VAG-COM and serial port on laptop

Airliner

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I bought the serial version of the VAG-COM cable. But it wont work with my USB -> serial port adapter (docking station from elitegroup). It works perfectly with my desktop PC (which have serial port on the mainboard).

So, I have to decide if I should go for a PCMCIA card with serial port, OR return the cable and order a USB version.

Is there anybody that is using PCMCIA cards with serial port on their laptop ? And is most of the PCMCIA cards with serial port working correctly with the VAG-COM cable, or is most of them not working (except the card that ross-tech mention on their website) ?

Have someone tried one of these two cards:

STLABES STLCAS9

http://www.exsys.ch/english/products/ex_1350_1352.html

And can tell me if they work with VAG-COM or not ?
 

BioDiesel

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The USB <-> Serial devices don't work because the USB hardware is fundamentally different from a serial port, but tries to act like one. I've tried to get my software working with these devices and found they're either buggy or it's just not possible. They work a little, but not 100%.

A PCMCIA board will have a real serial port on it, so it will work fine.
 

Airliner

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Sebastian: they also say that there is some "disadvantages" on the USB version compared to the serial version, something about timing or so.
 

Darren_J

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Airliner, I have an older Eiger Labs pcmcia serial adapter on my new laptop. It works fine with my Hex-com. There were no installation issues, and in my device manager just shows as a socket serial IO PC Card under Ports (COM & LPT).
 

Airliner

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Okay, thanx for reply. I will then order a PCMCIA card with serial port and hopefully that will work.
 

BlueEnergy

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I was able to get a "cheap" VAG-COM serial cable from eBay ($60 w/SH) to working with a USB -> Serial Port converter. The converter is a GWC UC320 was purchased from newegg.com ($20 w/SH), the cable comes with drivers for Windows. Once the drivers were installed on my Dell 8600 laptop with Windows XP I was able to reassign it to COM2 so that is was in VAG-COM COM1 - 4 range.

After that I downloaded VAG-COM 311.2 it was out to the TDI for a test. The VAG-COM found and passed the cable over the converter, all the basic functions worked fine. Advanced functions like reprogramming required a $100 activation code. But for $80 including shipping I have a functioning VAG-COM for reading fault code and measuring blocks.
 

Brewdawg

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Is the speed of the VAGCOM connection the only difference between a USB and a serial port connection?

I have an old laptop.

Thanks,
Mike
 

MOGolf

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The speed of communications with the control modules is so slow (because of them, not your computer or serial vs. USB), that it doesn't matter. The choice of serial vs. USB is one of convenience for your avaliable computer.

If you don't have a serial port on a laptop, then USB connector style cable allows use of VAG-COM without a gamble on functioning with a serial-USB converter.

If you have a laptop with a serial port, I'd recommend getting the serial port cable. However, with fewer laptops made with serial ports, if your laptop ever needs replacing, then you may find that you'll need to replace the cable with a USB connector one, or find a serial-USB converter that works.

As I understand it, the USB cable has certain 'minimum' computer requirements. From Ross-Tech web page "These interfaces work best with Windows XP. They can be used with Windows 98, ME, or 2000, but performance may be somewhat degraded by using an OS other than Windows XP and compatibility with "difficult" control modules may be reduced. Realistic hardware requirements for Windows XP and VAG-COM are a 500 MHZ CPU with at least 128 MB of RAM."
 

Toronto_Vento

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I talked to someone at the last TDIFest with a similar problem. Actually, the solution was rather easy. I hope you know a little about configuring settings in your computer. The issue is with com ports. Vag-Com is only setup to use com 1-4, but the person's laptop I was working with had the USB adapter set to com 5. Vag-com cannot use this. I found that I believe either port 2 or 3 was free on his computer (your computer may be different). I set the USB adapter to use one of the open com ports, set vag-com to that com-port, and everything worked great after that.
 

Airliner

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Yeah, I'm not that stupid


I have set the port to act as COM2 (was done long before I posted here) and is of course trying on the correct port. But things is not working. I have managed to complete the test twice, but the communcation is so unstable that the next time you try, things is not working again.
 

Herm TDI

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311.2

Toronto_Vento said:
I talked to someone at the last TDIFest with a similar problem. Actually, the solution was rather easy. I hope you know a little about configuring settings in your computer. The issue is with com ports. Vag-Com is only setup to use com 1-4, but the person's laptop I was working with had the USB adapter set to com 5. Vag-com cannot use this. I found that I believe either port 2 or 3 was free on his computer (your computer may be different). I set the USB adapter to use one of the open com ports, set vag-com to that com-port, and everything worked great after that.
Over the years I've bought a few offical Vag-Com cables...in a few months I'll be buying another.

I n the mean time I've had a problem on my old lap top and a nephew gave me an "old lap" slow by his standards but it does not have a serial port. At a GTG someone gave me an aftermarket dumb USB cable.

Basicly by doing what you you said about seting the USB cable to an open comm-port and then setting Vag-Com to the same port (4) on my lap top I got Vag-Com up and running!
The only issue (so far) is I can't call up the TDI timing graph but I does give me the Basic Settings data...So I'm OK for doing timing checks

This will hold me till I make up my mind on what new lap top to buy.
I think by the "Back to school" sales there will be all sorts of good options and prices.
 
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