Omnitracs OBDII to J1587 Guide

OBDII to J1587/J1708
Converter Installation and
Troubleshooting Guide
80-J9325-1 Rev H
July 2017

80-J9325-1 Rev H
MAY CONTAIN U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL EXPORT CONTROLLED INFORMATION
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Omnitracs, LLC
717 N. Harwood, Suite 1300
Dallas, TX 75201
Copyright © 2008, 2012-2013, 2015, 2017 Omnitracs, LLC. All rights reserved.
Omnitracs is a trademark of Omnitracs, LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
Omnitracs endeavors to ensure that the information in this document is correct and fairly
stated, but Omnitracs is not liable for any errors or omissions. Published information may not
be up to date, and it is important to confirm current status with Omnitracs.
This technical data may be subject to U.S. and international export, re-export or transfer
(export) laws. Diversion contrary to U.S. and international law is strictly prohibited.
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Table of Contents
Introduction and Installation ...................................................................................................... 1
Introduction............................................................................................................................ 1
OBDII to J1587/J1708 Converter Kit...................................................................................... 2
Requirements ......................................................................................................................... 2
Installation Precautions........................................................................................................... 3
Hardware Installation Procedures ........................................................................................... 3
System Verification and Troubleshooting................................................................................... 4
System Verification ................................................................................................................. 4
Reading the OBDII Streamer Box LEDs .................................................................................. 5

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Introduction and Installation
Introduction
The OBDII to J1587/J1708 converter is a third-party hardware device that translates OBDII light-duty
vehicle data to the J1587/J1708 format that is read by Omnitracs hardware. The OBDII converter allows
you to obtain Performance Monitoring and Hours of Service data from light-duty vehicles.
The OBDII supports most 1996 model year or newer vehicles that comply with the SAE International’s
J1979 OBDII specification.
Vehicle data received from the OBDII converter includes:
•Vehicle speed
•Engine RPM
•Total distance (odometer)
•Total fuel (life-to-date)
For more detailed information regarding Performance Monitoring installations and troubleshooting,
please refer to the applicable Omnitracs installation manual for the product you are installing in
conjunction with the OBDII converter.
For additional support, call Omnitracs Customer Support at [phone].

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OBDII to J1587/J1708 Converter Kit
The OBDII Converter Kit includes the OBDII Converter, a Y cable, a host cable, and an installation kit. The
converter kit may be purchased from B+B SmarWorx, the Omnitracs third-party hardware vendor as the
full kit or as separate parts.
FIGURE 1. QCLDVDSV2-KIT –OBDII CONVERTER KIT
Requirements
Before you begin your installation, the following must be true.
•Performance Monitoring and Hours of Service must be enabled on the Omnitracs in-cab hardware.
•Omnitracs hardware must have the minimum firmware needed to support both applications.
•Performance Monitoring and Hours of Service must be enabled at the host.

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Installation Precautions
Before installation, be aware of all warnings and possible dangers.
WARNING
Mounting the equipment near the
vehicle’s airbags can injure a driver or
passenger involved in a crash.
Airbag firing can cause the equipment
to become a projectile leading to
serious injury or death.
Mount the equipment in a location that
will not be impacted by the firing of any
forward or side Airbag.
DANGER
Using a test light to probe vehicle wiring
can cause the AIRBAG TO FIRE.
Airbag firing while working near the
vehicle dash or steering wheel can cause
serious injury or death.
Never use a test light to probe wiring
USE VOLT-OHM METER ONLY
Hardware Installation Procedures
After the hardware installation location and connection points are defined, do the following:
1. Verify that the engine ignition switch is OFF.
2. For non-IVG units, hardwire for CONSTANT POWER, GROUND, and IGNITION.
This means if a Y power cable is provided with MCP50 or IVG, the Y portion must be cut off and
the wires butt spliced appropriately.
3. Make the following connections:
a. Connect the OBDII converter’s red (Data -) wire to the red (J1587/J1708 -) wire on the
Omnitracs harness.
b. Connect the OBDII converter’s brown (Data +) wire to the brown (J1587/J1708 +) wire on
the Omnitracs harness.
4. Unmount the vehicle’s existing OBDII diagnostic’s connector.
WARNING
Improper cable installation can interfere
with the vehicle pedals or steering.
Interfering with the pedals or steering
can cause a crash, resulting in serious
injury or death.
Mount the cables so that they can not
interfere with the brake, accelerator,
clutch, or steering wheel, EVEN IF THE
TIE WRAPS FAIL.

