NCS Dummy - Taking the expert out of NCS Expert

[jayster0966]

Hi all,
just started with coding, found NCS Dummy, very helpful, thanks a lot!!!

Everything works fine, however, one question:
On a X5 I get an "1 erroneous parameter" message when loading KMBI_E38.C12 into NCS Dummy.
- how can I find which parameter is erroneous in the editor?
- is this critical? are the module-data wrong, or is it a problem of this module? I expect the module-data, as at this point NCS Dummy does not know anything about the car...

Have been searching for this in the manual and in the forum, didn't find anything...

Thanks in advance!
Alfredo

Your module should show E53 for a X5 and not e38.

[BmwAlfredo]

Your module should show E53 for a X5 and not e38.

Thanks for the anser; but: are you sure?
1. If I look to to NCSEXPERT\DATEN\E53, for "KMBI" I just find KMB_E39.C06, KMB_39.C07, KMBI_E38.C12
2. NCS Dummy identifies the tracefile as "KMBI_E38.C12" (81.3%), when chassis E53 is selected
3. Coding works perfect like that, with no error.
Alfredo

[revtor]

On a X5 I get an "1 erroneous parameter" message when loading KMBI_E38.C12 into NCS Dummy.
- how can I find which parameter is erroneous in the editor?
- is this critical? are the module-data wrong, or is it a problem of this module? I expect the module-data, as at this point NCS Dummy does not know anything about the car...

There's nothing wrong with the module in your car or the trace file you read from it. This particular error is caused by a bug in the "KMBI_E38.C12" module description file. Function "ACC_V_EFF_ANZ" has 6 parameters, "kennlinie_01" to "kennlinie_06", with a data length of 20 (14 hexadecimal) bytes. Parameter "kennlinie_02", however, has 21 bytes which is obviously invalid (its last byte would run into the next function). Another erroneous parameter can be found in the E60 "ARS.C0E" module description file where parameter "e70" of function "SCHENKEL_V" is also one byte longer than permitted. It appears the compiler BMW uses to build the module description files does not perform much syntax checking .

Anyway, this is nothing to worry about as long as you do not enable function "ACC_V_EFF_ANZ" with parameter "kennlinie_02".

jayster0966: The E53 instrument clusters are based on those from the E38 and E39. BMW did not even bother changing the file names.

[jayster0966]

Thanks Revtor, learned something new.

[BmwAlfredo]

jayster0966, revtor: Thanks for your fast answers!
revtor: Thanks also for the detailed explanation. Now that I know which parameter is wrong, I see this parameter in the editor marked red. Maybe you could add this small hint in the next issue of your manual....

[revtor]

Lately I am getting a lot of mails and private messages of users upgrading to NCS Expert 4.* and getting stuck on a version error with the NCS Dummy profile:

Profilversion 2.0 ungultig!

Starting from NCS Expert 4, the profile version was changed and older NCS Expert 3.* profiles are no longer compatible. The NCS Dummy user manual links to profiles for both versions:

• NCS Expert 3.* profile (1 kB) (NCSDUMMY3.PFL)
• NCS Expert 4.* profile (1 kB) (NCSDUMMY4.PFL)

So make sure you are using the right profile for your NCS Expert version!

[dharmabmw]

Revtor: Many thanks for this software. I have an E61 that has many issues mostly related to the dieing battery which I will be changing today. (I hope.)

This is a question relating to the OBD hardware interface and I hope answers a newbie question for many.

I have an interface unit, the OBDLink, which will communicate through the ISO-9141-2 protocol, along with a number of others, but only has the 2 ISO connections at the OBD plug on pins 7 (K)and 15 (L) along with 4,5 (GND) and 16 (+12V). Do I need to connect pin 8, the other K line on the OBD connector, to access chassis info?

Is it as simple as connecting 7 and 8 together with a jumper or is there other associated circuitry required like a TTL buffer? The last thing I want to do is smoke some electronics on the car.......

Thanks.

[revtor]

dharmabmw: The connection between pins 7 and 8 should be just a plain short like a solder bridge, jumper or switch. Whether or not your car requires the pin 7-8 bridge, I don't know. If you need help with your interface I would recommend to start a new topic about it - this topic is about NCS Dummy only.

