All I can do is supply you with the diagnostic connector pinout.

 

Thanks NAJ, I just downloaded the DRB III manual and the pinouts were listed in there. I was wondering what pin 5 (Dark Blue) did and your picture helped. Thanks NAJ. Below is a summary of my findings. Also note pin 5 on the SCI is the Switched Ignition.

 

Haha, I just noticed they never labeled the Light Green pin in your diagram NAJ.

 

bamman did you make the cable for the air bag system?

 

Brian, did you ever get an air bag diagnostic cable?

Also, could you circle or what ever method you want. Would you mark which pin is the light green?

Haha, I just noticed they never labeled the Light Green pin in your diagram NAJ.

Thanks,

Dennis

 

I just tried making the airbag diagnostic cable for the DRB II and failed. The pinouts that I have for the BUS connector seem to differ from that of the earlier Airbag Diagnostic Connector, although physically they are the same connector. Does anyone have the pinouts for the Airbag Diagnostic Connector? Preferably for a 1990 Dodge Omni or any 1989 and prior vehicle with an airbag? Its this connector:

 

check ebay, i've seen the cables there in the past.

 

Tied that, they seem to only have the cable that blugs into the ECU diag. connector.

 

Yes I did make the CCD/Airbag cable.

And pin 4 is the light green wire:

 

Hi! in this drawing pin 1 in one end matches pin 1 in the other end? i mean is a 1 to 1 2 to 2 conection and so on relation?
thanks for replying

 

Is the pin circled pin 4?

Dennis

 

Yes

 

Thanks
Jan would you update your link

 

Sorry to resurrect an old thread here.

I'm in a very similar situation and could use some advise.

I purchased a DRB-II off ebay and it doesn't have the SCI 6-way (engine diagnostic cable).

I've ordered some parts, an OTC Part # 3305-72 and OTC Part # 212635 its meant for the OTC scan tool but otherwise they combine to make up most of the original DRB-II cable. And I ordered a DB25 terminal block, and the DIN 8 PIN MALE Part # CP-1080-ND - CONN, it comes with tinned wires at the end of a cord to the connector.

My intent is to use the DIN 8 connector to connect to the DBR-II, then wire its ends through the DB25 terminal block to map the pins to OTC DB-25 and from there to the power connector and the SCI connector.

But I've run a small test just to see if I might be wasting a lot of time.

I connected an auto battery +12v to pin 1 and GND to pin 8 of the DRB-II connector.

After a bit of time the display faded on to display just black blocks on first and third row.

If I removed power it immediately blanked.

Reconnecting it seemed to have charged a capacitor and faded on quicker.

I checked the voltage to pin 1 and gnd of the display and it appears in the right range, slightly less than +5 volts.

But I don't know what to expect from the DRB-II when its not actually connected to a vehicle.

I assumed it would go into some kind of test mode searching for the PCM and when it didn't find any return to displaying internal diagnostics about the DRB-II itself or offer up a menu to choose the vehicle. The DRB-II came with a yellow SuperCartridge.

But the DRB-II never displays an actual character.. just a fully on black character block, two rows of them.

I believe the display is actually four rows of characters based on looking at YouTube and some of the pictures posted here.

My hopes are pretty low right now.. I just don't know what to expect.

I'm proceeding with building the diagnostic cable as described in the thread and above, and I'll keep looking for the actual DRB-II SCI cable on eBay.. but it looks like the DRB-IIs are pretty much all gone or sold off to whomever will keep them.

My purpose is to help diagnose my dads old truck, 1989 Dodge D250 with EFI. I'd like to use the DRB-II to check the sensors and help me with a problem that might be a bad tranny or just a bunch of bad sensors. Its really hard building confidence changing out one sensor after the other 'guessing'. It sure would be nice to actually see their status and run actuation tests on them.

My dad's gone now, he passed away about six years ago. But I really want to get his darned truck fixed.

Anyhow

I could use some advise or any suggestions you might have.

Thanks for reading.

 

Sorry to resurrect an old thread here.

I'm in a very similar situation and could use some advise.
...

I don't know what to expect from the DRB-II when its not actually connected to a vehicle.
...

My hopes are pretty low right now.. I just don't know what to expect.

I'm proceeding with building the diagnostic cable as described in the thread and above, and I'll keep looking for the actual DRB-II SCI cable on eBay.. but it looks like the DRB-IIs are pretty much all gone or sold off to whomever will keep them.

So I completed the new cable, up to the point where I could test the DRB-II and apply power. It works!

