Datalogging using Torque Pro App and BlackStealth’s OBD1 converter – Discussion, Q&A
This first post will be edited and updated as I gather more information, refine instructions, get questions answered, etc.
Lots of updates/additions on 5/20/18 - THIS POST BECAME TOO LONG (10000 char limit). Please see this link for the rest of the post and updates: Datalogging using Torque Pro App and BlackStealth’s OBD1...
The purpose of this thread is to discuss my experience setting up and using BlackStealth’s OBD1/MUT into Canbus OBD2 converter for use with Torque Pro App to display vehicle information from the ECU in real time and more importantly, datalog a variety of important sensors using the app. The datalogs can be exported (emailed, uploaded) as a .csv file so that you can view them in Excel or whatever other program.
Step 1: Buy the converter from BlackStealth, and get a OBD2 transmitter device so that you can transmit the data from the converter to your phone. You essentially have 3 options - bluetooth, USB, or wifi (mostly only for iOS users since they cannot use bluetooth). Apparently the cheap ebay $5 ELM Bluetooth devices work, but I opted for a slightly more expensive one that had high reviews on amazon (see below).
BlackStealth’s Converter (and any cables you need): Convert OBD1/MUT into Canbus OBD2 for Torque App
(If you are ever going to be adding sensors or making configuration changes to BlackStealth's Converter, you will need a serial cable. This is the one recommended ($14). I purchased it and was able to successfully connect to and reconfigure the converter for my boost pressure sensor: AYA 5Ft. USB 2.0 to Serial (9-pin) DB-9 RS-232 Adapter Cable FTDI Win/Mac/Linux 852660732384 | eBay)
OBD2 Bluetooth (BT): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005NLQAHS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Update: I was getting an average PID speed of only ~14 PIDs/sec with the OBD2 bluetooth transmitter. It seems that most bluetooth transmitters will be this slow unless you get a expensive one ($50+), and even then, it may not be that fast. This is important because this speed will determine the "refresh rate" for your realtime information display AND how often values are written into your log when logging. Lets say you are logging 7 PIDs (basically bare minimum for useful logging), this means values will only be refreshed about every 0.5 seconds in your log. Quite slow if you are trying to get near-realtime information when doing a WOT 2nd gear pull. 14 PIDs would only refresh about every second. Way too low.
To try and get more speed I bought a OBD2 USB adapter. Blackstealth reported speeds up to 200 PIDs/sec after "hacking" his OBD2 device as noted here (this is missing a few steps, see below in this post): New invention, convert OBD1/MUT into Canbus OBD2 for...
I opted for this OBD2 USB device for $12 from China (be sure to choose FTDI for the "color" option): https://www.ebay.com/itm/OBD-2-ELM327-Scanner-Autoscanner-V-1-5-Car-Diagnostic-Tool-Bluetooth-With-Chips/323180231234?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&var=512264744084&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
I also had to get a "on the go (OTG)" cable adapter to go from USB to micro USB to connect that converter to my phone (Samsung Note 5). Any recent andriod device that is USB OTG capable, and Andriod 4.0 or newer (I think) should be able to use the USB adapter with Torque. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YOX4JU6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
After buying those, I removed my blueteooth OBD2 transmitter and wired up the USB one. Before "hacking" the device (changing the baud rate) to achieve faster speeds, out of the box i got an average speed of closer to 40 PIDs/sec. Not quite what i was hoping for but still much faster than bluetooth. After a couple of days i decided to go ahead and modify the baud rate of the USB adapter to achieve faster speeds. Here is the exact procedure adding to what BlackSteal mentioned in the link above:
1. Open CoolTerm on your PC. Change connection settings to 38.4k baud (if this is the OBD2 device's original baud rate).
2. Plug in OBD2 to USB and power it up.
3. Hit connect with coolterm. Press Enter. Typing ATI and enter will confirm it is connected and repeat its version number.
4. Enter "AT PP 0C SV 23" (without the quotes) to set the OBD2 baud rate to 115.2k. It should respond with OK.
5. Enter "AT PP 0C ON" (without quotes) to tell the OBD2 to use the new baud rate. Should respond with OK
6. Power down the device and exit CoolTerm.
7. Reopen CoolTerm and set baud rate to 115.2k. Power on device, connect, hit enter, run ATI command, and confirm it responds with its version number using new baud rate to connect.
