I want to connect a obd2 bluetooth device. Do i have to buy an android?

Hi chaps, I'm new to iPad and came across this thread and would like to join in.

I understand from the above that iPad bluetooth isn't compatible with a whole lot of other bluetooth components out there.

I have recently purchased the Palmer Performance Engineering Dash Command OBD 2 engine diagnostics app via the itunes app store. If it's accepted by Apple as being compatable with an iPad, how do I connect with the OBD 2 socket on my car?

Kind regards,

ND

It looks to me like it connects via WiFi...

http://www.palmerperformance.com/products/dashcommand/index.php

You apparently need a WiFi interface. See:

http://www.palmerperformance.com/products/dashcommand/iphone/hardware.php

If you have further questions, you'll probably be most likely to get help if you ask in Palmer's forums:

http://www.palmerperformance.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=8csnuk33mb5evr8kpuuch 2chk3&board=13.0

Regards.

Many thanks all.

I've looked at the links you've suggested and sent Palmer Enginnering an email. Yes it all elludes to WiFi but it isn't absolutely crystal clear and I'd rather not commit to spending anymore money on this until I get an answer from them.

It appears that the cost of the app is reasonable but actually getting connected increases the overall cost by 200%

I'll let you know.

You know, that Iphone has Hardware capability to use BT as a connection for the ELM327 BT (but because serial port) Apple just do not support it by firmware. As you can read on JB devices it is working (ELM327 BT) perfectly. Isn't this sad? Same as was with flash...I have Ipnoe 4 but in the future thanks to the limitations (Jobs Hated Adobe I don't know who hates Serial port/protocol from Apple) I will be deeply consider different Smart Phone. I do not like limitations because someone is stuborn or telling me what to do or not. Somebody should start think over. Same problem I had with my Qdrocopter for which I can do settings over BT, but because again Serial protocol is not allowed by Iphone firmware I had to use BT with Laptop or my wife's Smart phone from different company. Sad realy sad

All that is a well known problem, thanks to Apple only way to make this iphone/ipad to work with bluetooth devices properly is to jailbreak your device to remove all those artificial limitations. Then you will be able to use elm327 odb2 reader over bluetooth. In non-jailbroken mode it will not pair.

This is a known issue with Apple. Bluetooth as a spec offers several connection types including a "serial" connection. The issue here is that Apple has limited the Bluetooth connections with its device such as this serial connection. Since the elm327 devices rely on the serial Bluetooth connection, it is incompatible with Apple devices.

Luckily you can find many android devices for cheap such as tablets and used droid phones. I have a cheap viewsonic tablet and a HTC evo that I use on wifi only and works perfectly with my elm327 OBDII Bluetooth device, using the Torque free app. Has helped me troubleshoot so many times (like a recent P0522 code) that it is well worth spending the $50-100 for an Android device, even if it is a used phone just for use on wifi, without activating it with a cell provider.

KiltedTim and varjak_paw simply didn't appear to understand the question, which was in fact correctly phrased. The original question had to do with iPhone Bluetooth pairing, and had nothing to do with individual apps. On an iPhone/iPad/iPod, one doesn't even have an app selected or active at the time pairing occurs.

The correct answer is that the iPhone/iPad/iPod touch don't support the standard Bluetooth Serial Port Profile (SPP). They support "iAP over Bluetooth" instead. It has nothing whatever to do with any app. It's the Bluetooth interface software stack.

Michael, thankyou for the voice of reason. It was frustrating to read this thread, as the question was clear, but the replies had too much noise.

My pleasure Alan. I had this same question and found the correct answer elsewhere, then did my best to dispell the "hide behind a cyber wall and dish out attitude" nonsense, and instead share the gist of the anwer.

I think it's a little odd that Apple would choose not to support SPP but maybe they can get away with a much smaller hunk of coode or a much cheaper BT transceiver by doing what they did.

So now in order to use my ELM327 unit, like so many others I guess I've gotta get an android device or use my PC! : )

Tnx for the response Alan.

Michael:

I also thank you for your knowledge, problem solving skills and politeness. These are attributes that are not often found anymore behind the "cyber curtain".

I too will be buying an android device to replace my 5S in the near future.

Best regards.

Bryan

Hi Bryan,

Yep, cyer-curtains create an environment where some pale and quirky critters lurk, don't they? : ) We just can't afford to take them very seriously.

I'm not a BlueTooth engineer so there are details about it I don't know, but I do know other serial interfaces, and if the SW stack doesn't support a given protocol, then it doesn't. I love Apple products in general and there's likely a good technical reason why they elected to omit BT-SPP support--either they can use a simpler xceiver, or they can avoid significant extra code, or they're closing back doors into the OS for security (or market dominance) reasons, or some other. All are valid reasons to omit it.

Myself, I'm keeping my iPhone (let's face it, the Apple interface is superior...and this from a guy who spends all day at work in front of a Windows machine...I'm no coffee shop Mac-only dude). But I might find some old Android phone and just use it as an offline handheld app-running device, not activated for phone use, just enough to interface to the Elm OBD unit. Should be able to find something old for next to nothing...I hope.

Tnx for the message! Made my day.

- Mike

Hi, All

Please allow me to clearify this issue.

I'm the developer of

NovaScan™ - The OBD Vehicle Dashboard, Gauge, Diagnostic and Tuning App for iOS

AppStore Link:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/novascan-obd-total-solution/id486952375?mt=8&ign -mpt=uo%3D4

* Currently, there is no 'Open ELM327 Bluetooth Interface' for iOS now.

This is because those bluetooth devices do not comply with

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3647 and personally I think the manufacturers should make those devices to comply with Apple's policies for better compatibility. It's not that hard.

Thank you.

I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.

<Edited by Host>

NovaScan -

I think the manufacturers should make those devices to comply with Apple's policies for better compatibility. It's not that hard.

Bluetooth has its own standards, Bluetooth Core Specification provides product developers both link layer and application layer definitions. It is Apples choice/fault for limiting what standards they are willing to use in their devices, when almost every other non-Apple company out there adheres to the full Bluetooth standard, not just picking and choosing which parts they want their devices to use.