[Ramy1]

Hi,

Great software! I am not getting the checks marks next to the options “aktiv – nich_Aktiv”. Do I need to have the ncs expert plugged into the car to get those check marks? Tried it, but still no check marks. How do I enable them?

And,

Does anyone know what to code to get the fob key to work when the car is running? Opening the trunk via remote key, for example, with engine running. (2001 330ci vert)

Thank you

[revtor]

I am not getting the checks marks next to the options “aktiv – nich_Aktiv”. Do I need to have the ncs expert plugged into the car to get those check marks? Tried it, but still no check marks. How do I enable them?

You should load a trace file in NCS Dummy.

[Ramy1]

anyone i load gives me this error...

[E] 11:36:39 An error occurred while reading "C:\NCSEXPER\WORK\FSW_PSW.TRC": Unresolved function keyword "GURTSTRAFFER_FAHRER_1". Make sure chassis and module match those of the trace file.

Think i am figuring it out... Seeing check marks now. Thank you. You have to match the trc file with the module, deuh. :/

Any idea how to make fob keys work to "lock-unlock doors and trunk" with engine running? Thinking it might be "k-bus release without key"? haven't touched it yet, don't want to mess anything up.

Thks

[shled]

Any idea how to make fob keys work to "lock-unlock doors and trunk" with engine running? Thinking it might be "k-bus release without key"? haven't touched it yet, don't want to mess anything up.

I wanted, OK, needed that feature in my e38 and turned out the HKM module was not recent enough to support "trunk open" while running. I sourced a newer one from eBay.de and after coding that it worked, YMMV.

[Ramy1]

Do you remember the name/description of the function?

[MParallel]

Just for my information, but is an install of NCS Expert requiered for NCS Dummy?

I thought NCS Dummy was NCS Expert in itself. But since I see no reference to any "Daten" files, it looks like NCS Expert is needed.

[jayster0966]

Yes, NCS Expert is needed to read the appropriate modules and pull/write the program for those modules. You manipulate the code information for those modules using NCS Dummy.

[revtor]

MParallel: NCS Dummy is a helper tool for NCS Expert. The usual workflow is to generate a trace file from a module in your car with NCS Expert, then modify the trace file with NCS Dummy and finally recode the car with NCS Expert and the modified trace file. Strictly spoken NCS Dummy only needs the DATEN files which come with NCS Expert but can also be obtained from other sources, but without NCS Expert you can only view the contents of the modules in the DATEN files. NCS Dummy by itself cannot read data from the car or write to it.

[MParallel]

Ok that clears things up and makes perfect sense.

I hope you know the following: I have a GT1 yellow head which I use with DIS and Progman. Now I want to do some coding with NCS Expert/Dummy.

Do you have any clue if NCS Expert can be setup using the GT1 as its communication interface? And do you perhaps know what the serial port of the GT1 yellow head is for? I have no documentation and the internet also lacks any info.

Looks like an ADS/20pin connector can be attached to it, but then again, the head self comes with a 20-pin connector.

Any idea?

[revtor]

I hope you know the following: I have a GT1 yellow head which I use with DIS and Progman. Now I want to do some coding with NCS Expert/Dummy. Do you have any clue if NCS Expert can be setup using the GT1 as its communication interface?

Yeah sure, I use the yellow head myself.

First of all the computer on which Ediabas/INPA is installed must be able to reach the yellow head over TCP/IP. If DIS runs in a virtual machine on the same computer, that's easy - just make sure the virtual machine's virtual network adapter(s) are set to bridged mode. If DIS runs on another computer, you'll have to change the network settings of the Ediabas/INPA computer to the same network segment as DIS and the yellow head (by default in the range 192.168.68.*). Now hook up the yellow head to a car and launch DIS. In DIS make sure the diagnostic head is shown as connected in the top right corner of the DIS screen. Make a note of the yellow head's IP address on the "Administration" > "Connection setup" page and return to the DIS main screen. Switch to the Ediabas/INPA computer and open a command prompt. See if you can reach the yellow head by executing ping 192.168.68.33 (or whatever the yellow head's address is). Once confirmed you can reach the yellow head, open the Ediabas configuration file (C:\EDIABAS\BIN\EDIABAS.INI) and set:

Interface = REMOTE
RemoteHost = 192.168.68.33
Port = 6801

where 192.168.68.33 is the IP address of the yellow head. From now on applications like INPA, NCS Expert and ToolSet 32 should be able to communicate with the car.

