Thread: D4 Gap Tool - leave permanently connected?

I've just heard that it may not be the best idea to leave the Gap Diagnostics permanently connected to the OBDII port!

Any words of wisdom pre or con for this approach please? Could be related to being connected, then getting a presumably unrelated flat battery?

Since my last post on this thread regarding Power consumption, I have noted a couple of other aspects being mentioned that are related to leaving a wireless Diagnostic device permanantly connected along with some that are not mentioned.

So I hope no one minds me chiming in with some comments that if nothing else are food for thought.

In designing a diagnostic system with wireless hardware (VCIQ) that was specifically intended to stay permanently connected from the ground up, We had to consider many aspects and here are just a few of the most basic ones.

1) The hardwares own Power consumption.
2) The hardware causing other ECU's to consume power.
3) The hardwares physical size.
4) The hardwares acess security.
5) The hardware / softwares auto connectivity.
5A) The Hardware and softwares auto resyncing after a connectivity disconnection / reconnection.

Here are some of the ways we handled these aspects

1) The hardwares own Power consumption.
Pretty much as already mentioned on my last post on this thread, we designed the VCIQ hardware specifically to consume as little power as possible, Implimenting a multi level shut down stategy that periodicaly measures the battery voltage and based on that also included circuitry into our design that allows us to turn off vehicle and Bluetooth communication circuits, LED's and other aspects. For the tech guys we are talking 1 to 7ma ranges.

2) The hardware causing other ECU's to consume power.
It is obviously not really worth the power saving efforts in 1) if we then permanently or even periodially wake up a vehicles power sapping ECU to just check if the ignition is on, So we don't. we found other more power saving ways to check this that do require us to periodically turn on the VCIQ's Vehicle communication circuits, but again also have a great strategy in place for even that.

3) The hardwares physical size.
With years of experience supplying Nanocoms, we already understand how having anything sticking too far out of the Diagnostic socket is not ideal, and although even we offer cables that assist, but for the VCIQ design we wanted to completely eliminate that problem.
As such we designed our VCIQ using the smallest parts we have ever worked with and through a huge amount of effort somehow managed to squeeze this all into a case with an OBD connector that sticks out from the vehicles OBD socket by less that 14MM.
Here is a picture for comparison

VCIQSIZE.jpg

4) The hardwares acess security.
Very few may think about this, but it's an important aspect, that we have a professional obligation to consider, appreciate and cover properly.
Leaving a wireless diagnostic interface permanently connected in your vehicle provides an aspect of connectivity that has a possibility, however slight, of being mis used by less than honest individuals.
For sure you certainly dont want to have a situation where anyone who downloaded and installed the app or other on a mobile device can just walk up to your vehicle and acess it wirelessly !!!!
So our VCIQ is specifically designed to accept connections only from mobile devices that it recognises have previously connected to it before and have either the Master Password or more conveniently the user settable password.

5) The hardware / softwares auto connectivity.
Inevitably there are many possible reasons for an unexpected disconnection between a Mobile Device and vehicle diagnostic interface.
We have gone to great lengths to ensure that any activity that the VCIQ was undertaking at a point of disconnection self continues to a completion state.
The VCIQ will self finish even flashing functions to completion, even after a disconnect.

5A) The Hardware and softwares auto resyncing after a connectivity disconnection / reconnection.
As per 5) we have to expect and handle the VCIQ experiencing discconnections to the mobile device, so the two do look for each other and will automatically re connect and re sync just about everything.
No app restarting requirement, no loss of information or action progress status. The moment your mobile device is within range, the VCIQ and our ROVACOM-IQ app will re connect automatically and sync all stautus and information .

As previously stated, I cannot comment about other equipment, but clearly, from the above comments alone, anyone can appreciate that our VCIQ was never designed or imagined to be some "what if" in respect of permanant fitment. It was clearly and very specifically developed from scratch for that role.

One way or another, I am sure, and will ensure, that this will become quite the must have diagnostic equipment of the future.

ATB

Colin