For Mercedes-Benz vehicle diagnostics, Xentry/DAS remains a crucial tool. To get your system running smoothly, especially when utilizing a “Xentry Com” setup, this guide provides a step-by-step approach. This process typically involves using a virtual machine environment and specific hardware to bridge the communication gap between your diagnostic software and the vehicle. Here’s how to configure your system effectively.
First, you’ll need a reliable USB serial adapter built around an FTDI chipset. This hardware acts as the essential interface, translating USB to serial communication required for older diagnostic multiplexers. You can find these adapters from various online retailers.
Next, setting up your virtual machine is critical. For “xentry com” compatibility, it’s recommended to use a virtual machine image in VHD format, especially if you are using VirtualBox. Avoid VHDX format as it might cause compatibility issues. Create a new virtual machine in VirtualBox and point it to your VHD image. Ensure the virtual machine’s OS settings mirror the OS within the image itself. Once the virtual OS boots up, install VirtualBox Guest Additions to optimize performance and integration with your host system. If you’re working with an older OS like Windows XP, ensure APIC is enabled in the system settings of your VirtualBox machine to prevent boot failures.
Some Xentry/DAS software versions include copy protection measures. If you encounter issues after hardware ID changes in your virtual machine, it might trigger a security prompt. In Windows XP environments, streamlining startup processes can help. Using msconfig, disable unnecessary services like Chinese language support and potentially problematic startup items associated with the diagnostic software itself. Services like “ads” and “mote” are often safe to disable or remove to improve system stability and resource usage for “xentry com” operations. For a clean and fully functional DAS environment, consider replacing the DAS BIN folder with one from a non-copy-protected source.
Now, configuring the serial port is essential for “xentry com” communication. Open Star Utilities within your virtual machine and navigate to the self-tests section, then select DMI self-diagnosis. A window will appear displaying the COM port number and Baud rate that your system is configured to use. Note these settings down as they are crucial for the next steps.
Open Device Manager in your virtual machine and locate the COM ports section. Find the COM port identified in Star Utilities. Access its advanced settings and change its COM port number to the next available number in the sequence. For instance, if it’s COM2, change it to COM3.
Connect your FTDI USB serial adapter to your host computer. While driver installation on the host may not always be necessary, ensure drivers are available for the guest OS. In VirtualBox, go to the Devices menu in your virtual machine window. Under USB, you should see your USB to Serial device listed. Select it to connect it to the guest OS. The virtual machine will detect the new hardware, and you should proceed to install the FTDI adapter drivers within the guest operating system. This driver installation can be done either before or after connecting the device to the guest.
Once the drivers are installed in the guest OS, revisit the COM port listing in Device Manager. Find the newly connected FTDI COM port and adjust its settings. Match the Baud rate and COM port number to the values you recorded from Star Utilities earlier, typically 115200 Baud and COM2, but these can vary. Crucially, within the advanced settings for the FTDI adapter, adjust the latency timer to 1ms. This low latency is often necessary for reliable communication in “xentry com” setups.
With the hardware and software configured, you can now physically connect your serial cable and plug the multiplexer into the OBDII port of the Mercedes-Benz vehicle. Check the status monitor within your “xentry com” software – it should indicate a successful connection. You can also return to Star Utilities and run the self-tests again; they should now pass, confirming your “xentry com” system is correctly set up and ready for vehicle diagnostics. Even if the self-test doesn’t fully pass, as long as the connection monitor indicates connectivity, your system should be functional for diagnostic tasks.
If direct USB adapter connection to the guest OS proves problematic, an alternative approach is to pass the USB to serial adapter through from the host operating system. This involves modifying your VirtualBox machine settings to add a COM port. Configure this COM port to match the one identified by Star Utilities and select “Host Device”. In the path field, specify the host COM port number assigned to your USB serial adapter (e.g., COM6). You might still need to adjust the COM port number within the guest OS Device Manager to ensure it aligns correctly with your “xentry com” software requirements. This method can sometimes resolve USB connectivity issues and ensure a stable communication pathway for your “xentry com” diagnostic system.