I was shocked given its got to be over 26 years old.

I made a YouTube video of it starting up when its not connected to a vehicle. In case someone else tries to do the same and they'd like to know what to expect.

I'd be happy to post a link, but the forum says I still need 5 posts before I can do that.

I named the video DRB-II it should show up in a search.

- John

 

Welcome To TD!!!

Unfortunately I cannot help you with the DRB issue and I do not have any wiring or specs for your D250 but...
The systems all operate the same way so what exactly are the issues with this truck that you need/want to diagnose?
Somebody here may have the info you need.

In the meantime if this is a cranks but will not start or other driveabilty issue...

First thing you want to do is be absolutely sure the...
1)Battery is Good and Fully Charged.
2)Spark Plugs are not Fuel Fouled.
3)There are no stored fault codes.
If the battery has been disconnected or went dead crank the engine 7-10 seconds then check for any fault codes.
4)If there are no stored fault codes then before you start digging into the computer control systems be sure all of your basics are correct.
1)Engine Mechanical(Compression, Cam Timing,yes its a chain)
2)Ignition System(minimum of 25 KV at each plug, plugs are not worn/fouled)
3)Fuel System(Fuel Pressure, Quality of Fuel if the vehicle has been sitting)
4)Injector Pulse
5)Vacuum System and Vacuum to Map Sensor.
6)Air Intake or Exhaust Restrictions

Sensor specs such as the Map/TPS should be the same as the 2.2L/2.5L/3.0L engines.

CHECKING MAP CALIBRATION
http://www.turbododge.com/forums/f4/f14/344296-code-13-diagnostics.html

CHECKING TPS
1)Backprobe the Signal and Signal Return Lines at the TPS connector with a digital voltmeter.
2)At closed throttle voltage should read .30-.90 volts.
(If closed throttle voltage is above 2.50 volts the controller will think the engine is flooded and will shut down the injectors)
3)Slowly sweep the throttle open watching voltage, it should rise steadily and consistently with no voltage drops or spikes.
4)WOT voltage needs to be above 3.50 volts.

 

Thanks

This is a very long term project for me.

I've acquired the Mopar Service Manuals and Parts Guides for the D250.

Considered much of what you suggest and acquired an Optima RedTop Battery and the Optima 1200 AGM charger and maintainer for it. So I'm pretty sure its not the battery, it is brand new and I'm keeping it charged in a cool dry place outside of the truck when I'm not working on it.

I removed the fuel line from the fuel pump after trying to crank it a bit and had no fuel pressure. Since trying some start fluid does turn the engine over until it burns through the fluid. I'm fairly over confident the fuel pump has to be replaced.

I did some research and got a Walbro 515 and Gates Submersible Fuel Lines to replace the hose from the pump to the fuel port and the fuel return inside the fuel module.

Then I watched several videos on YouTube regarding how to remove fuel line fittings without breaking the lines off. And how to remove and clean the fuel tank. After that I looked into jack stands and a floor jack and a siphon for removing the fuel in the tank and acquired those.

Its been raining a lot this season so I've been waiting for a break on a weekend to give it a try at raising the D250, dropping the fuel tank and replacing the fuel pump.

Then I should be in a position to start debugging the original problems that lead to it sitting for so long. Those were, my Dad thought the tranny had a small leak and kept adding tranfluid.. I think he may have over done it a bit and lead to tranfluid foam which led to very hard shifting or no shifting. The speed sensor and the map sensors would be next on my list.. but also checking the fuel pressure regulator for leaks. O2 sensor or EGR valve could be causing tranny problems through the SMEC. And with all this going on and the age of the vehicle.. a partially plugged catalytic converter is a real possibility. And the injectors (all two of them) might be worn out.

It really feels like I don't know anything and I'll be doing a lot one step at a time in hopes of solving the problem, but if its a combination of problems.. I was (just) really hoping the DRB could have saved me some time.

The parts for the homespun OTC engine diagnostic cable for the DRB should be here in a week or two.. so I'm not totally giving up on it. But I'm thinking it doesn't look good.

Thanks for the help and the warm welcome.

 

No fuel pressure could be a faulty pump or another issue,so just some info...
Since it is a Chrysler EFI system it uses an ASD(Automatic Shutdown) Relay to power the fuel pump, + coil and injectors.

The ASD relay is actuated for 1 second with initial key on to pressurize the fuel rail.
After that it will not be actuated again until the controller see's a crank/rpm signal either from the distributor pickup or a crank sensor.

