The Complete OBD Software Stack for Telematics Hardware
A flexible, licensable OBD software foundation for building reliable telematics and fleet tracking products.
Standards
Protocols
Data Points
Stack
What Our OBD Software Can Do for Telematics and Fleet Tracking
Everything you need to build world-class vehicle telematics applications, with full control over vehicle data, integration, and deployment.
Real-Time
Vehicle Data
Access 250+ data points including VIN, RPM, fuel level, engine temperature, diagnostics, and more in real-time.
Complete
Source Code
Full C source code with hardware abstraction layer for easy porting to your platform of choice.
Battle-Tested
Reliability
Proven across 6 continents on vehicles manufactured since 1996, covering all major manufacturers and protocols.
Save Years of Development
Skip the learning curve and get to market faster with our production-ready OBD protocol stack.
Fuel
The Fuel Level can be a very lucrative parameter for car rental companies. It can also be used for tracking fleets and smart-phone based applications. Fuel level is supported on 52% of cars in North America manufactured after 1996 (86% of cars since 2010).
VIN
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a unique number assigned to every car. The VIN can be decoded to determine vehicle make, model, year, engine size, and more. VIN is supported on 91% of cars in North America manufactured after 1996 (99% of cars since 2010).
Vehicle Speed
Vehicle speed is one of the most fundamental pieces of OBD II data for most telematics suppliers. It can be used to monitor driving and create a running odometer. Speed is supported on all cars in North America manufactured after 1996.
MIL
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is illuminated upon detection of a problem with the engine. If the MIL is illuminated this means that there is an error number, called a Diagnostic Trouble Code, stored in the on-board engine computer. Use OBD II to read the DTC code and diagnose the problem. MIL status and DTCs are supported on all cars in North America manufactured after 1996.
Engine RPM
The Engine revolutions per minute can be used to determine if the car is running and to monitor driving behavior. When combined with the vehicle speed, RPM can detect if a vehicle has been left idling. RPM is supported on all cars in North America manufactured after 1996.
Engine Coolant Temperature
This is one of many useful OBD II parameters when it comes to monitoring the health of your car or fleet. Engine Coolant Temperature is supported on all cars in North America manufactured after 1996.
Why Telematics Companies License Our OBD Software.
Production-ready OBD software, complete protocol coverage, and the flexibility to run on your hardware, without compromise.
License From Industry Experts
Skip years of development with proven expertise built into every line of code.
- Skip years of development
- Adaptable – Hardware and Software
- Expert Support
- Ongoing Updates
- In all your products on all platforms – Forever
- For Linux, RTOS and non-RTOS environments
Complete Source Code For All OBD Protocols
Every protocol you need, ready to deploy with automatic detection.
- ISO 9141-2
- KWP 2000-4
- SAE J1850 PWM (Ford SCP)
- SAE J1850 VPW (GM Class 2)
- ISO 15765-4 (CAN 11-bit & 29-bit)
- J1979-2 (OBDonUDS)
- J1979-3 (OBDonZEV) NEW
Fully Adaptable & Available On Several Platforms
Deploy on your hardware of choice with our abstraction layer.
- STM32F0 series
- STM32F1 series
- STM32F2 series
- STM32F3 series
- STM32F4 series
- STM32H7 series
Don’t see your chip? Contact us to add it!
How Our OBD Software Works
Embedded OBD software that enables reliable vehicle communication across protocols, platforms, and processors.
The OBD Software Stack Integration
Best for:
Companies building their own telematics devices or embedded systems.
License the OBD Software Stack
License our production-ready OBD II and OBDonUDS (J1979 / J1979-2) source code, including support for ISO 9141-2, KWP2000, J1850, and CAN (ISO 15765-4).
Integrate into Your Firmware
Integrate the OBD stack directly into your device firmware using portable C source code. You control how vehicle data is collected, processed, and transmitted.
Deploy to Vehicles
Deploy your hardware with full OBD communication support and begin collecting real-time vehicle diagnostics and standard OBD data across supported vehicles.
Outcome:
Full control, no OEM lock-in, and years of OBD protocol development removed from your roadmap.
Trusted by Industry Leaders Worldwide
“By using the OBD Experts OBD II protocol Stack and Device Drivers, we have saved hundreds of hours of development time and provided our customers with a proven solution.”
