Vag-Com OBD11 confusion

[slocumjoseph]

I have a Volkswagen, Audi etc specific OBD2 scanner which at just under £100 is not of course up to Ross-Techs Vag-Com professional standards. However for a non Windows person it performs all the diagnostic functions I need. I understand VCDS is specific software for Volkswagen but have never fully understood why other manufacturers of diagnostic software don’t use that term when describing their functions even though many are identical. I’m guessing Ross-Tech have exclusive use of the VCDS acronym because Vag-Com was developed by them. So other software developers and hardware devices that can do the same job cannot use that term under copyright law. Am I over simplifying and missing something?

 

[Loz]

Vag-com was the former name of VCDS both are trademarks of Ross-tech (the manufacture). Vagcom has just become a common term nowadays. VW group use VAS and ODIS. All of them (VCDS, OBD11, Carista etc.) are OBD communication tools, but what makes them different is what work has been done by the vendor to interpret the data and the scripts they have incorporated to simplify tasks.

The tools used by the dealership are geared towards "guided fault finding " where as tools we use are more technical and allow use to directly program changes.

 

[slocumjoseph]

Vag-com was the former name of VCDS both are trademarks of Ross-tech (the manufacture). Vagcom has just become a common term nowadays. VW group use VAS and ODIS. All of them (VCDS, OBD11, Carista etc.) are OBD communication tools, but what makes them different is what work has been done by the vendor to interpret the data and the scripts they have incorporated to simplify tasks.

The tools used by the dealership are geared towards "guided fault finding " where as tools we use are more technical and allow use to directly program changes.

Thanks for trying make it clear for me @Loz. You’re on a bit of a loser with me as I’ve never been good with data and statistics. I’m more of a Fred Dibnah than a Steven Hawking. I think I understand you’re saying Vag-Com has become a bit of a generic term for VW diagnostic software. A bit like Hoover, JCB and Durex. Don’t think I’ll ever be comfortable with data and statistics. So perhaps I should stick to building and mending and give up trying to understand things too far out of my comfort zone. “Guided Fault Finding” is a good description…now where did I put my white stick!