I would "assume" that an 89 D250 would be the same as the FWD Chryslers and you can manually actuate the ASD relay to check its circuit and wiring.
(you can use actuator test mode with your DRB2 once you get the proper cables)

The DRB can save you time allowing you to actuate systems and get a quick look at sensor values and fault codes.
It is also needed to run many of Chryslers diagnostic flow charts.

 

You can post the link as 'plain text', letters & numbers without using the special shortcut icons above the posting windows....

Or you could post a couple of more times with just some stuff like....
"just posting to get to #3"
"just posting to get to #4"
"just posting to get to #5"
"just posting to get to #6"

then post the link normally--I'm sure if you are a good citizen of the forum, no one will complain.

Welcome to the contributing portion to the forum, and to the list in general.

Good Luck

 

You can post the link as 'plain text', letters & numbers without using the special shortcut icons above the posting windows....

Good Luck

Hmm..

https://youtu.be/QdyPFyxPspU

 

Congrats on building the cable. If I saw this post earlier I would have commented that in my original drawing of the pins I think I reversed the pins, pin 1 is actually pin 7 and so on. This would have explained the issue you were having earlier trying to boot up the DRB, since that is what happened when I tried building the cable first.

I did notice on version 8 of the super cartridge, you have a DRB II Adapters menu. Any idea what that is? I don't have that on my version 7 cartridge.

 

Yeah the mirror nature of male, female pins kind of confused me.. until I got all the pieces put together.

Hacking a quick makeshift cable just didn't work.

Then I used a ohm meter to be sure ground was connected to ground on the DRB-II circuit board.. and therefore +12V had to be as far away from that as could be,

I made another YouTube video to demonstrate whats inside the DRB-II ADAPTERS menu

https://youtu.be/oW2MoqnSv7w

 

did you try Ebay?

 

Oh yes.. mostly eBay has moved on to the DRB-III and cables for that.

The DRB-II cables seem rather rare, they were considered consumables so if they didn't work many were thrown away rather than repaired.

But I'm still watching.

 

what kind of car do you have?

 

My Dad's vehicle is a Dodge 1989 Ram D250.

 

Digi-Key is pretty awesome (but so is Mouser) I ordered the USB to RS-232 (in a single cable connector with wire-ends) and the TINI Q-G (TA4FL) connector last Friday and it arrived Monday.

Here's a tip, scroll down when selecting the shipping to select the cheapest option by US Postal service it doesn't say it but if the package is light enough they'll nearly ship overnight.. just no guarantees. Still arrives in a well padded cardboard box or envelope in your mailbox.

This morning I took a few pictures and struggled with how to pull it apart and assemble it.

First here's what the mini-XLR looks like next to the PC/Printer plug on the DRB-II

And securely inserted

Next here's what the mini-XLR looks like next to the PC/Printer plug on the OTC4000E

And securely inserted

Removing the mini-XLR insert is very difficult and isn't described anywhere, here's how to do it, get a plastic pen

And use it to shove the insert backwards

It comes out and then falls apart into two pieces

I wouldn't worry after its assembled and the strain relief handle is screwed back on.. that should hold it in place, there is also a groove you can't see to properly align it in the housing with the quick release button on the side

The completed cable is a bit of an upgrade from 1988

This cable should have all the parts to connect to a modern USB 2.0 port on a PC and communicate natively with the DRB/OTC using RS-232 signals (beware that TTL RS-232 is not the same thing.. that was invented much later to be used with very small electronics and runs at smaller communications voltages.. this cable is different.. it runs at higher communications voltages and is deliberately "old school" compatible with traditional PC peripherals).

The Digi-Key cable here made by FTDI is something of a marvel.. I hope it works.

I have been reading the 1991 training guide for the DRB-II and it says the [Remote Connection: On] feature was intended for displaying menu options on an instructors screen and would significantly slow down the display of values.. bummer.

Still I plan to pursue it just to see if the GTC software can download recording sessions where the data might be captured faster. And perhaps the OTC4000E has improved software that overcame that. The OTC4000E seems somewhat superior in some ways. But it can never replaced the DRB-II because that is what the Powertrain manual and Service guide for the Light Weight Pickup D250 calls for.

However the OTC4000E was made by the same company that made the circuit board in the DRB-II and externally they are almost identical. (note: the cartridges are not interchangeable if only because the OTC4000E PathFinder-II and PathFinder-III cartridges are smaller in size and shape. The DRB-II cartridges are larger. The number of pins on the cartridges are different as well, the DRB-II cartridges have more pins.)

