BMW Diagnostics - GT1, DIS, Progman SSS, ISIS, ISTA ect ....

[M3_Power 636]

I started writing this a few weeks ago and have not had time to update it, but thought I would throw it up for now and update it as I go (and I have a long way to go).

I am hoping for this thread to be a 'go to' thread for related topics and place what I have learnt in one single comprehensive thread for all enthusiasts out there.

p.s. No actual links to softwares will be posted and please don't PM me about where to get it - google.

So here's a start:

Right, the purpose of putting this discussion topic together is simply to share information that is already readily out there if you know where to look. However finding it and actually understanding it are two very different tasks.

I’ve been reading and studying this stuff for a good two weeks now and given the amount of ‘secrecy’ that seems to surround whatever knowledge there is out there I thought it would be useful to put together a single document that condenses all the terminologies and proven solutions in one simple easy to understand topic.

I’ve obviously not exhausted all the knowledge there is out there and it is constantly improving, so I will try and add to this topic if and when I understand it.

Let’s start with some Modern BMW diagnostics:

As us all enthusiasts know, modern BMWs aren’t the most ‘backyard mechanic’ friendly cars when it comes to control modules or DME issues. The need to visit dealerships to clear codes or activate control systems, hidden functions or even to code new keys can mean time lost and hard earned money spent. So what does BMW dealerships use to ‘talk’ to our cars?

DIS Hardware:

This is the hardware system that operated the very early DIS (Diagnostic Information System) software (very obsolete now and really don’t warrant anything further)

GT1 " Group Tester One"

The most commonly cloned and emulated hardware system that is used by BMW Dealerships until it was phased out in 2008 (commonly seen on ebay as clone GT1s)

The real thing is over NZ$50,000 to buy (I’ve personally spotted a second hand unit on ebay from England for about 4000GBP … still too rich for the backyard DIYer). It was manufactured by Siemens and runs a UNIX based system.

There are two types of commonly seen Clones of the GT1:

The IBM T30 (or T22 or T23) system:

- With the relevant interface (I will explain this further later on ��" which includes EDIC [commonly referred to as the Yellow Head, DK Head or the Yellow Emul Head]; OPS; OPPS and MOST). This system is based on the IBM T30 laptop (why? Because the original Siemens manufactured GT1s had a hardware setup almost identical to the IBM T30 ��" 18.635G HDD; 256MB RAM similar processor speed, ports ect ect; When the clone was originally created it was basically a rip of the original hard drive from a real GT1. It needed to be almost identical hardware in order for it to work as a native install within the IBM hard drive running UNIX OS)

- The very last version of DIS from BMW was v57 (on a DVD)

- These are considered to be almost equivalent to the real GT1s, albeit slightly slow on start up, but are considered a lot more stable than the Virtual Machine System.

- You can technically build this system for quite cheap. Second hand IBM T30s are aplenty and cheap to pick up.

Virtual Machine BMW GT1 on ANY Laptop:

- Built on VMware Virtual Machines (cloning the exact hardware spec of the IBM T30 on UNIX)

- Can be used with relevant interface or an emulated interface.

- Works just like the IBM T30 GT1 Clones;

- Speed and stability depending on how good your Laptop is (recommendation is 4G RAM at least, over 2.4GHz CPU speed, and at least 80G hard drive space or on solid state drives).

- Very easy to create and is currently the ‘most’ popular type of system out there.

- If an emulated interface is used, requires special INPA/EDIABAS or ADS or K+D-CAN compatible cables (or Carsoft cables) ��" connection between the virtual machine and the car is made using BMW’s INPA diagnostic interpreter program via BMW factory developed EDIABAS (Electronic Diagnosis and Information) protocol (windows based) Basically a communication link between the DIS software in the GT1 through the emulated interface (EDIC DK yellow head).

- Can be tricky to setup using the emulated interface and different type of cables and port connections (serial or USB being the most popular) (various ways with different rate of success).

GT1 Interfaces:

EDIC (Yellow Head)

The yellow head or commonly known as the DK head.

Emulated and physical copied units from China.

For diagnosis of vehicles up to 2009

Vehicle interface via OBD-II or 20 pin socket:

E87, E90, E91, E92, E60, E61, E63, E64, E65, E66, E70, E83, E85, E86, E31, E32, E34, E36, E38, E39, E46, E52, E53, R56, R50, R52, R53

Programming is done via SSS Progman

GT1 with SSS for programming Supported Models:

Vehicle interface via OBD-II or 20 pin socket:

E83, E85, E86, E31, E32, E34, E36, E38, E39, E46, E52, E53, R56, R50, R52, R53

OPS (Orange Head)

##### TO BE CONTINUED ######

Edited August 18, 2010 by M3_Power