Application Note

AN02 - ELM327 Circuit Construction

When constructing an electronic circuit, it is often ELM327 ICs, and building the circuit in two stages.
best to build it in stages, testing each as you proceed. First, wire everything to these sockets, but do not
The following pages provide typical voltages that you install the ICs. Complete the rest of the circuit, power it
might expect as you build the ELM327 Example with a small 9V ‘radio’ battery, and then measure the
Application circuit, first with no integrated circuits voltages in your circuit. Compare your voltages to
installed, and then with all in place. Hopefully, it will those shown in red on Figure 2. If there are any
help you to locate wiring issues before they cause significant discrepancies, find out why before
problems. proceeding. Note that a 9V battery is chosen as it will
not be able to supply very large currents, so if there
are serious problems, there will be little or no damage.
Testing the ELM327 IC
Once you are satisfied that your circuit will not
Although we do not advise it, we often get emails
damage the integrated circuits, install them in their
from people that are trying to test their ELM327 before
sockets, and apply a source of about 12V to the circuit.
installing it into the final circuit. This exposes the chip
You should then see voltages similar to those of
to conditions that may not be good for it, as people
Figure 3. Once satisfied that the voltages are correct,
often report open-circuited inputs, incorrect supply
you can begin testing with the software of your choice.
levels, etc. CMOS integrated circuits should never
Do not connect to the vehicle when first testing the
have an input left open-circuited – it should always be
software, as you are only testing the communications
connected to either 0V or 5V, or else erratic behaviour
with your PC at that point.
and possibly damage to the IC might occur.
Once the software is able to communicate with the
If you insist on taking the IC from its protective
interface, test each protocol in sequence, with no
tube and installing it into a test circuit, use the circuit
vehicle connected. Use the SP command to select
shown in Figure 1. If the IC is able to initialize itself
individual protocols, and then send 0100. If all goes
internally and start functioning, you will see the four
well, you should only see ‘NO DATA’s or ‘UNABLE TO
LEDs light in sequence, followed by the one on pin 26
CONNECT’ and no messages that indicate a problem
lighting one more time.
with the vehicle such as ‘BUS BUSY’ or ‘FB ERROR’.
If you do see either of these latter two messages, then
Constructing Figure 9 from the Data Sheet there is a problem with your wiring – correct it before
Most people build the Example Application circuit connecting to a vehicle.
that we show in the data sheet (Figure 9), so we will When you’ve finished the above, and all appears
discuss it here, with one change. We have used the to be working well, you may connect to a real vehicle
discrete RS232 interface shown in Figure 11, instead and begin testing the complete ‘package’. Hopefully all
of the FTDI module. When you do begin to build your will work well for many years.
circuit, we advise using sockets for the MCP2551 and

4x
470 Ω
+5V
78L05 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15
+
7 to 20V
- 0.1µF 0.1µF 327
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

4.00MHz

Figure 1. A minimal ELM327 test circuit

27pF 27pF

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 Application Note
AN02 - ELM327 Circuit Construction

CAN-L 0.00
14
0.00 9.24 Vbat +12V 8.51 U3 +5V
6 4.96
CAN-H R22 R23 0.00 0.00 16 7805
100Ω 100Ω
8 7 6 5 Battery D1 L5
R24 Positive
0.00 0.00 4.7KΩ MCP2551 C1 C5
C7 C8 0.1µF 0.1µF 2.97
560pF 560pF NOT installed U2 R31
5 50V
1 2 3 4
470Ω
+5V 0.00 Signal
Ground
4.96

