Thread: test book dongle

Originally Posted by peacey

ive got it on mine if you want a copy will work something out (to large to upload) pm me

Yes pleeeeeeeeeease!!!!!

Hiya All
I have followed this thread for some time but only recently became a member and able to add my input. Sadly its not good news for which i apologise but i thought some might like to read what i know anyway.

I actually own examples of just about all testbook models and have repaired more than a few, so i actually have quite a good working knowledge of them and i do know how they work at quite a core level.
As is suspected, the IO (Input & output) is far from standard or easily duplicatable with a standard PC.
I only wish it were as it would have certainly saved me a lot of bother many years ago

TestBook one, the most common (especially second hand), with the reverse (to a laptop) folding B&W display has a custom HP 486 Motherboard which has a Xylinx FPGA (Field Programmable Gate array) on board. This is connected across the ISA bus and provides custom IO mapping via a plug on sub board that has reed relay switching control, voltage measuring via a common multi meter chip and Opto isolation for data channels on. With Comms traffic, this then passes via an external connector to an External VCSI brick (Vehicle Communications Serial Interface) and finally to a lead that routes it to and from the right pins of the respective vehicle diagnostic connector.

Testbook two has a more standard 486 motherboard, its B&W display is on an umbilical using a spoecialised AVED controler card and the FPGA was moved onto an ISA card which also piggy backs the same sub board as before.

TestBook 3 simply went to a colour display and a pentuim class CPU, but the IO was unchanged.

I was quite easily able to get the Testbook software running on a standard PC etc, but short of designing a similar FPGA chip that sits on the ISA bus, which is a skill i did / do not have, there was / is no way to get any data IO.

However T4 and T4 Mobile (seems someone nicked the TestBook 4 name ) Is a whole different thing.

The FPGA sub board and VCI functionality was replicated on one circuit board, this was then mapped to a bus on which also sits an Ethernet chip. This all in one board was then placed externally to the PC (origionally a standard Dell Laptop) in a box, the holster on a T4 metal box on the mobile and connected via ethernet.
The testbook software was then modified to also provide comms via the ethernets TCP/IP link.

For the sake of it, and in a less busier time than present we did actually manage to put in a Slip (IP over serial) driver, re map the T4 software to use that and replicated the entire external box's function in software using one of our own Vehicle servers (A mini PC in a box) and our own in house electronic interfacing. We even added cable handling in a very cute way. IIRC, I do have a Proof of concept video somewhere if you would really like to see that in action i will dig it out.

In any event, by that time, the project was actually counter productive to our own equipments development, and its not like we had a lot of spare time to play with, so it went no further. Although i have to say that on several occasions i have used our own version of the Testbook / T4 hardware as it was handier and actually better than the origional in a number of aspects.

Anyway, as i said, i really am sorry to be the negative sounding one here on what would seem and promise to be the holy grail for everyone, but unless some add on interface circuit connects to the whole ISA bus and it contains an FPGA or it starts with an Ethernet connection and has a lot of stuff after it, i am afraid to say that i personally don't give it any credibility.

I did not spend too much time with the T4 plus unit although i understand its like our solution just with serial transported over USB.

Hiya peacey

Sorry chap, i do / did not mean to rain on your parade as it were.
I am just stating what i absolutely 100% know.

I am more than willing to be enlightened, bedazzled and proved wrong chap.

I fear no competition and would appluad any such break through as much as the next man. To me it would only result in a market shift or re focus exercise. So i really don't mind.

Perhaps a demo video on you tube etc or a bit more explaination on how it connects and works would help.

In fact if you prove it to me i will put you a link on our web site and help you with marketing it.

Now you can't say fairer than that.

Hi Peacey, just stumbled upon this thread, was most interested in your schematic of the testbook dongle. Can I ask, have you actually made any of these and tested with the testbook software ?. I have a Faultmate at the moment, but it is a single vehicle unit and it would be nice to be ableto help some of the other P38 owners in my area.