8. Change baud rate settings in Torque app to 57.6k baud, which is actually 115.2k baud.
9. Check your PIDs/sec in adapter status to see if you achieved faster speeds. You should now see closer to 200 PIDs/sec.
I can immedaitely tell that the realtime monitoring refreshes MUCH faster, unlike with the bluetooth where values would clearly be jumping around (i.e., not smooth) and lagging behind what was actually happening. To connect via USB you do have to make some changes in the Torque app to tell it that you are communicating via USB not bluetooth, set the BAUD rate for the device, and also select the specific device within Torque settings (you need to first plug it into your phone without Torque running so your phone detects it). Now when i plug in the USB cord to my phone after i start the car, Torque immediate launches and it connects after a few seconds. Basic instructions can be found here: USB - Torque OBD2 Wiki
Note: Another benefit of the USB OBD2 is that it will work with laptops. I have not yet tried any of the PC software to try and do realtime monitoring, logging, etc. I am just sticking to Torque for now.
Step 2: To get started, you only need to supply power to the converter, plug it into your car’s diagnostic port (in my case OBD1) using the cable purchased with the converter, and plug in your OBD2 BT to the converter’s output OBD2 plug. Of course later on you will probably want to wire in any other sensors you have like a Wideband O2, boost/pressure, oil pressure, etc, but that is optional and can be done later. For a permanent installation, a good place is under/behind the radio where the stock 1g radio amplifier is located. You will want to supply 12v that is only powered up with the ignition, such as radio supply power, or cig lighter power, both of which are in that area (you can just splice into the positive and ground to chassis somewhere nearby). For a temporary installation, or if you want to run this in multiple different cars, you can use this (I did for a few weeks before doing permanent install) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072KDLH54/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Update: For my more permanent installation, I tapped into the rear cig power by the ashtray. I did not even need to use quick splice connectors - I actually just shoved the positive and ground wires into the connectors where they slide into the terminals on the bottom of the cig lighter. I then ran the power wire forward where stock wires already run, up to under the dash forward of ECU on top of shifter tables. I made a small box to house the converter and OBD2 transmitter so it would fit snug and not slide around, vibrate, etc. You can then run the OBD1 cables above your feed (ziptie out of the way) and over to the middle of the car. If you are going to be doing this install, plan ahead so you can wire in all your other sensors at the same time. I wired in my WBO2, and because of the way the WBO2 harness is, I actually now have the WBO2 +12v and ground going into the converter on the power supply terminals so that it is powered up at the same time. This prevented from having to extend the signal wire as it is in the same loom as the +12v and ground.
See this post for some pictures of the wiring (this was before i added in boost pressure sensor and switched to ODB2 USB): http://www.3si.org/forum/f35/datalo...iscussion-q-811626/index2.html#post1056240706
Step 2.5: Extra sensors
If you are going to be doing any real datalogging, especially for tuning purposes, you are going to need some extra sensors wired into the converter. A WBO2 like AEM will have a signal wire that you wire into the converter on the correct terminal as labeled, and then you will need to run configuration using the serial cable to select the correct sensor voltage to AFR range (see the converter's manual http://lcdbc.xp3.biz/CanbusDeviceManual.pdf). I also bought a MPX4250AP from BlackStealth so that I could get boost pressure into torque (I do not have LCDBC, nor do I have an electronic boost gauge that has a signal wire - you would not need this if you have those). Wiring that in is very easy as the converter supplies the +5V and ground to the sensor, and of course the signal wire going into the conveter as well, so everything can be loomed together from under the the hood where the sensor itself is mounted into the car to the converter. The unit is VERY compact, only about the size of a quarter, and uses 3-4mm vacuum host. You can just T into something else off the plenum to supply vacuum/boost to it. Mine is mounted where the stock EGR/boost/etc solenoids are mounted on the firewall. After wiring it into the converter you will need to configure for that specific sensor, again using the serial cable as described in the manual. This is why its a good idea to plan ahead when you are doing the install so that you can wire everything in at the same time and do the configuration all at once (its a pain to pull this out to reconfigure depending on your length of wires and how many sensors are wired into it).
