If you want to tinker with late model cars, you will want to decode the J1850 data stream. Well, there is a Motorola chip that was designed to do just that: interface with the data stream used in late GM and Chrysler cars, it's the Motorola MC68HC58, and the schematics above are straight from the application notes. The driver to detect and use this chip is built into ScanOS, so it's really easy to get into the data stream. Interpreting that data is something else, but that is beyond the scope of this page.
The real challenge will be to get your hands on one of those precious chips. I really can't tell you where to get them, you have to be creative. If you find a source for the general public, please let me know!
There really isn't much to say about this option. As the name option implies, you can omit all of these components, and FlexScan will work just fine. It just won't interface with J1850 vehicles, that's all. Anyway, the board has provisions for all the parts, so you can still add them at a later time.
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