[BMWMusician]

I know I need a wifi version, but amazon seems to be flooded with them. I was wondering which one to use ios? I have a spare android phone with otg and a dcan cable but it cost more for android (app cost) and I'm using iOS.

[opjose]

The app requires the Carly adapter.

It will partially work with other ELM27 adapters to read OBD2 error codes, but coding will not work properly.

I have several ELM27 adapters I've tried including the VPEAK, and only the Carly V2 adapter works well each time.

[BMWMusician]

Oh ok. What about the android + one stop cable via otg? It works for diagonstics on the lite version for me, but I don't have the pro to test for coding.

[mizta insane]

Originally Posted by BMWMusician

Oh ok. What about the android + one stop cable via otg? It works for diagonstics on the lite version for me, but I don't have the pro to test for coding.

I've successfully used the android version with stop stable + otg, works perfectly fine for me.

[Scrippy]

Originally Posted by opjose

The app requires the Carly adapter.

It will partially work with other ELM27 adapters to read OBD2 error codes, but coding will not work properly.

I have several ELM27 adapters I've tried including the VPEAK, and only the Carly V2 adapter works well each time.

Wrong! It works with ELM completely.

[Scrippy]

Originally Posted by opjose

The app requires the Carly adapter.

It will partially work with other ELM27 adapters to read OBD2 error codes, but coding will not work properly.

I have several ELM27 adapters I've tried including the VPEAK, and only the Carly V2 adapter works well each time.

Wrong! It works with ELM completely.

[opjose]

Originally Posted by Scrippy

Wrong! It works with ELM completely.

WRONG!

The app is now coded to specifically look for the Carly adapter and reject other ELM adapters for write functions.

I have 5 different adapters that I've tried with it.

It recognizes that I am attempting to use other adapters. It even puts up a message about coding functions being disabled.

Yet switch to the Carly adapter and it works perfectly.

I also confirmed this behavior via an e-mail exchange with the developers.

[Scrippy]

Originally Posted by opjose

WRONG!

The app is coded now to specifically look for the Carly adapter and reject other ELM adapters.

I have 5 different adapters that I've tried with it.

It recognizes that I am attempting to use other adapters.

Wrong again holmeskillet. do not use DNS for connection brah.

[opjose]

Originally Posted by Scrippy

Wrong again holmeskillet. do not use DNS for connection brah.

You are misinformed.

DNS has nothing to do with it...

[Scrippy]

Originally Posted by opjose

You are misinformed.

DNS has nothing to do with it...

Okey dokey. My ELM327 STILL works. Hope you get your stuff going.

[opjose]

Originally Posted by Scrippy

Okey dokey. My ELM327 STILL works. Hope you get your stuff going.

They purposely look for other adapter ID's.... at least on the iPhone...

I can't speak for the Android adapters... so if you are talking about those I wouldn't know.

If you get the software updates on the iPhone, you'll find it will stop working.

You could probably continue to use it with older releases, but not the latest ones.

This may be a way to sell more of their own adapters, but they CLAIM that they did this because their device has a "larger reception buffer to assure consistent data transfer".... Hmmm....

[Scrippy]

Originally Posted by opjose

They purposely look for other adapter ID's.... at least on the iPhone... I can't speak for the Android adapters... so if you are talking about those I wouldn't know.

If you get the software updates on the iPhone, you'll find it will stop working.

You could probably continue to use it with older releases, but not the latest ones.

This may be a way to sell more of their own adapters, but they CLAIM that they did this because their device has a "larger reception buffer to assure consistent data transfer".... Hmmm....

God dammit! I had a sweet reply but my battery died and it was not in drafts! I actually do use an iPhone 4s that I do not update. It's my car phone for music and videos. I do this because the last combox firmware update is old as far as iOS target. But DNS is a fundamental unnecessary field here. The connection is LAN based and has no need for a DNS or ANY WAN intentions at all. This would also eliminate the role of iCarly playing a hand by lack of connection to them during use. The ELM is nothing more than a protocol converter. There are other converters on the market for cheaper. Yank apart your ELM and use the ODB plug for the connector. Pin it out like a champion to whatever other converter you get and kick a goal dude.

[opjose]

I'm not sure what you are referring to vis-a-vis DNS...

The iOS Carly adapter is WiFi and acts as an access point. The ELM WiFI adapter does the same thing.

So it has to provide DHCP, SSID, and DNS services for the iPhone to establish the WiFi connection at the very least. The TCP/IP packets have to be converted to a data stream to communicate with the OBD2 interface, whether it be CAN, Serial, etc.

