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PC Link Detection


Audrey Foster

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Have read various comments on your forum, the garage that is installing my ecu is having problems with the link detecting the drivers and software as well. I have 96 wrx import sports wagon. Purchased the link from Thor Racing and have been told to use Version 2 software, also supplied with the link a com port cable and they are using a usb connection.I know the have been trying to convert it. What exact software should they be downloading please so i can relay the correct info to the garage. Your help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you

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They will need to download PCLink V2.5 (not version 3.x).  But this most likely will not be the problem.  It it most likely that they have not installed the COMLink or USBLink correctly.  There is a particular set of instructions that must be followed when installing the drivers for the COMLink or USBLink.  Both drivers and installation instructions can be downloaded from this site.  If they plugged the USBLink or COMLink in before installing the drivers as described in the instructions, then they will need to uninstall the drivers before they can continue (this is done in the windows device manager).  Anyways, the following points should be observed:


  1. Your ECU must be PC tunable.  Contact thor to find out if it is.
  2. You must connect the COMLink or USBLink to the ECU with the ribbon cable BEFORE powering up the ECU (turning the key on).
  3. Use PCLink version 2.5 ... download HERE.
  4. Install the drivers ... (download HERE) according to the instructions (download HERE).
  5. Contact your Link dealer if you are still stuck.
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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi Ashley, I am working for the garage trying to get in to this car. I have followed all the instructions above. When I get to plugging in the USB. It does not come up with anything. It makes the normal noise you get when plugging in a USB device in Windows. As we are using a realatively new laptop, it doesnt have any Seriel Ports, only 4 USB ports. We have a cable to convert from USB to Seriel. Looking through the COM ports, we are using COM4. Any help with connect to the device would be much appericated. Dan

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Hmmmm, if you are using a Serial-USB convertor cable and it has been installed correctly (which it sounds like it has if you can see it on COM4) and a SerialLink then there should be no issues.  If using USB to serial then there will be no automatic detection of the Link ECU, only automatic detection of the Serial-USB convertor.  PCLink will establish the communications.  There are a few other possibilities:


 - Your USB-Serial convertor is not being picked up correctly.  Use the windows 'Device Manager' (found in  the Control panel under 'System' then 'Hardware' (tab).  Open the 'COM & LPT' part of the tree list of devices.  Unplug the Serial-USB convertor and plug it back in to make sure it disappears and comes back.  This will also show its com port number.  Make sure it does not have an exclamation mark beside it.


-  Your ECU is too old for PC tune.  It must have firmware version q or later.  If it has anti-lag then it will not have PC tune.  So for plug in Subaru ECU's you will need software versions like WRXRoadq or WRX Roadr.  The last letter indicates the software version.  Also note that for 99 models, only version r is PC tunable.  You will have to take the lid off the ECU to find this number.  All LinkPlus ECU's are PC tunable and LEM (rectangle box) ECU's are PC tunable on versions V4 and V5.

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Hi folks, I'm having exactly the same problem. I've had the Link for 5 years and everything works fine on the old desktop that I retrieved from my loft (with serial connector) but the modern laptop with USB only is a non-starter. I've established today that not all adapters are created equal and that there may be a compatibility problem between the adapter and ECU. Hopefully, I will receive another adapter next week that will cure the problem. Fingers crossed. I hope it does, desktops are not a great tool for datalogging. I probably won't have an answer before 16/10 but will let you know if the cable change helped. Tony

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All adapters are definitely not created equal.  However, we are yet to find one that wont talk to the ECU.  It is the USB side that gives grief.  In most cases it is a driver installation fault.  Go to the control panel - system - hardware - device manager and see if there are any incorrectly installed devices (when the adapter is plugged in).  Also check for the adapters 'COM' number under 'COM and LPT' section.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Definitely the adapter that was causing the problem, so they are out there. Replacement adapter up and working in moments with version 2.5 software. It doesn't work correctly with version 2 software though. It will upload the tables but the runtime functions don't work so you do need v2.5 which works perfectly. Didn't try downloading with v2. My functioning adapter came from Techfocus but apparently has the same chipset as those sold by Amazon and Misco. Hope that you get this sorted Audrey because the Link ECU & software is great for getting the most out of the Impreza's engine. Also useful for diagnosing split wastegate pipes, 1.6bar before hitting map limit! Good luck!