Vbat Vbat C6 0.00 +5V

0.1µF
RS232
R19 R17 4.7KΩ Interface
510Ω 510Ω (DB9F)
4.96
9.24 0.00
15 -0.57 10KΩ -5.76 3 (TxD)
ISO-L R16 2.2KΩ 0.00 2N3904
9.18 Q6 10KΩ
7
ISO-K
R18 2.2KΩ 0.00 -5.18
Q7
0.00 5 (SG)
+5V +5V
4.36 0.1µF
3.79 ELM327
pin 12 10KΩ 4.7KΩ
R20
47KΩ R21 L1-L4 2N3906
33KΩ 3.53 4.36 2 (RxD)
R27-30 +5V +5V -2.61
470Ω 0.00
Vbat 3.53 1 (DCD)
n.c.
9.24 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15
5.36 4 (DTR)
R25 327 NOT installed
47KΩ +5V U1 6 (DSR)
1.64
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
R26 7 (RTS)
C2
10KΩ
0.1µF to 5.49
0.00 to R15 8 (CTS)
8.51+12V X1 R21 0.00
U4 4.64 4.00MHz 3.79
OBD 7.01 R2
317L 2.2KΩ C3 C4
Interface R5 27pF Notes:
470Ω 27pF
(J1962) R3 470Ω
- The circuit is that of Figure 9, with
0.00 0.00 the RS232 interface of Figure 11
R6 5.85
R4 (refer to ELM327 data sheet)
10KΩ R6
1.8KΩ 4.64
Q2 4.7KΩ - The MCP2551 and ELM327 have
7.01 R8
0.00 7.01 R7 0.00 NOT been installed on the board
4.7KΩ Q1 22KΩ
D2 0.00 - A 9V dry cell was used to power
the circuit (ie for Battery Positive)

0.00 R9 10KΩ - An RS232 to USB adapter was

2 attached to the RS232 port, and to
J1850 Bus + a PC (Terminal software running)
R10 R11
22KΩ 0.00 10KΩ +5V - No connections were made to the
10 OBD (J1962) interface
J1850 Bus - 0.00 R14
R12 4.7KΩ
D3 47KΩ 4.96
R15
4.7KΩ Q4 0.00
ELM327
Q3 pin 14 Q5
R13 Figure 2. First stage wiring tests
0.00 0.00 10KΩ

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 Application Note
AN02 - ELM327 Circuit Construction

CAN-L 2.56
14
2.48 12.05 Vbat +12V 11.33 U3 +5V
6 4.96
CAN-H R22 R23 1.73 2.48 16 7805
100Ω 100Ω
8 7 6 5 Battery D1 L5
R24 Positive
2.48 2.56 4.7KΩ MCP2551 C1 C5
C7 C8 0.1µF 0.1µF 2.97
560pF 560pF installed U2 R31
5 50V
1 2 3 4
470Ω
+5V 4.96 Signal
Ground
4.96

Vbat Vbat C6 4.96 +5V

0.1µF
RS232
R19 R17 4.7KΩ Interface
510Ω 510Ω (DB9F)
4.96
12.05 0.00
15 -0.57 10KΩ -5.76 3 (TxD)
ISO-L R16 2.2KΩ 0.00 2N3904
11.97 Q6 10KΩ
7
ISO-K
R18 2.2KΩ 0.00 -5.18
Q7
0.00 5 (SG)
+5V +5V
4.96 0.1µF
4.94 ELM327
pin 12 10KΩ 4.7KΩ
R20
47KΩ R21 L1-L4 2N3906
33KΩ 4.95 4.96 2 (RxD)
R27-30 +5V +5V -2.61
470Ω 0.00
Vbat 4.95 1 (DCD)
n.c.
12.05 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15
5.36 4 (DTR)
R25 327 installed
47KΩ +5V U1 6 (DSR)
2.14
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
R26 7 (RTS)
C2
10KΩ
0.1µF to 5.49
0.00 to R15 8 (CTS)
11.33 +12V X1 R21 0.00
U4 0.05 4.00MHz 4.94
OBD 5.21 R2
317L 2.2KΩ C3 C4
Interface R5 27pF Notes:
470Ω 27pF
(J1962) R3 470Ω
- The circuit is that of Figure 9, with
0.00 0.00 the RS232 interface of Figure 11
R6 3.96
R4 (refer to ELM327 data sheet)
10KΩ R6
1.8KΩ 2.68
Q2 4.7KΩ - A bench supply was used to power
5.21 R8
0.00 5.21 R7 0.00 the circuit (ie for Battery Positive)
4.7KΩ Q1 22KΩ
D2 0.00 - Measered current draw for this
entire circuit was 33 mA

0.09 R9 10KΩ - An RS232 to USB adapter was

2 attached to the RS232 port, and to
J1850 Bus + a PC (Terminal software running)
R10 R11
22KΩ 0.09 10KΩ +5V - No connections were made to the
10 OBD (J1962) interface
J1850 Bus - 0.09 R14
R12 4.7KΩ
D3 47KΩ 4.96
R15
4.7KΩ Q4 0.00
ELM327
Q3 pin 14 Q5
R13 Figure 3. Final wiring tests
0.00 0.00 10KΩ

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