[Bluesun]

After some tinkering, I finally got my $29 Amazon cable to work.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Using instructions taken from here: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...ODER-Interface

I was able to reprogram the FTDI chip and successfully program my '07 335i. The important bits are:

1) Download this program to reprogram the chip: http://www.ftdichip.com/Resources/Ut...s/MProg3.5.zip

2) Select the checkboxes to invert RI# and DSR#

3) Set the I/O controls as follows:
#C0 = RXLED
#C1 = TXLED
#C2 = POWERON
#C3 = PWRON
#C4 = SLEEP

4) Program the chip, and that's it

This may explain why some people get their cheap cables to work and others do not -- they are likely programmed differently. My cable has the white circuitboard, which people seem to say never work. There are supposed to be two other variants (at least) with a blue and a green circuit board. Some work more than others. This cable has never worked, but now it does flawlessly.

Next I'm going to get back to working on getting the quote-unquote "open source" flash tool to work with it.

[ferocity02]

Good info. I use this amazon cable and it worked out of the box. It has a green circuit board.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008MY...332190_TE_dp_1

[Sensible_]

Originally Posted by Bluesun

After some tinkering, I finally got my $29 Amazon cable to work.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Using instructions taken from here: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...ODER-Interface

I was able to reprogram the FTDI chip and successfully program my '07 335i. The important bits are:

1) Download this program to reprogram the chip: http://www.ftdichip.com/Resources/Ut...s/MProg3.5.zip

2) Select the checkboxes to invert RI# and DSR#

3) Set the I/O controls as follows:
#C0 = RXLED
#C1 = TXLED
#C2 = POWERON
#C3 = PWRON
#C4 = SLEEP

4) Program the chip, and that's it

This may explain why some people get their cheap cables to work and others do not -- they are likely programmed differently. My cable has the white circuitboard, which people seem to say never work. There are supposed to be two other variants (at least) with a blue and a green circuit board. Some work more than others. This cable has never worked, but now it does flawlessly.

Next I'm going to get back to working on getting the quote-unquote "open source" flash tool to work with it.

Good to know!! Cheers for the info.

[GreaseJunkie]

My 10 dollar ebay cable has a clear sheath with a green board, and never failed me even once.

[Taruno]

Same here, bought an ebay cable coded my E90, E60 and the fathers X3 all without issues.

[MiguelTavares]

Thanks alot for sharing that! Sure take a look into it!

[js335in54]

i have bought a 2nd k+d can $29 dll from ebay and both work great.. of course i bought the ones with the green board..

[ritchwell]

Originally Posted by GreaseJunkie

My 10 dollar ebay cable has a clear sheath with a green board, and never failed me even once.

Can you post the eBay link of the said cable

[GreaseJunkie]

This is actually cheaper, but from the pics, it's identical to mine
http://m.ebay.com/itm/251658365970?nav=SEARCH

[wpetering]

Originally Posted by Bluesun

After some tinkering, I finally got my $29 Amazon cable to work.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Using instructions taken from here: http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...ODER-Interface

I was able to reprogram the FTDI chip and successfully program my '07 335i. The important bits are:

1) Download this program to reprogram the chip: http://www.ftdichip.com/Resources/Ut...s/MProg3.5.zip

2) Select the checkboxes to invert RI# and DSR#

3) Set the I/O controls as follows:
#C0 = RXLED
#C1 = TXLED
#C2 = POWERON
#C3 = PWRON
#C4 = SLEEP

4) Program the chip, and that's it

This may explain why some people get their cheap cables to work and others do not -- they are likely programmed differently. My cable has the white circuitboard, which people seem to say never work. There are supposed to be two other variants (at least) with a blue and a green circuit board. Some work more than others. This cable has never worked, but now it does flawlessly.

Next I'm going to get back to working on getting the quote-unquote "open source" flash tool to work with it.

Hey Bluesun, I programmed my cable to what you suggested on your OP. However, for the C2 IO Control, i was unable to set to Poweron because that wasn't an available option. I had to use PWRON (same as C3). Is PWRON the same thing or is there another option I should choose?

[Bluesun]

Originally Posted by wpetering

Hey Bluesun, I programmed my cable to what you suggested. However, for the C2 IO Control, i was unable to set to Poweron because that wasn't that option available. I had to use PWRON (same as C3). Is PWRON the same thing or is there another option I should choose?

