1.

1  Will VCDS work with my car?

VCDS and VCDS-Mobile will work with most Volkswagen and Audi models sold World-Wide
1994 through the current model year. It will work with some cars all the way back to model year
1990. It will also work with most late-model SEAT, and Skoda models sold in markets other
than North America. If your VW or Audi has a 16-pin "OBD-II style" Data Link Connector, 
VCDS will definitely work.  If your car has the old "2x2" Data Link Connection, check if there
is a wire going to each pin, as shown in the picture. If there are four wires, VCDS should work
with any diagnostics-capable modules that are present.  If there are only three wires, then
nothing in the car is diagnostics-capable..  Please see these Application Charts where you
can select your model and see which modules can communicate with VCDS.  Also see the
Issues page for a few things that may not work as expected.   If in doubt, e-mail us.

1.2  Will VCDS work even if my car is "chipped"?

Yes.  If it doesn't work in a "chipped" car, the chip-vendor did something seriously wrong! Chips
from reputable vendors do not interfere with diagnostic functions so if the factory scan tools can
"talk" to the ECU, then VCDS should be able to as well.

1.3  What functions are included in the current release?

Please see the Function Chart for the current feature set. We strive to keep VCDS updated to
work with the latest vehicles and functions. The objective is to allow users to perform the same
diagnostic functions that are performed by the VW/Audi factory scan tools, using instructions
found in the factory repair manuals.

1.4  What  are the computer requirements?

VCDS requires a computer running Microsoft Windows (the HEX-NET can be used with VCDS-
Mobile on other platforms but that use is still in beta testing). A Laptop is most convenient but a
desktop PC can also be used.
We recommend a PC running Windows 7, 8.1, or 10 with at least 2GB of RAM (single-core
Atom�-class processors are no longer recommended and devices with ARM CPUs are NOT
SUPPORTED). Screen resolution of at least 800x600 is recommended.
If you are using a power supply for a laptop, it should be one specifically designed for that
purpose, NOT a "universal" adapter.
Systems running Windows in a virtualized environment (for example Virtual PC on a Mac) are
not supported. See also Question 1.8.

1.5  Should I get a Serial or a USB interface?

This depends primarily on the PC you're planning to use:

If you're using a modern PC running Windows XP or newer, then you should probably get a
USB interface.   Although USB interfaces are no faster than serial versions, it's becoming
increasingly difficult to find new PCs with serial ports, so a USB interface is more future-proof.  

If you're using a PC running an older version of Windows or with a CPU speed of less
than 1GHz, we recommend a Serial interface.   Obviously a serial interface requires a Serial
Port which looks like this:
Observe the port we surrounded with the GREEN oval. Notice the 9 male pins? That's a Serial
port.   Observe the port circled and crossed in RED.  Notice the 15 female pins? That is a
Monitor port and will not work!

Many generic USB<->Serial converters are unable to handle the baud rate and timing
requirements that are demanded by some control modules using the VAG protocols.  If you wish
to use a USB<->Serial converter, we recommend that you get one with an FT232B or FT232R
chipset.   It is essential to configure the virtual COM port that it creates to be in the range of
COM1 to COM4, and to set the Latency timer to 2.  See this screen-shot as a guide to
configuring these devices.  Please understand, this is a recommendation only; if you purchase
your own USB<->Serial converter, please do not expect us to support it.

For registered users with HEX-COM or HEX-COM+CAN interfaces, we used to supply a

modified FT232B based USB<->Serial converter, which is compatible with the "Direct" drivers
provided with VCDS version 10.6 and newer, and is fully supported by us.  Once "married" to
your interface, these converters provided the exact same functionality as our HEX-USB or HEX-
USB+CAN interfaces. However, this "marriage" requires a revised license to be loaded in the
interface, so the initial installation is not just plug-an-play. If you are registered user with a HEX-
COM or HEX-COM+CAN interface and no longer have a PC with a serial port, please contact
our Sales Department for trade-in options.