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  • 2 months later...

Same issue here - Lenova/IBM laptop running version 2.5 software with a Belkin USB to Serial adapter fails to connect via SerialLink to a LinkPlus (G1). The COM port shows up and appears to be working - I started hyperterminal while the ECU powered up received random text. Are there any settings that could be effecting communications - 9600 baud 8/None/1 No Flow control ? I tried a really old laptop with an onboard serial port and it worked fine, only the battery is dead and no longer available. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Scott

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when i changed my laptop to a new one (toshiba sattelite) and i had to do the serial/usb converter work fine with link plus g1 but didn`t work with civic link plug in. what i discovered then was that if the communication fails you have to switch of the ignition and that on again and not leave the ignition on and try to connect again. i dont know if this is the problem but maybe it might help jason

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We had a classic USB-Serial converter problem inhouse recently.  Our tuner had a two year old laptop that worked with a particular USB-Serial converter (USBSC), but not with his other USBSC no matter what we tried, even our computer technician couldn't make it go... Anyways, he got a brand new laptop a few weeks back and it would not work with his USBSC that worked on the other laptop, no matter how hard we tried ... But the new laptop did however work with the USBSC that didn't work on the old laptop...

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  • 1 month later...

Can anyone recommend a USB to serial converter that works with PCLink 2.5 and is available in NZ?

I have a functioning converter that I can use for serial comms to my router with no problems but I cannot get it connect to the ECU no matter what I do.

The ECU I have is a D42V4 280504 Link with sub board 1UZFE D24V4 030804 which I assume is a V4 so should be able to be PC tuned.

Cheers

Matt.

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Thanks for your reply Ashley.

I don't have anyway of knowing if it's a fault with the SerialLink, it's a brand new module just shipped to me by you guys so I would have thought it would be okay.

I am not using an extension cables or anything, my USB to Serial cable which works fine on other serial applications, connects directly to the SerialLink box which then runs back via the supplied ribbon cable to the ECU.

Yes in PCLink I have selected Com4 which is the Com port that the USB adaptor has created and which works okay with a console application.

Cheers

Matt.

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Hmmm, that is pretty unusual!  We have had cases where no matter how hard people tried their USB-Serial converters just wont work with the ECU!  There is no special requirement for the USB-Serial converter for PCLink.  In fact PCLink has no idea that the USB-Serial converter exists, it is windows that is responsible for creating the virtual com port and taking care of all communications.  If you want we can retest the SerialLink (although these pretty muchly never fail!).  I would suggest sending the ECU, SerialLink and USB converter for testing...

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Ashley, I haven't included a contact sheet or anything when I shipped my ecu and cables to you. It has my return shipping info on the package but nothing else. It's the LEM with serial link and usb to serial cable. The cable is a Dick Smith adapter, drivers can be found on their website.

Matt Petersen

04 3892180

Cheers

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Your ECU and SerialLink tested up fine.  The USB-Serial converter was doing some funny things...  You will need to purchase/borrow another USB/Serial converter and give that a go.  Make sure you correctly install the drivers for it...

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Honestly we have tested so many different USB-Serial converters.  None of them ever actually have a brand marking on them and most of them work.  As it turns out sometimes they work on one PC and not another and stuff like that.  Chances are that any other USB-Serial converter will do the job...

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have had this problem recently too. I used a Dick Smith Adapter and it worked with the serial link I use to connect to Linkplus G1's and LEM V5's, But could not get to work with anything that did not use the Serial link, like the G2 stuff. The adaptor I use has the nuts on it so you can screw a cable onto it. I removed them from the Serial link so I can conect without a serial Extension cable, but was not keen to remove them from the ECU, It turned out that the serial extension cable I had that I used between the serial-USB converter and the ECU was the fault. Some of them must be wired cross-over style. Maybe worth checking one if you are using an extension cable that it is pin for pin.

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