Recommended USB VAG KKL Cables

[Tony@NefMoto]

These are the cheapest USB VAG KKL cables I have been able to find that use the FT232R chip. The FT232R chip is better because it supports internal options for configuring how the chip works, while the cheaper cables with the FT232BM don't. I also prefer the FT232R chip because it supports the FTDI ChipID feature, which all of the NefMoto premium features will use.

So if you want to get a NefMoto recommended cable that will work with future premium features, I would buy one of these two.

"VAG COM KKL 409.1 AUDI/VW/SE​AT/SKODA Cable OBD2/II 409"
http://stores.ebay.com/easybid2000

"USB Vag-Com Cable/Scanner VW Audi 409.1"
http://stores.ebay.com/alpha-bid

I am not selling these myself because there is no way I could resell them and ship them for cheaper than eBay. Also, I would rather working on ECU tuning than run a shipping depot.

The official Ross-Tech cables are also recommended except for the KII-USB cable. The official Ross-Tech cables all contain the FTDI 232R chip. The KII-USB cable is not recommended because it does not support proper dumb mode pass through of data. Also, Ross-Tech states that the HEX-CAN-USB only works with VCDS because it does not support COM ports. The NefMoto software communicates with the USB chip via the FTDI SDK and does not require COM port support, and so it works great with the HEX-CAN-USB.

If you want to check what chip is in your cable, or see if it supports NefMoto premium features, you can use the NefMoto ECU Flasher version 1.6.1.0 or later. Just select the USB device and then hover your mouse over it. It will display all of the info about the FTDI chip in the cable and say if it supports premium NefMoto features.

CH340 based cables (such as those used in many VCDS cable knockoffs) are not supported.

[Tony@NefMoto]

Here is the link to all of the FTDI chips:
http://ftdichip.com/Products/ICs.htm

Any of the FTDI chips that have a part number ending in R support the FTDI ChipID feature that the NefMoto premium features will require.

[tobz]

A word of personal experience: be wary of the entirely blue KKL cables.  I got mine in the mail today, and the USB connector was some bootleg shit, and the contacts were recessed way too much into the phelonic white spacer thing, and one of the pins had broken in the connector.  I had to do a transplant and solder in a new USB cable to the OBD side to make it work.

[Tony@NefMoto]

Did you purchase from "easybid2000" or "alphabid"?

Most cables are crap, but I found that cables from these two sellers were better.

[kls]

I bought a cheapie all blue cable from ebay seller "cube_tool"

So far its working great and uses the FT232R.

$9.50 USD shipped.

[fucis]

I was talking with easybid2000 in ebay system, and he said:

Hi,
I opened on cable, and it is FT232RL inside.
Thanks,
easybid2000

So this cable is not compatible?
Thanks

[Tony@NefMoto]

I was talking with easybid2000 in ebay system, and he said:

Hi,
I opened on cable, and it is FT232RL inside.
Thanks,
easybid2000

So this cable is not compatible?
Thanks

The FT232RL is the same as the FT232R. The L at the end means it is the lead free version.

The FT232RL is compatible.

[bodhi]

Just adding a quick recommendation for easybid2000; super fast shipping (given the distance), and signed-for delivery, which was really nice to see.

[LightS4]

Hi there, does anyone know about a FT232BL  would work? It a blue with a clear cord? Not sure where its from, got it a long time ago.

[LightS4]

I'm guessing its not going to work, BL is the lead free version of BM which is now discontinued.  This is off the ftdichip website,

"The FT232B is the 2nd generation of FTDI's popular USB UART device and the FT232BL is a lead free version of the FT232BM.  The FT232BQ provides the same functionality as the FT232BL in a QFN-32 lead free package.



This device not only adds extra functionality to its predecessor (FT8U232AM) and reduces external component count, but also maintains a high degree of pin compatibility with the original making it easy to upgrade or cost reduce existing designs as well as increasing the potential for using this device in new application areas."

[Tony@NefMoto]

Any FT232 device should work, but only the FT232R devices support the ChipID feature which I use for licensing premium features.

[LightS4]

Is there more info on the licensing premium software? What does the ChipID feature allow you to do? Thanks Tony really happy I ran across this site 

[Tony@NefMoto]

The premium features haven't been released yet. Improving the free features keep taking precedence. The FTDI ChipID feature is a unique ID that is programmed into the FTDI cable and cannot be changed. This will allow me to create license files for premium features that will only allow the feature to be used if the ID in the license file matches the ID in the FTDI cable.

[nyet]

I have a 232BL and it does NOT work. Failed to read test echo...

Code Select Expand


16/Jul/2011 03:55:56.990: LOG: Opened NefMoto VW Audi ME7 ECU Flasher BETA 1.8.0.0
16/Jul/2011 03:56:41.624: LOG: Setting Address: 0x01 KeyByte1: 0x6B KeyByte2: 0x0F
16/Jul/2011 03:56:41.653: LOG: Opened FTDI device.
16/Jul/2011 03:56:41.655: LOG: FTDI device info - Description: EOBD2 Serial Number: 73945110 Device Type: FT_DEVICE_BM ID: 0x4036001 Device Flags: 0x0
16/Jul/2011 03:56:41.656: LOG: FTDI ChipID DLL is loaded, checking chip ID...
16/Jul/2011 03:56:41.658: LOG: Unable to read FTDI device chip ID
16/Jul/2011 03:56:42.672: USER: Failed to read test echo from FTDI device.


[cocktailyogi]

I have a 232BL and it does NOT work. Failed to read test echo...

Code Select Expand


16/Jul/2011 03:55:56.990: LOG: Opened NefMoto VW Audi ME7 ECU Flasher BETA 1.8.0.0
16/Jul/2011 03:56:41.624: LOG: Setting Address: 0x01 KeyByte1: 0x6B KeyByte2: 0x0F
16/Jul/2011 03:56:41.653: LOG: Opened FTDI device.
16/Jul/2011 03:56:41.655: LOG: FTDI device info - Description: EOBD2 Serial Number: 73945110 Device Type: FT_DEVICE_BM ID: 0x4036001 Device Flags: 0x0
16/Jul/2011 03:56:41.656: LOG: FTDI ChipID DLL is loaded, checking chip ID...
16/Jul/2011 03:56:41.658: LOG: Unable to read FTDI device chip ID
16/Jul/2011 03:56:42.672: USER: Failed to read test echo from FTDI device.


Hello,

I had similar problem. Try to open connection to ECU with other Software (i.e. VCDS or k+ can commander) , close it and try again with nefmoto. In my case it worked after connecting to FTDI-port with another tool.

Greetings,
Yogi