What makes a computer work anyway, and what’s the difference between hardware software drivers n adapters

Ontario Outlaw

Hozer Witta Hood
Exactly like the title says.

If I want my lap top to talk to my truck....

I have to download software

Which needs a driver

I need an adapter. Is that hardware?

I need my trucks diagnostic port to access my trucks ECM. Is my trucks ECM hardware?

If the computer detects the adapter, that means the computer is talking to the adapter, yes?

But if it won’t connect to the ECM.....what’s that tell you?
 
Try a different adapter. Should be a two or three prong Cummins plug on the harness on the side of the block. Get the adapter that fits that and you remove that junk truck 6 or 9 pin from the equation and onsite actually moves faster when connected that way.

Ecm adapter, laptop all hardware.

Insite calibration revision is software.

A driver makes the shit communicate with each other and is also software.
 
Try a different adapter. Should be a two or three prong Cummins plug on the harness on the side of the block. Get the adapter that fits that and you remove that junk truck 6 or 9 pin from the equation and onsite actually moves faster when connected that way.

Ecm adapter, laptop all hardware.

Insite calibration revision is software.

A driver makes the **** communicate with each other and is also software.
I don’t have the three pin Deutsch connector to bypass the trucks wiring.

I think a Nexiq three pin Deutsch will work, but the last time they used a Cummins Inline 7 three pin to a Nexiq USB-2 adapter and it worked fine

Other mechanics can go through the trucks port and communicate with my ECM.

Sounds like maybe it’s a driver issue then. Software is up to date, maybe I need to update the drivers
 
Adapter is hardware. Driver (software) allows operating system (software) to control adapter. The Ecm itself is hardware, running proprietary software. Think of the adapter as a translator between laptop and ecm. .
 
Hardware is the physical part. Software is the code that makes the hardware work.
Drivers are the low-level software that is essentially hardwired into the hardware that allows it to start up, and work with the the software.

...you know, the 10-cpm crowd of the computer world.
 
I hate computers....

Called Cummins. Again. They said I need a license for the software. Ok fine. Got a license for it.

Still won’t talk to the ECM.

Out of curiosity I grabbed the old laptop. Installed the software.

(The old laptop had both Cummins programs on it before but they were glitchy)

Hooked to the truck and it connected first try. Picked up the adapter right away and no screwing around

So it’s something with the new laptop....

:bigpaddle:
 
On your old laptop, get a program called CCLEANER. It used to be called Crap Cleaner but political correctness.

Anyway the free license is decent and if you want to can pay varying amounts for more functionality.

The base version will take out old files and delete all sorts of stuff.

It will also allow you to remove programs that slow your start up process, which is great.
 
On your old laptop, get a program called CCLEANER. It used to be called Crap Cleaner but political correctness.

Anyway the free license is decent and if you want to can pay varying amounts for more functionality.

The base version will take out old files and delete all sorts of stuff.

It will also allow you to remove programs that slow your start up process, which is great.
I’ll try that first
I’m leaning towards “reformatting” it

Whatever that means
 
Reformatting is erasing the directory for the hard drive. Makes your computer think the hard drive is empty. You'd be looking at reinstalling everything including windows. Better be sure you have all your software disks handy.
Maybe I’ll let the computer guys handle that part then
 

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