Sounds right. Worst that can happen is it won't work.

FYI, and maybe you noticed this but prior to programming, the cable showed up as "FT232R USB UART". Now that I programmed it, its showing up as "USB <--> Serial". Have you seen that?

When you program it, you can also set the device name. It defaults to "USB <--> Serial", so when you write to the chip that's what it shows up as.

Glad someone was able to follow the guide to get their cable to (maybe?) work

[tke344]

I ordered this exact cable after seeing this thread

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I just couldn't bring myself to pay 100 for the one stop electronics cable that everyone says is so reliable. It ended up coming with the green PCB and worked right out of the box. I was holding off up until seeing this thread because I didn't want to end up with a cable that didn't work, but knowing that they're programmable is what got me to finally give it a shot. Thanks.

[wpetering]

Originally Posted by Bluesun

When you program it, you can also set the device name. It defaults to "USB <--> Serial", so when you write to the chip that's what it shows up as.

Glad someone was able to follow the guide to get their cable to (maybe?) work

Bluesun.. About 5 mins after my post, i realized that it was me using MPROG that changed the device name. So i removed that comment. You just caught it too fast.

I programmed my cable to what you suggested however its still "unable to connect to DME". And to top it off, i didn't document what they were prior to the change. Perhaps this is a bad cable and I'll order the one from Amazon. Cheers.

[wpetering]

Could any of you that have a successful connection with a K+DCAN cable take a screen capture using MPROG and post? I don't know if my cable is programmed correctly. Particularly the I/O controls. Thanks.

[ThatRWD]

Will these cheaper cables do the Alpina flash without problems?

[cryptomit]

Yes, it shouldn't be a problem.

[ThatRWD]

Grease so this is the cable you bought and it works out of the box ?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-Interfac..._Tools&vxp=mtr

[GreaseJunkie]

Yep. Identical. I even bought a spare to keep at work.

[ThatRWD]

OK so I'm reading on the N54 boards that these cheaper cables work for coding and other things but not for flashing. Has anyone tried TCU flashing with this cheap one, particularly the ebay one linked above?

[Bluesun]

Originally Posted by ThatRWD

OK so I'm reading on the N54 boards that these cheaper cables work for coding and other things but not for flashing. Has anyone tried TCU flashing with this cheap one, particularly the ebay one linked above?

I haven't yet, but I intend to try here at some point. I tinkered with the source code to the "open source" flash tool awhile back, and I got it to accept the cable with some alterations, but at the time my cable didn't work at all. I'll have to give it a try again now that my cable is working.

While we're on the topic though, I've seen it said that the expensive cables are necessary because they do something special. This could not be further from the truth. The cable is basically just a USB to serial converter, used with software to speak the CAN protocol. If someone is charging you $200 for a cable, they're ripping you the fuck off. Blatantly. That kind of stuff really gets my goat, which is why I spent the time figuring this out.

[ThatRWD]

Originally Posted by Bluesun

I haven't yet, but I intend to try here at some point. I tinkered with the source code to the "open source" flash tool awhile back, and I got it to accept the cable with some alterations, but at the time my cable didn't work at all. I'll have to give it a try again now that my cable is working.

While we're on the topic though, I've seen it said that the expensive cables are necessary because they do something special. This could not be further from the truth. The cable is basically just a USB to serial converter, used with software to speak the CAN protocol. If someone is charging you $200 for a cable, they're ripping you the fuck off. Blatantly. That kind of stuff really gets my goat, which is why I spent the time figuring this out.

Can you explain what this stuff is? What sourcecode? What is the open source flash tool (is it the alternative to the Bravian Technic software)? What kind of alterations?

Now that the cable is working, it should work without any of those sourcecode/open source flash tool/alterations right?

Or if I get the $30 green board cable of ebay it should work for the flash without any modifying right?

[cryptomit]

Originally Posted by ThatRWD

OK so I'm reading on the N54 boards that these cheaper cables work for coding and other things but not for flashing. Has anyone tried TCU flashing with this cheap one, particularly the ebay one linked above?

I did and it worked. The only risk is that these poor quality cables can stop working in the middle of coding or flashing. But in general all is fine with them.