but aren't you supposed to use the cable provided along with some kind of serial to usb adapter? I think i remeber reading this somewhere. Just trying to throw an idea at you

 

Well the emanage comes with some special cable but hal has had THIS cable plugged into THIS car and had it function perfectly normally. He showed me how to do a bunch of stuff with the emanage when he dropped the car off to me. So the cable shouldn't be the culprit unless it has broken somehow which I doubt.

 

i would check the emanage yahoo support group

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/...s?viscount=100

good luck neal. I am trying to work through issues with the zeitronix. the taps that i used for the temporary hookup are probably too big to be able to get a signal from the ecu. I am going to just have to go ahead and solder them in anyway.

 

i would try and upadate your firmware on the emanage if possible. It will most likely open up the usb port on the emanage to be found by windows.

I also went through windows and couldnt find a generic usb driver. Also if your using a setting using a com port thats your serial ports on your computer. -Didnt know if you knew?

I also searched online and couldnt find driver updates but it seems they where software and firmware updates.
I would make sure all your software is up to date.

I would also try and borrow a usb cable to rule out the cable itself.

Also if you can get two bluetooth usb devices you could try going wireless.

 

if you do get this USB cable working please let us know...I'm interested. and also is it just ANY random USb to USB calbe or some special one???

 

I dont know if its random or special, it appears normal to me. I believe this is the one hal used when he brought the car to me. I know he was using USB-USB because he plugged the wideband into the serial port so USB was his only option. I'm gonna keep workin on it of course.

 

I've seen it over and over on the e-manage groups that you need the special cable. I've never tried using a normal usb cable, but most on the groups will tell you that you need the special one.

 

USB to USB will NOT work. You have to use the cable comes with it and then use a serial to USB adaptor.
My laptop has NO serial port so I had to go this route.
I know that it sounds odd to go that route but the serial cable has some kind of resistor in it that you have to buy the cable from them.

I think they do this, because if not we would all burn copies of the support tool for each other and just buy a USB cord and be done. But, eManage out smarted us and found a away to keep us honest.

 

Yup, gabe's right - they threw a chip into the serial side of the emanage cable so that without it - the emanage wont communicate.

 

My own e-manage is still in a box; but I have done some reading.

There seem to be two different, homemade aftermarket 'special cables' available to purchase according to the e-manage support groups. One ships from Malaysia and is a direct plug-in, and the other is US origin and requires a 'patch' program.

Alos, be careful about downloading firmware updates *****-nilly. According to the group, firmwares beyond a certain level are not good. (1.6?)

 

USB to USB does work, I used his exact cable. That being said, you can not just go to a computer store and buy one, they have a "communicator" in the cable that makes them talk at the same "speed."

Neal, after some looking around last night - I am pretty sure there is a driver that will fix your problem. I'll do some hunting today for it (a driver that makes your laptop recognize the USB port as a com port)

 

gabe, where did you get that adaptor?

 

I got mine at Fry's. But you can get them anywhere. (Best Buy, Radio Shack, Curcuit City, Comp USA) ant where that sells computer accessories.

 

hers the clone usb-serial adapter http://www.geocities.com/gilligan_rocks/

Also firmware/bios updates with devices and computers you must find out what one is best for you. I would find the firmware that is most compatible and stable.

 

Well guys I did some research and it appears to me there is a specific driver needed to use the USB to USB cable, but indeed it will work. There are tons of guys on the Yahoo emanage group using it. The only site I found so far for the driver is in chinese (I think it's chinese) so I can't read what the heck is being said, thus I can't find the driver. So I posted up on that group in the hopes of someone posting a direct link to the file, or a page that has it in english.

 

Kee[ us posted. If it exist, I would be interested in that.

 

I emailed simon as well. I'll let you when I hear something

 

If anyone else needs the driver, it will be available for a little while on my site:
http://maxima.dynomagic.com/emanage/

unzip it to a folder, plug in the cable. When prompted for driver, point it to your unzipped folder and let it do the rest.

 

what exactly is this cable called and where can it be bought from??(other than Simon on the list) thanks for the driver Hal.

 

Simon makes them, so I think he's the only one. I will be trying out the driver most likely on friday or saturday. It's special in that it has a little chip (just like the greddy supplied cable) in one end of it.