I'm sort of learning that the electronics in these "data readout boxes" or "monitors" was really slow relatively speaking.. and that could be why the DRB-II included the big red Volt-Ohm-Meter (VOM) connector on the top right.

The theory back then seemed to be.. that to "truly" test a sensor or other voltage varying device.. the digital data was either too slow or insufficient. So having a Digital VOM in the same device was convenient and handy. I also imagine it was useful when tracing out ground faults or short circuits. And digital "anything" in 1988 was kind of futuristic... lol.

[Footnote] The USB cable connector is "Clear" or "Transparent" because its suppose to have a red and green LED on the tiny circuit board that light up to indicate traffic.

 

Excellent write up! If you can figure out a plug and play connector for the volt meter, that would be excellent. I haven't really looked into myself but I know with the right banana connector and lead, it can be made to work. Just have to put some time and research what will fit, which I haven't done yet.

 

I'm just guessing at this but the Elenco test leads have always been good to me. They cost a little more but are reasonable.

An Amazon search will turn some up:

Elenco Electronics TL-4 Electronic Test Lead

Those are "right angle" banana plugs, and its a set of black and red (you only need the red since the ground is through the vehicle) but you could think of it as having a backup.. or a complete "set".

People that use meters and stuff tend to pay more for probes and hang on to them separate from the equipment they use them on. Fluke users perhaps being the exception. But Fluke "only" users tend to buy things only once and expect an awful lot from their equipment and the accessories that come with them.

I do recall knowing a few electric meter collectors who swear by hanging their test leads up like bats in the belfry and oil them with silicone grease when not using them.. but to each their own.

If you prefer Alligator to Banana leads these should work:

Elenco Electronics TL-16 Banana to Large Alligator Test Lead

 

USB-2-RS232 Cable works

So I plugged it into the OTC-4000E with a PathFinder-III cartridge and started it up. The USB end was connected to a Netbook running WindowsXP and Hyperterminal.

As soon as I pressed [F2] [ 2 ] [ 2 ] the transparent USB connector started blinking Red/Green and the Hyperterminal window filled with stream of characters that formed a Menu.

Pressing various keys in Hyperterminal were accepted by the OTC-4000E like they were typed on the keypad of the OTC-4000E and vice versa.

I had started Hyperterminal at 8-N-1 (9600 BAUD)

YouTube video of the Cable working with the OTC-4000E
https://youtu.be/qvLifTC5vXo

I plugged the DRB-II into the same and got a bunch of jibberish without pressing anything on DRB-II startup.

So I switched to 8-N-1 (19200 BAUD) and got mostly intelligible characters. The stream was much faster however and it seemed the output was "re-painting" the entire Hyperterminal screen over and over.

The DRB-II did not accept any input from Hyperterminal however, it completely ignored pressing keys.

The DRB-II documentation I have comes from online and a training guide called "USING the DRB-II 1991" it has only one very small paragraph that indicates [remote display] defaults to off and is only used in Chrysler training sessions to display the instructors DRB-II on certain computers.

An engine diagnostic guide from 1989 only describes the DRB-II menus specifically related to diagnosing the powertrain.

So while the DRB-II I have apparently already had "saved" the configuration change to turn on remote display, that is not the norm.

Also there doesn't appear to be any other configuration parameters regarding bit, stop bit, parity or baud rates.

And the paragraph warned that leaving [remote display] turned on would significantly affect the speed with which the DRB-II display is updated with changes in monitored values.

 

I know the DRB-III (DRB3) is usually recommended for communicating with ODB-II vehicles. But browsing Chryslers Patent portfolio I came across the following:

[This was filed in March 1994.]
[Which probably means the SuperCartridge V8.0 1996]
[would be ODB-II capable with the adapter.]

US Patent # 5555498 - US5555498.pdf

Future vehicles sold in the United States will be required
to provide a standardized diagnostic interface for scan tools.

This requirement is called
CARB/OBD-II (California Air Research Board/On Board Diagnostics II)
it applies to all new vehicles designed for the 1994 model year
and all new vehicles manufactured in the 1996 model year.

CARB/OBD-II offers a choice between several communications formats
including the ISO9141 communications format.

Use of the ISO9141 communications format will mean existing tools
such as the DRB-II, will be unable to communicate with
new vehicle computer systems.

There is a need for an interface to enable the DRB-II to communicate
with new vehicle computer systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides an interface as a physical adapter which allows
the use of the DRB-II with an ISO9141 communications (ODBC-II complaint)
engine and transmission controller network.