This first post will be edited and updated as I gather more information, refine instructions, get questions answered, etc.
Lots of updates/additions on 5/20/18 - THIS POST BECAME TOO LONG (10000 char limit). Please see this link for the rest of the post and updates: Datalogging using Torque Pro App and BlackStealth’s OBD1...
The purpose of this thread is to discuss my experience setting up and using BlackStealth’s OBD1/MUT into Canbus OBD2 converter for use with Torque Pro App to display vehicle information from the ECU in real time and more importantly, datalog a variety of important sensors using the app. The datalogs can be exported (emailed, uploaded) as a .csv file so that you can view them in Excel or whatever other program.
Step 1: Buy the converter from BlackStealth, and get a OBD2 transmitter device so that you can transmit the data from the converter to your phone. You essentially have 3 options - bluetooth, USB, or wifi (mostly only for iOS users since they cannot use bluetooth). Apparently the cheap ebay $5 ELM Bluetooth devices work, but I opted for a slightly more expensive one that had high reviews on amazon (see below).
BlackStealth’s Converter (and any cables you need): Convert OBD1/MUT into Canbus OBD2 for Torque App
(If you are ever going to be adding sensors or making configuration changes to BlackStealth's Converter, you will need a serial cable. This is the one recommended ($14). I purchased it and was able to successfully connect to and reconfigure the converter for my boost pressure sensor: AYA 5Ft. USB 2.0 to Serial (9-pin) DB-9 RS-232 Adapter Cable FTDI Win/Mac/Linux 852660732384 | eBay)
OBD2 Bluetooth (BT): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005NLQAHS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Update: I was getting an average PID speed of only ~14 PIDs/sec with the OBD2 bluetooth transmitter. It seems that most bluetooth transmitters will be this slow unless you get a expensive one ($50+), and even then, it may not be that fast. This is important because this speed will determine the "refresh rate" for your realtime information display AND how often values are written into your log when logging. Lets say you are logging 7 PIDs (basically bare minimum for useful logging), this means values will only be refreshed about every 0.5 seconds in your log. Quite slow if you are trying to get near-realtime information when doing a WOT 2nd gear pull. 14 PIDs would only refresh about every second. Way too low.
To try and get more speed I bought a OBD2 USB adapter. Blackstealth reported speeds up to 200 PIDs/sec after "hacking" his OBD2 device as noted here (this is missing a few steps, see below in this post): New invention, convert OBD1/MUT into Canbus OBD2 for...
I opted for this OBD2 USB device for $12 from China (be sure to choose FTDI for the "color" option): https://www.ebay.com/itm/OBD-2-ELM327-Scanner-Autoscanner-V-1-5-Car-Diagnostic-Tool-Bluetooth-With-Chips/323180231234?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&var=512264744084&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
I also had to get a "on the go (OTG)" cable adapter to go from USB to micro USB to connect that converter to my phone (Samsung Note 5). Any recent andriod device that is USB OTG capable, and Andriod 4.0 or newer (I think) should be able to use the USB adapter with Torque. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YOX4JU6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
After buying those, I removed my blueteooth OBD2 transmitter and wired up the USB one. Before "hacking" the device (changing the baud rate) to achieve faster speeds, out of the box i got an average speed of closer to 40 PIDs/sec. Not quite what i was hoping for but still much faster than bluetooth. After a couple of days i decided to go ahead and modify the baud rate of the USB adapter to achieve faster speeds. Here is the exact procedure adding to what BlackSteal mentioned in the link above:
1. Open CoolTerm on your PC. Change connection settings to 38.4k baud (if this is the OBD2 device's original baud rate).
2. Plug in OBD2 to USB and power it up.
3. Hit connect with coolterm. Press Enter. Typing ATI and enter will confirm it is connected and repeat its version number.
4. Enter "AT PP 0C SV 23" (without the quotes) to set the OBD2 baud rate to 115.2k. It should respond with OK.
5. Enter "AT PP 0C ON" (without quotes) to tell the OBD2 to use the new baud rate. Should respond with OK
6. Power down the device and exit CoolTerm.
7. Reopen CoolTerm and set baud rate to 115.2k. Power on device, connect, hit enter, run ATI command, and confirm it responds with its version number using new baud rate to connect.