Keep in mind that DIS must be running if you want to use the yellow head! You cannot use DIS and INPA/NCS Expert/... at the same time though - only one application at a time can use the diagnostic interface (so leave DIS at the main screen if you want to use another application and quit INPA and such if you want to use DIS).

[MParallel]

Ah nice, thanks a lot. My DIS and Progman run under a VM ware virtual machine.

So the serial port on the back of the unit is not used?

Not sure what Ediabas/Inpa does in this equation. Or do you have this when you have NCS Expert.

i guess the hardest thing now is actually getting NCS Expert installed.

[revtor]

So the serial port on the back of the unit is not used?

No.

Not sure what Ediabas/Inpa does in this equation. Or do you have this when you have NCS Expert.

NCS Expert is part of the Ediabas/INPA software suite.

[MParallel]

Revtor: I installed INPA, which was a bit of task. Hope I got all settings correct. Without anything hooked up I can start INPA and I can start NCS Expert. Tools32 gives me a ''DirectNt.sys'' can be opened. Operating system in Win7 Home Premium 32bit.

EDIT: I located the TOOLS32.exe and started it directly instead of the shortcut and now it does start up. But when I go to configuration>>EDIABAS I get the same error.

Maybe I don't even need TOOL32? I only want to turn on some options in the ZKE module with NCS Expert/Dummies.

I opened the EDIABAS.ini file, but I am a bit lost. I see many instances of "Interface", Remote Host and Port, so I'm not sure where to edit it.


If I get it running, can I run DIS from within the virtual machine and start NCS Expert/Dummy from the same computer, but outside the virtual machine? Or is that why you need to put it in "bridged mode"?

[revtor]

Without anything hooked up I can start INPA and I can start NCS Expert. Tools32 gives me a ''DirectNt.sys'' can be opened. Operating system in Win7 Home Premium 32bit.

Most likely because you did noy (yet) configure the interface correctly in EDIABAS.INI.

Maybe I don't even need TOOL32? I only want to turn on some options in the ZKE module with NCS Expert/Dummies.

You don't need ToolSet 32 for what you want to do, but if ToolSet 32 does not work the rest will probably not work either.

I opened the EDIABAS.ini file, but I am a bit lost. I see many instances of "Interface", Remote Host and Port, so I'm not sure where to edit it.

Lines starting with a semicolon (;) are comments. So search and update the occurrences of Interface, RemoteHost and Port that are not prefixed by a semicolon. Each should occur only once in the file.

If I get it running, can I run DIS from within the virtual machine and start NCS Expert/Dummy from the same computer, but outside the virtual machine? Or is that why you need to put it in "bridged mode"?

Yes. Bridged mode just means the virtual network interfaces of the virtual machine (DIS) connect directly to those of the host machine (Windows). Without this the virtual machine's network is isolated and Windows (and thus NCS Expert) cannot reach the yellow head.

Anyway, if you have troubles getting INPA or NCS Expert to work I would recommend to ask for advice in one of the topics that deal about the installation and setup of INPA or start a new topic. This topic is about NCS Dummy.

[MParallel]

Thanks. Ah yes sorry I will post future questions in a new topic (just opened one).

[AlKiz]

revtor, thanks for the program. I need help with setup. Error for any bloks.
for example:
[E] 18:24:45 An error occurred while reading "C:\BMW\Áëîêè X5 E70\Ñðàâíåíèå\1\FSW_PSW.TRC": Unresolved function keyword "GESCHWINDIGKEITSEINHEIT". Make sure chassis and module match those of the trace file.
[E] 18:30:38 An error occurred while reading "C:\BMW\Áëîêè X5 E70\Ñðàâíåíèå\1\FSW_PSW.TRC": Unresolved function keyword "BAUREIHE". Make sure chassis and module match those of the trace file.

[revtor]

AlKiz: The solution is in the error message: Make sure chassis and module match those of the trace file. You should select the module displayed by NCS Expert AFTER reading the trace file. For more information, see chapter 6.1 of the NCS Dummy user manual.