This means that there is an embedded micro controller in the interface, which goes way beyond a simple protocol converter chip.

The Carly developers PURPORT (and I can't vouch for this myself, as my Carly adapter looks otherwise identical to my ELM WiFI adapter, except for the sticker!) that their adapter has a bigger data buffer to help eliminate packet loss problems during data transfers.

You can take that with a grain of salt, and assume this may be nothing more than marketing hype... however they ARE coding the iOS app to specifically look for their own adapter now and you cannot spoof it via normally accessible means.

Don't update the App on your iPhone 4 if you want to be able to continue to use your ELM adapter. Once you do it will stop working.

[BMWMusician]

I wanted to know do you have to have cell data/internet to use carly? I have a android phone that can run it, it just is on sprint, and I'm on at&t, so I cant use the data/internet. If I can use wifi to download the app, and be good after that, then that'll work for me.

[opjose]

No you do not need cellular internet access.

You download the app, and plug the adapter to your OBD port.

The Bluetooth (for android) adapter is what you connect your Android device to while you use Carly.

You can even use the app to send yourself diagnostic emails while it is in use.
The messages just don't go out until you connect to wifi.

[drawz]

So, if just using for diagnostic purposes, any ELM327 wifi adapter will work on iOS? I have a genuine Carly adapter for coding, but it would be nice to have another one for a 2nd car.

[opjose]

Originally Posted by drawz

So, if just using for diagnostic purposes, any ELM327 wifi adapter will work on iOS? I have a genuine Carly adapter for coding, but it would be nice to have another one for a 2nd car.

Yes the Carly app will read codes with other adapters but it may not clear codes.

There are also other inexpensive apps that will read and clear codes with other adapters, though not as deeply as Carly

[drawz]

Originally Posted by opjose

Yes the Carly app will read codes with other adapters but it may not clear codes.

There are also other inexpensive apps that will read and clear codes with other adapters, though not as deeply as Carly

Thanks! I already have Carly with an official Carly adapter. A generic second adapter, even if limited, would still be useful to keep in a 2nd car.

[drawz]

Minor update - purchased a Veepeek wifi adapter from Amazon and it worked fine for diagnostics. Briefly tried coding and it ready several modules, but I didn't try coding anything. I was stopped in a few places for things that require the official Gen 2 adapter. For my purposes, this is fine as the goal was to read codes. The only problem I had was that the adapter is so small that it was practically lost in the hole for the OBD2 connector on my E60. I'm hoping it fits better in the e90, but won't know until tomorrow.

[Sensible_]

Anyone got an official Carly adapter so we can compare? Chip on basic adapters probably just need reprogramming to Carly identifiers.

I can't believe Carly are restricting write functions to their own adapter.

This is not some amazing piece of software. I guess they simply sniffed the data transfer from ISTA or DIS or NCS Expert and then just replicated the commands in their app. To then restrict access to a specific interface seems a little unfair.

I have no problem with them charging a substantial amount for the apps, but I disagree with their interface restrictions.

[drawz]

Originally Posted by Sensible_

Anyone got an official Carly adapter so we can compare? Chip on basic adapters probably just need reprogramming to Carly identifiers.

I can't believe Carly are restricting write functions to their own adapter.

This is not some amazing piece of software. I guess they simply sniffed the data transfer from ISTA or DIS or NCS Expert and then just replicated the commands in their app. To then restrict access to a specific interface seems a little unfair.

I have no problem with them charging a substantial amount for the apps, but I disagree with their interface restrictions.

I do have both, but I'm not eager to hack them and possibly break them. In some ways, I don't blame the Carly developers - there are a lot of fake ELM327 chips/adapters out there apparently (see wikipedia), so it is entirely possible that the buffers, processors, timing, etc. do vary. They probably don't want to risk bricking someone's car with an adapter they know nothing about. I'm pretty sure even the branded Veepeek adapter I purchased has a fake ELM327 chip in it.

As you stated, the software is not rocket science - I'm shocked nobody has come up with a competitor. There is a ton of room for improvement - e.g. simplify and automate the UI, beautify the UI, improve the pricing structure, come up with a single adapter that works with iOS and Android, allow the cellular data connection to work on iOS while connected to the adapter, provide better in app instructions/guidance, explain diagnostic codes better, etc.

Forgot to mention that I am using the latest Carly and it does generally work fine with the Veepeek adapter with the caveats I noted earlier.

[9krpmrx8]

Why would you not use the Carly adapter? I have it (bluetooth Carly adapter) and it works fine but I typically use the K&D Can cable as it is just quicker to connect, etc. It's the same cable I will being using for the MHD.