DB9 Serial RS232 OBD2 Passive Cable

As Makers, we like to fiddle with things, figure out how they work and change them – often for the better but sometimes just for the hang of it – and our cars are no exception to this rule, which is why we believe it’s important to stock cool products like this DB9 Serial RS232 OBD2 Cable from DFRobot, which is designed to connect the ECU (Engine Control Unit) to OBD2 devices by the On-Board Diagnostics standard.

This enables you to alter the settings and preferences of your vehicle, with particular focus on the engine management protocols, to adjust your car for better performance, greater fuel efficiency, more torque at lower or higher rev’s, and much more fine-tuning that would typically be inaccessible without professional services.

And while these DB9 to OBD2 cables are typically used for troubleshooting problems within vehicle engine and electronic management systems, Makers like us love these cables because they let us mod’ our cars to improve a wide range of performance values. The cable also works well with the DFRobot CAN-BUS Shield V2.0 that we stock, but can be used for other OBD2 devices as well.

Please note: This DB9 to OBD2 is a passive cable only with no internal electronics. As such, you can't use it with a USB/Serial converted adapter since OBD is not a standard serial protocol. Rather this needs to be connected to a CAN bus interface such as this CAN-BUS Shield V2.0 module.

 Additional Resources

• Since this is a passive cable, the DB9 to OBD2 cable can seem useless on its own. But with the CAN-BUS shield, its full potential comes alive. See the Official DFRobot tutorial for more details on how.
• Suggested reading is also this informative Wikipedia entry all about CAN Bus.
• Finally, this Wikipedia entry on OBD also gives fantastic insight into how these cables usually work over CAN and other approaches to meet your application's needs.

As self-proclaimed “Robo-holics”, DFRobot is a company comprised of over 100 staff members, of which 30% are engineers who love to build robots. It was started in 2008 with the goal of embracing and promoting open-source hardware, with a core focus on Arduino, Raspberry Pi and their very own LattePanda development boards. Since then, DFRobot have manufactured over 1300 unique modules, sensors and components that all work together and complement each other, allowing users like us to enjoy a full spectrum of cutting edge robotics and electronics without having to pay premium prices.

With the primary goal of developing and manufacturing great quality products, while making them accessible to as many people as possible, DFRobot are rapidly becoming one of the most common-place brands in the world of open-source robotics and electronics. With more than 1300 products developed in-house, and an impressive range of different categories and specialisations, there are few brands in the world who can compete in terms of quality, accessibility and genuine innovation.