Automotive Cables & Wire Harnesses, OBD II Automotive Cables
Low Cost Automotive Cable Products, Standard and Custom Auto Cables, Cables for Diagnostic Code Readers
Read OBD2 Codes Easier with our Permanent Connection Cables
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Our OBD II Cables
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Our company continues to expand upon our current line of OBD II cables (On-Board Diagnostics / code reader cables)) for the Automotive Services and nascent "Datalogging
Device" aftermarket industries. The OBD II connector has long been the standard for providing a diagnostic interface in vehicles.
Our latest addition allows for permanent connection of datalogging equipment while permitting
a technician to plug in their OBD II diagnostic instrument without deplugging the cable. Until now if a service technician wanted to take readings from the OBD II interface that was
connected to OBD II datalogging equipment he would need to remove what could be a semi-permanent tied down connection. With our new OBD connection that will no longer be
necessary as the new design provides an external female pass through connector facilitating a non-disrupting connection.
Our experienced sales & engineering staff can assist in the design or manufacturing review of applications that require embedded PCB's or unique custom hardware.
We hold various U.L. registrations and follow the WHMA / IPC 620 wire processing standard.
All our cable manfuacturing facilities have either ISO 9001/2000 or QS 9000 approved quality systems.
What is OBD-II?
OBD-II is a system used in automobiles to monitor various components of the vehicle, detect malfunctions, and store the information in the vehicle's on-board computer to be recovered later
by a service technician. OBD-II is an acronym for on-board diagnostics; the "II" denotes the second and most current version of this technology. Beginning in the late 1970s, vehicles sold
in the United States have been equipped with electronics to control various systems and
diagnose malfunctions with the goal of minimizing pollution. This came about in response to Congress passing the Clean Air
Act and establishing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970. These electronics varied between manufacturers and
model years, making the retrieval of diagnostic information potentially costly and time-consuming.
In 1988, the EPA and California's Air Resources Board (CARB) mandated that vehicle manufacturers include self-diagnosing
programs to ensure that their emissions equipment would remain effective for the vehicle's service life. The Society of
Automotive Engineers standardized a connector plug and a set of diagnostic test signals. Upon equipment failure, this system
illuminated a malfunction indicator light (MIL) on the vehicle's dashboard, often called the "check engine" light. This system,
required in all 1991 and newer automobiles, became known as on-board diagnostics I, or OBD-I.
CARB studies soon concluded that OBD-I systems would not detect emissions components unless they completely failed, and
that in some cases the vehicle could still pass an emissions test. New laws and requirements went into effect on 1 January
1996 - the standard adopted for OBD-II. Every vehicle built for sale in the U.S. from that date is equipped with OBD-II.
OBD-II uses various sensors throughout the car to provide the computer, also called an electronic control module (ECM) with
information such as engine and ambient temperatures, vehicle speed, and so on. The ECM then advances or retards ignition
timing and adds or subtracts fuel accordingly. It also tests the signals of all attached sensors. When a signal is missing or out
of spec, the OBD-II system illuminates the MIL and stores a corresponding diagnostic trouble code its memory.
The information from the OBD-II memory is read through a connector inside the auto. OBD-II improves on OBD-I not only in its
more sophisticated diagnostic abilities, but also in that it allows three types of data to be read: trouble codes, real-time data -
the raw sensor information reported to the OBD-II computer, and freeze-frame data - a "snapshot" of sensor data at the moment
the car's MIL went on. OBD-II codes are read using cables and software built to communicate with OBD-II systems. These can take the form of stand-alone units or software that is installed on a PC.
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