8. Change baud rate settings in Torque app to 57.6k baud, which is actually 115.2k baud.
9. Check your PIDs/sec in adapter status to see if you achieved faster speeds. You should now see closer to 200 PIDs/sec.
I can immedaitely tell that the realtime monitoring refreshes MUCH faster, unlike with the bluetooth where values would clearly be jumping around (i.e., not smooth) and lagging behind what was actually happening. To connect via USB you do have to make some changes in the Torque app to tell it that you are communicating via USB not bluetooth, set the BAUD rate for the device, and also select the specific device within Torque settings (you need to first plug it into your phone without Torque running so your phone detects it). Now when i plug in the USB cord to my phone after i start the car, Torque immediate launches and it connects after a few seconds. Basic instructions can be found here: USB - Torque OBD2 Wiki
Note: Another benefit of the USB OBD2 is that it will work with laptops. I have not yet tried any of the PC software to try and do realtime monitoring, logging, etc. I am just sticking to Torque for now.
Step 2: To get started, you only need to supply power to the converter, plug it into your car’s diagnostic port (in my case OBD1) using the cable purchased with the converter, and plug in your OBD2 BT to the converter’s output OBD2 plug. Of course later on you will probably want to wire in any other sensors you have like a Wideband O2, boost/pressure, oil pressure, etc, but that is optional and can be done later. For a permanent installation, a good place is under/behind the radio where the stock 1g radio amplifier is located. You will want to supply 12v that is only powered up with the ignition, such as radio supply power, or cig lighter power, both of which are in that area (you can just splice into the positive and ground to chassis somewhere nearby). For a temporary installation, or if you want to run this in multiple different cars, you can use this (I did for a few weeks before doing permanent install) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072KDLH54/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Update: For my more permanent installation, I tapped into the rear cig power by the ashtray. I did not even need to use quick splice connectors - I actually just shoved the positive and ground wires into the connectors where they slide into the terminals on the bottom of the cig lighter. I then ran the power wire forward where stock wires already run, up to under the dash forward of ECU on top of shifter tables. I made a small box to house the converter and OBD2 transmitter so it would fit snug and not slide around, vibrate, etc. You can then run the OBD1 cables above your feed (ziptie out of the way) and over to the middle of the car. If you are going to be doing this install, plan ahead so you can wire in all your other sensors at the same time. I wired in my WBO2, and because of the way the WBO2 harness is, I actually now have the WBO2 +12v and ground going into the converter on the power supply terminals so that it is powered up at the same time. This prevented from having to extend the signal wire as it is in the same loom as the +12v and ground.
See this post for some pictures of the wiring (this was before i added in boost pressure sensor and switched to ODB2 USB): http://www.3si.org/forum/f35/datalo...iscussion-q-811626/index2.html#post1056240706
Step 2.5: Extra sensors
If you are going to be doing any real datalogging, especially for tuning purposes, you are going to need some extra sensors wired into the converter. A WBO2 like AEM will have a signal wire that you wire into the converter on the correct terminal as labeled, and then you will need to run configuration using the serial cable to select the correct sensor voltage to AFR range (see the converter's manual http://lcdbc.xp3.biz/CanbusDeviceManual.pdf). I also bought a MPX4250AP from BlackStealth so that I could get boost pressure into torque (I do not have LCDBC, nor do I have an electronic boost gauge that has a signal wire - you would not need this if you have those). Wiring that in is very easy as the converter supplies the +5V and ground to the sensor, and of course the signal wire going into the conveter as well, so everything can be loomed together from under the the hood where the sensor itself is mounted into the car to the converter. The unit is VERY compact, only about the size of a quarter, and uses 3-4mm vacuum host. You can just T into something else off the plenum to supply vacuum/boost to it. Mine is mounted where the stock EGR/boost/etc solenoids are mounted on the firewall. After wiring it into the converter you will need to configure for that specific sensor, again using the serial cable as described in the manual. This is why its a good idea to plan ahead when you are doing the install so that you can wire everything in at the same time and do the configuration all at once (its a pain to pull this out to reconfigure depending on your length of wires and how many sensors are wired into it).