TheBackShed.com

Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : OBD2 Interface IC

Author

Message

NickMikhay
Newbie

Joined: 05/02/2026
Location: United States
Posts: 8

Posted: 07:59am 20 May 2026

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Does anyone know what happened to ELM Electronics?
They appear to have gone out of business a few years ago, and their chips are not available anywhere. The unique product was an OBD2 interpreter, that can link up to the bus of an automobile and communicate with a PC using its own set of commands. There is lots of software and the OBD2 to Serial over USB adapter is available fairly cheaply, but I couldn’t find the chip from my usual suppliers in the US, like Mouser.

The chip was a Microchip MCU 16FXX and it is the firmware that makes it work, kind of like a micromite.
It went by ELM327 but there were several variants, including the newer SPI modes.

It would be a shame for it to just dissapear, when there is no reason other than the company closing. Something just doesn’t add up.

JohnS
Guru

Joined: 18/11/2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 4332

Posted: 09:42am 20 May 2026

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

I think the illegal "clones" may have been the cause.

The elm327 was not an Elm product I think but used their code (without permission) and was useful.

You can still get all sorts of "clones". I use "clones" because lots are only somewhat cloned, often lie about the software version (in an ad / when you query the device), and so on.

There are now some with special features (again not I think from Elm) which apparently work well with FORScan. You can read about them on that site.

The "basic" elm327, if you're lucky to get a fully-featured one, has circuitry for the 3 variants of OBD II (ISO9141-2, PWM(Ford's SCP)/VPW(from GM), CAN) and may even when queried give a version that makes sense.

Some come in wired (USB), some BT (good for Android), some WiFi (for Apple).

Some software tests the device and says what it found i.e. a sort of actual capability test rather than trust the (commonly faked) version string.

If buying an elm327 be prepared to get a partially-functioning one which lies about its version, so run software to check.

John
Edited 2026-05-20 19:45 by JohnS

NickMikhay
Newbie

Joined: 05/02/2026
Location: United States
Posts: 8

Posted: 01:27am 21 May 2026

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

What interests me more than forscan, would be the ability to hook up and watch what happens on the bus while driving. Not sure if that is possible, as I’ve heard Ford does not disclose its protocol (SCP) to the public, as they refer to it. So I assume you have just obd2 framework to work with, but that alone is worth the trouble as you can get manufacturer specific functionality that scanners other than those for proffessional use don’t support.

JohnS
Guru

Joined: 18/11/2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 4332

Posted: 07:42am 21 May 2026

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

The elm327 allows you to see all packets (bytes) if you set it in the right mode, so it's "just" a matter of having the right software.

You can only monitor one of the 3 paths (ISO, CAN, PWM/VPW) at a time, though. You'd need multiple elms to see more than one.

Some of the newer sort-of elms have a 4th path (intended for such as MS CAN on pins other than the usual CAN pins). Such software as FORScan can use those.

John
Edited 2026-05-21 17:43 by JohnS

Print this page

To reply to this topic, you need to log in.