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5. Locate the OBDII Y cable coming from the OBDII converter.
6. Connect the OBDII male connector on the Y cable into the vehicle’s existing female connector.
7. Mount the OBDII female connector on the Y cable in place of the vehicle’s original connector to
ensure that it available for use by the OEM or other third-party service providers.
8. Secure OBDII converter box and excess cabling using tie-wraps.
System Verification and Troubleshooting
After you install the hardware, you must verify that the installation was successful be for returning the
vehicle to service.
System Verification
To perform a system verification for a standard installation, do the following.
1. Start engine.
2. If necessary, verify that the MCP or IVG is configured to use J1587/J1708 data. The IVG and
MCP50 should auto-detect their configurations.
3. Verify that the MCP or IVG is receiving the following core data items:
•Distance LTD
•Engine RPM
•Fuel LTD
•Speed
Some vehicles need to move at least 5 miles (8 kilometers) for the Distance LTD value to populate.
4. Do one of the following:
•IVG, MCP50, MCP110, or MCP200: Ensure that the RUN ALL Core Data Items test passes. See
the applicable installation guide for more information: Omnitracs Intelligent Vehicle Gateway
(IVG) Installation and Troubleshooting Guide (80-JE026-1), MCP50 Installation and
Troubleshooting Guide (80-JB566-1), MCP110 Installation Guide (80-JB400-1), or MCP200
Installation Guide (80-J9968-1).
•MCP100: Follow system verification in the MCP100 Installation Guide (80-J4866-2)
5. If the mobile unit is not receiving the expected data items, check the following:
•Check the LED table to ensure the converter is installed and working properly.
•Check the connections between the converter and the MCP or IVG.
•Check the Supported Parameter List to ensure the vehicle is compatible with the converter.
The Omnitracs Performance Monitoring Odometer screen’s values may differ from the vehicle's dash
odometer reading. This is not an error condition. This difference may be because the odometer value
display on the Performance Monitoring Odometer screen is pulled from different source than what is

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displayed on the dash or a component on the vehicle that stores the odometer value may have been
replaced.
Some vehicles do not provide a life-to-date odometer reading on the data bus. These vehicles rely on the
OBDII converter to generate a calculated odometer value. The calculated odometer begins at zero at time
of installation and these vehicles must move at least 5 miles (8 kilometers) before a valid odometer value
displays.
Reading the OBDII Streamer Box LEDs
The OBDII converter has two LEDs on the top of the unit to diagnose issues.
•Status – Green LED
•Power – Red LED
FIGURE 2CLOSE UP OF THE QCLDVDSV2

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Table 1 LED Troubleshooting Table for the QCLDVDSV2
Red LED
(Power indicator)
Green LED
(Activity indicator)
Description
On (lit solid) On (lit solid) Normal operation
Off (unlit) Off (unlit) The converter box is in a power on self-test. If
neither LED lights within 30 seconds, check
vehicle power to the OBDII converter.
Off (unlit) On (lit solid) Firmware update required
Off (unlit) VSB - Very Slow Blinking
0.25 seconds lit, 2 seconds
off
Device asleep
On (lit solid) SB - Slow Blinking
One blink/second
Detecting vehicle
Off (unlit) FB - Fast Blinking
Eight blinks/second
Database needs to be updated. Return the
converter box for service.