Adapter data and settings

What the app learned from the adapter, and the settings that fix slow or unstable readings.

The OBD adapter page opens from the blue information button next to the saved adapter, on the Connection screen. It gathers two cards: one to read, with what the app learned from the device, and one of settings.

One distinction matters here: the OBD protocol and the Response timeout are set per vehicle, and the four settings on the second card per adapter.

  1. Check what the app identified

    The Adapter info card shows name, MAC, chip, ELM version, description, Avg latency and the dates of first pairing and last connection. Rows with no value stay hidden.

    The ELM version is the most relevant item on the card, because it decides whether grouped readings are available.

  2. Force the protocol, if the car does not connect

    The OBD protocol comes set to Auto (detect), and that is the right setting for most cars. If your vehicle never completes the connection, open the list and choose a specific protocol.

    Each option is numbered, so that support can point at an item by its number. The change applies to the active vehicle and takes effect immediately, with no need to reconnect.

  3. Adjust the response timeout

    Response timeout also starts on Adapter default, which sends no value and leaves the decision to the device. The options run from 32 ms to 1020 ms.

    Raise the value when the car answers slowly and the app stops waiting before the answer arrives. The setting applies per vehicle, and setting a value by hand discards what the app had learned.

  4. Raise the refresh rate

    On the Adapter settings card, turn on Group sensor requests. The option asks for several sensors in a single request, and it is the setting with the largest effect on reading speed.

    If the option is unavailable, the adapter reported an ELM version earlier than 1.3, which does not support the feature.

  5. Fix readings that come back empty

    If the VIN or another long reading comes back blank, turn on Long response stabilization. The option handles answers that arrive split across several frames.

    Keep Skip repeated setup commands on, which is the default. Turn it off only if the sensors stop answering, a situation that points to an adapter losing its configuration between one command and the next.


If something goes wrong

The adapter reported an ELM version earlier than 1.3, which does not support the feature. Check the ELM version row on the upper card. No setting gets around that limitation of the device.

Turning it on left the connection unstable and the app reverted the setting. The warning refers only to that adapter, not to any others you have. The recommendation is to leave the option off on it.

Go back to Auto (detect) before trying another protocol. A wrong forced protocol blocks the connection that automatic detection could have completed.

Remember too that the protocol is set per vehicle: on switching cars, the setting does not follow.

That behavior is deliberate. OBD protocol and Response timeout belong to the vehicle, because they describe characteristics of the car. The four settings on the second card belong to the adapter, because they describe characteristics of the adapter.


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