The world of car diagnostics has become increasingly accessible, with numerous OBD2 scanners flooding the market. You might wonder why some scanners, especially advanced ones like the Fixd Obd2 Scanner, operate in specific ways, sometimes requiring online connectivity. As developers deeply involved in creating diagnostic tools, we aim to shed light on the intricacies of OBD2/CAN systems and explain the rationale behind FIXD’s design, along with our ongoing efforts to enhance user experience.
The Intricacies of OBD2/CAN Scanning: Beyond Basic Code Reading
At first glance, retrieving diagnostic codes from your car might seem straightforward. Low-cost OBD2 scanners, often priced around $15, offer a basic level of functionality. However, these tools typically operate with limited capabilities. They often rely on small, on-device code databases, sometimes compiled from public wikis, and are usually confined to single-protocol, single-module communication, primarily focusing on the engine module.
These basic scanners frequently lack sophisticated error filtering mechanisms and advanced parsing techniques needed to extract data from vehicles with complex communication networks or potential issues. They often employ static, universal scripts that may not be fully compatible with the vast diversity of vehicle makes, models, and years.
The landscape of OBD2 diagnostics dramatically changes when you move beyond basic engine codes. Modern vehicles incorporate numerous modules beyond the engine control unit (ECU), such as airbag systems, tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), seatbelt pretensioners, transmission control units (TCU), and more. These modules often communicate using different protocols, necessitating scanners to perform mid-stream protocol switching and negotiation. Furthermore, specific communication parameters, like baud rates, can vary significantly across different vehicle manufacturers, models, and production years. This variability extends to diagnostic commands and instruction sets, making the development of a truly comprehensive OBD2 scanner a considerable challenge.
The complexity escalates further when attempting to move beyond fundamental Mode 3/7/9 hexadecimal to code interpretation. Accommodating the sheer volume of vehicle-specific variations and diagnostic routines directly within a mobile app becomes practically infeasible. Storing the diverse logic branches required for every vehicle on a smartphone would necessitate a multi-gigabyte database, impacting app size and performance. Compounding this, certain diagnostic commands and procedural steps are proprietary and licensed by vehicle manufacturers, restricting public access and increasing development hurdles.
FIXD’s Innovative Approach: Cloud-Based Customized Diagnostics
To overcome these limitations, FIXD adopts a dynamic, cloud-based approach. Instead of relying on a static, on-device database, the FIXD OBD2 scanner intelligently scans your vehicle to assess its communication capabilities. Based on this assessment, it downloads a customized command list tailored specifically to your car’s make, model, and year. This on-demand data retrieval ensures that your FIXD scanner is always equipped with the most relevant and up-to-date diagnostic information.
Our dedicated team of engineering interns plays a crucial role in maintaining and expanding FIXD’s vehicle coverage. They meticulously target specific modules, such as airbag systems in 2008-2012 Toyota models, and develop targeted test scripts. Through rigorous data collection and analysis, they create custom parsers and deploy regular updates to our cloud database. These script updates are seamlessly integrated into the FIXD app. Each time you launch the app and connect to your vehicle, it fetches the latest customized command list, ensuring you benefit from the newest diagnostic capabilities without requiring manual app updates.
This dynamic approach, however, necessitates API calls and, consequently, network access for initial setup and command list retrieval. While these scripts are cached locally on your device to minimize data usage, an initial network connection is required to authenticate your device and download the vehicle-specific data.
Addressing User Concerns: Login Requirements and Offline Mode
We recognize user feedback regarding the login requirement and are actively working to streamline this process. As a startup that initially operated with a small team, our infrastructure was built around user accounts. We are currently undergoing a significant refactor to optimize the signup experience, including exploring auto-account generation to minimize friction. This improvement is a priority, although it requires substantial development time to implement effectively.
Furthermore, we have introduced an “offline mode” in response to user demand. If you have successfully logged into the FIXD app previously and the necessary data is cached, you can now access a limited “offline mode.” This mode, indicated by an “OFFLINE MODE” banner within the app, provides reduced functionality but allows for basic code reading even without an active internet connection. It’s important to note that while live data monitoring does not require network access once you are logged in and running, comprehensive scanning and code reading functionalities benefit significantly from online connectivity due to the reasons outlined earlier. In situations with intermittent network access during a scan, the FIXD app includes a network error prompt that caches your scan data. Upon regaining connectivity, you can simply tap “Retry” to resubmit the raw data for parsing and continue the diagnostic process seamlessly.
Understanding FIXD Premium: Enhanced Features and Ongoing Costs
FIXD Premium is offered as an optional subscription service to provide advanced features that entail ongoing operational costs for us. For example, the “confirmed fixes” feature relies on a third-party database that aggregates data from professional mechanics. Access to this database is provided on a per-API call basis, incurring a recurring cost. Similarly, the “issue forecast” feature, which utilizes issue aggregation and machine learning analysis, involves substantial backend infrastructure and ongoing development. These premium features deliver significant added value but are not sustainable to offer without a subscription model. We are committed to transparent communication regarding which features are included in the free version and which are part of FIXD Premium, ensuring users can make informed decisions based on their needs.
Looking Ahead: Continuous Improvement and Feature Expansion
We sincerely appreciate user feedback, which is invaluable in guiding our development efforts. We are dedicated to continuously improving the FIXD OBD2 Scanner and app, with exciting new features planned for both free and premium users in the near future. Stay tuned for updates as we continue to innovate and enhance your car diagnostic experience. With the introduction of offline mode and ongoing optimizations, we are striving to balance powerful diagnostic capabilities with user convenience and accessibility.
