CF-19 strange vci behaviour

Here's one for you guys to work out. I've got a CF-19 MK6, I use it for vehicle diagnostic.

I have several, for different manufacturer's, vehicles communication interface, the part that goes between the laptop (USB) and the vehicle & also a USB automotive oscilloscope, they all work perfectly apart from 1 that will only work if i use a yellow tabbed battery, all the other vci's and the scope are not fussed, they'll work with both blue and yellow tab batteries, any ideas?

Thanks

 

On the computer side:
1. USB 2 or 3?
2. Does it use a split cable...one for data, one for power?
3. On that particular vci, is the wire size smaller?

Sounds like a feature is checking available current....or the current (amps) is not sufficient.

I don't have a yellow tab available to check. Blue tab is 10.65V 5.7Ah.

The engineering section should check in soon.

 

Some guy did a full write up on all CF 19 batteries......Pretty good post..

http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/different-cf19-batteries.778760/#post-10045715

CF VZSU48--Blue tab...10.65v--- 5.7Ah
CF VZSU48U---Blue tab--10.65v--- 5.7Ah
CF VZSU50---Green tab...Hazardous Location battery---Reported by web site as for mk1-mk4
CF VZSU48CJS--Orange tab--Japan only ..CF-19 mk6 later??...-10.65v--5.7Ah
CF VZSU58U..Yellow tab--11.1v---5.6Ah--For mk4 and later?-Sold with laptop only not sold separately.
CF VZSU50W..No label info found yet..
CF-VZSU48R.. China Only---10.65V---5.7Ah
CF-VZSU48JS...No label info found yet..

 

What about with the laptop plugged in? Does the battery type matter then?

 

11.1 Volts on the yellow tab. Interesting.

 

It's usb 3 port I'm using on the side of the CF, ive also tried the rear USB port but it does the same.

The vci is very old so will only use USB 2, i use the same USB bosch cable for all the vci's and the scope, it's just the same as a standard USB printer cable

I think you maybe correct when you say about the current not being sufficient.

Ive never tried it on mains power, if, when Ive got time ill give it a go. only got 1 yellow tab battery and 3 blue tabs.

Do you think a double ended usb cable would do the trick so it's using power from both USB ports?

Thanks

 

hmmm ...
yeah , i am leaning toward a "current limited" problem ... although , it does not explain why there would be a negotiation difference between batteries when it comes to the usb port current limiting .
check back in the power management section ... make sure that the usb port power is set to the *rock-n-roll* mode .
you might be able to use a "Y" cable ... i would make one and use only the +5 and ground (not data negative) on the second connector ... this will eliminate any possibility of data collision/cornfuzzling .

 

Power management in the bios or in Windows settings?

 

yep ...
try the easy stuff first .

 

I just had an idea. Plug one of these in. Then plug the devices into it, and see what is really going on.

 

Thanks Shawn, Ive ordered this one, has ammeter as well

 

"the device is very old" may be the factor.

My total speculation has been that the devices are running at the limit that the USB can supply...wire size, corrosion, worn fittings: all can contribute.

 

I also carry around in the works van a small plastic kids laptop for backup, for when the yellow battery is out of juice.
The old vci works perfect on the that, i used it last week for an hour to log some data.
I've also checked the vci for dry joints and corrosion, all good, all clean, I'll try usb y cable and see if that helps

Thanks

 

Got the usb KEWEISE today, Not got usb y cable yet but been doing a couple of test:

The vci is drawing at peak for a split second 0.04 amps so no real problem there.

On Mk4 this vci has never worked, it recognises that the device is plugged into the USB port but when running the software I've always got the message "device not found" I checked usb output and I've got 5.06v

On the mk6 it's hit and miss, I thought it was the different batteries but it's not as sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, it will find the device, when running the software, sometimes it won't I.D the vehicle, the output USB voltage on the mk6 is 4.99v

The cheap plastic Eee PC laptop it all works 100% every time, ive had it now on the bench all plugged in and put, rerun the software aprox 25 times and no problem, the output voltage on the kiddy laptop is 5.02v

Its just real strange how both CF-19's have a problem with this vci, all 3 machines are using the same software & cable + the CF's with both run all the other vci's and a USB oscilloscope

Any thoughts?

 

Try disabling the power management for the usb ports

 

Ive tried that, still the same problem?