John Moore
Morey Corporation
“We have found OBD Experts to be a knowledgeable and supportive technology supplier. Their expertise has undoubtedly contributed to our own understanding of OBD II, enabling product enhancement and the associated commercial opportunities.”
Peter Sanders
Redtail Telematics
“The code package we received from OBD Experts included very good documentation and commenting. Our developers were able to integrate the OBD communication functions for our STM32F4 based platform in a matter of days.”
Michael Hall
Hall Logic
“We truly appreciate OBD Expert’s professional collaboration and technical insight, which have been instrumental in advancing our product development and expanding our market reach.”
Henry Park
VP of Product Engineering
“What really stands out about Odomatic is the reliability of the product and the exceptional support from the team. They’re always responsive and go above and beyond to ensure we succeed.”
Todd
Fleet Intelligence, Platform Provider
Frequently Asked Questions
What software is included in the OBD Experts Protocol Stack?
When you purchase the complete OBD Protocol Stack you will receive the source code for all the OBD and OBDonUDS protocols. The source files are written in C and organized with a layer of abstraction to the hardware-specific code so that porting of the code to alternative hardware platforms is kept simple.
Can I modify/tailor the OBD Protocol Stack once it has been purchased?
When you purchase the OBD Protocol Stack you will be required to sign an agreement stating you will not sell it to any 3rd party, however, you will be able to use it freely – including all modifications – in your company products.
What comes with the OBD Protocol Stack?
When you purchase the complete OBD Protocol Stack you will receive the source code for all the OBD protocols. The source files are written in C and organised with a layer of abstraction to the hardware specific code so that porting of the code to alternative hardware platforms is kept simple.
What support comes with your software, do you provide updates?
All our licences come with off-site support. This is phone and email support for any question that your engineers may have about how the software works, porting, or even general questions about OBD II. During your support period you will be notified of bug-fixes if any operational bugs are reported in the software by any of our other clients.
Do you license your software on a per-unit basis?
The OBD protocol stack is licensed for a one-off perpetuity fee. A full licence includes one year off-site support. Contact us for more information.
How has your software been tested?
Our software is undergoing constant testing and not just by us, but also due to the fact it is in daily use by our customers on hundreds of thousands of vehicles. Every week we test approximately 30 vehicles. We try to cover all Year/Make/Model/Engine combinations. With new model years coming all the time this is a continuous task.
Which cars does it work on?
The answer is all OBD II and OBDonUDS compliant cars. OBD II (J1979) and OBDonUDS are standards that all manufacturers of vehicles with emissions have to comply with. OBD Experts software works on all vehicles since 1996 in North America and in Europe then it’s all petrol cars since 2001 and all diesel cars since 2004. So it works on GM, Ford, Honda, Chrysler, Toyota, RAM, Jeep, Subaru, Kia, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Mercedes, Jaguar, Landrover, Volvo, Fiat, Peugeot, Renault, Citroen, Ferrari, BMW, VW etc. etc. Only cars with no emissions i.e. fully electric cars do not need to comply with the J1979 standard and so sometimes do not support OBD II or OBDonUDS, however, beginning in 2027 electric vehicles will need to support the mandated ONDonZEV standard.
How do I determine which OBD protocol to use on a particular vehicle?
Our OBD software determines the correct protocol for you so you don’t need to worry about protocol detection.
What additional hardware is required to communicate with a vehicle using OBD?
You cannot connect microprocessor outputs directly to the J1962 connector on a vehicle. You will require some simple external circuitry including:
- a CAN transceiver
- a voltage boost to 12V for the ISO/KWP lines (this must be weakly pulled up to 12V by a 510 ohm resistor)
- a variable voltage boost for J1850+ (5V for PWM, 7.5V for VPW)
- a boost to 5V for J1850- (this line should also be pulled up to 5V)
Can I use your firmware to read door lock status and unlock the car doors?
Yes! But not using basic OBD communications. Please click to our Odomatic page to read about this feature in the Odomatic library.
What is OBDonUDS or J1979-2 and do you support it?
OBDonUDS (J1979-2) is the new standard that extends traditional OBD II (J1979). J1979-2 will be a replacement standard for OBD II in 2027. If you are interested in learning more about OBDonUDS register here for our free webinar and white paper series that begins in Q1 2024.
Still have questions?
New OBD standard J1979-2 is here! Register for a free Webinar
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