The adapter functions as a communications converter to be used with
the existing DRB-II diagnostic device.

The adapter enables bi-directional communications while conditioning
the signals entering and exiting the adapter and allows the diagnostic tool
to operate transparent of the adapter’s presence.

In so doing, the adapter provides two modes of communications support;
an SCI II mode and an ISO9141 mode.

----

Since SBEC is prominently mentioned versus SMEC (pre-ODB-II) my assumption is the added [menu] referring to "Adapters" in V8.0 version of the SuperCartridge, which is not in the V7.0 version of the SuperCartridge is for guiding the user with help menus to attach the proper adapter cable for ODB-II vehicles. And since MMC and JEEP are called out separately, it is possible the 16-way cable is for ODB-II connections (to Chrysler vehicles).

ODB-II was more about pulling information than really attempting to activate (or "acutate") circuits proprietary for a vehicle. So my guess would be with one of these "adapters" it would be about the same as a generic ODB-II scanner.

Mind you that does not mean it would upgrade an older pre-ODB-II vehicle such that you could use a generic scan tool with it. This is all about the newer Chrysler vehicles having to adopt ODB-II and keeping the ability to continue using the same old DRB-II as a scan tool and diagnostic tool on the newer Chrysler vehicles. Its not something of common usefulness. For example you would not want to use the DRB-II with the ODB-II adapter on a GMC vehicle.. which "electrically" it might be possible, but the Chrysler DRB-II would not know how to interpret the information coming from such a vehicle. In such a case the more generic "after market" tool maker OTC, Cornwell, Matco, Snap-On would be more likely to gather and provide wider coverage and interpretation of ODB-II information with their scan tools.

 

I'm not sure what your saying.

1. You made a DRB-II Six-way Engine Diagnostic Cable according to the Diagram in the picture?

2. You then tried to make a DRB III Engine Diagnostic Cable, which is similar but not the same. But neither the 6-pin SCI Engine Connector, nor the 8-pin DRB-II DIN Connector has 10 pins. The DRB-III Connector has 16-pins?

3. The DRB-II Engine Diagnostic Cable you made will power up the DRB-II but when you connect it to the Engine it does not pull any Diagnostic Codes or Information from the Engine?

It sounds like you have a DRB-II and built the cable, it would power up but not communicate with the vehicles engine.

It also sounds like you have a DRB-III and as a second project your trying to build an Engine Diagnostic Cable for it, but do not have a diagram for a DRB-III Engine Diagnostic Cable and tried to guess the pattern from the DRB-II Cable.

Is any of this correct?

 

To jwillis84, Chrysler had a cartridge marked 98 Ultra V1.2 7-24-97 $CB56 53-200-9243 or something like that along with an OBD II looking connector for the DRB II for use in cars that were going to adopt the OBD II standard before 1996. See this post for more details:
http://www.turbododge.com/forums/f4...com/forums/f4/f21/408055-drb-ii-chrysler-development-cartridge.html#post2507159


To ecaruci, the drawing represents the male end of a din 8 connector that plugs into the female end of the DRB. If you mirror image the pins, i.e. pin 7 is actually pin 1, the mirror image would be the pinouts of the female DRB connector. Use this to construct a cable using any generic din 8 connector and any spare SCI cable that you can cut up.

For my cable I bought a generic din 8 male cable, wired to a DB15 breakout box, which connects to my Actron scanner cable:

 

To jwillis84, Chrysler had a cartridge marked 98 Ultra V1.2 7-24-97 $CB56 53-200-9243 or something like that along with an OBD II looking connector for the DRB II for use in cars that were going to adopt the OBD II standard before 1996. See this post for more details:
http://www.turbododge.com/forums/f4...com/forums/f4/f21/408055-drb-ii-chrysler-development-cartridge.html#post2507159

Wow that's an old post 10-20-2012

Some how I got my wires crossed.

I went hunting and hunting on eBay and couldn't find it.

Anything 1997 concerning a DRB-II sounds really interesting. I did not know it was still in service that long.

But since the 16-way Adapter came out in 1994 (the year is on the box) and 1996 was the year it was supposed to be in all new vehicles.. I guess that could exist.. I just don't know what it would do.. flash programming perhaps? Or support the new ODB-II feature set? It sounds like a "post ODB-II" Super Cartridge.

I forgot about the Acton connectors.. if I recall much cheaper than OTC connectors.