Original menus
The emulator boots the SAAB Tech2 card image. Its menus generate the diagnostic requests and display the vehicle's replies, exactly as the handset did.
§ 1 · WHAT IT IS
Original SAAB menus. On your phone.
OpenSAAB T2 emulates the original Tech2 diagnostic firmware on Android. Its menus are the real ones; its requests go to your car through a USB adapter. No Windows laptop, no vendor driver.
Developer preview · Android 8+ with 64-bit ARM app support · 32-bit head unit or unsure?
F0: Diagnostics
F1: Service Programming System (SPS)
F2: Tool Options
F3: Diagnostic Strategy
F4: Release Notes
Software Version: 9.250
North American Operations
S1S2S3S4
§ 2 · HOW IT WORKS
The firmware drives. The app carries.
Direct connection
Android → USB → car. The app speaks the adapter's own USB protocol directly. Chipsoft Pro is the current development focus; the same transport is being brought to macOS, Windows and Linux.
Keep the evidence
Save DTC reports. Review a private support report before you decide to share it. Real failures, documented, become fixes.
§ 3 · START HERE
Three steps from download to diagnostics.
01 · INSTALL
Install the app directly.
Download the 64-bit Android app and approve Android's installation prompt. A 64-bit processor alone is not enough — Android itself must support 64-bit ARM apps. Unsure? Use the optional compatibility check, or choose the separate 32-bit head-unit build.
02 · PREPARE
Set up your software.
The app guides you through version and language selection, download and extraction. English SAAB NAO is the default. Existing installations keep their firmware and settings.
03 · CONNECT
Connect and explore.
Use a compatible USB adapter, allow Android USB access and follow the original firmware prompts. Start with information and code reading. Offline emulation works without an adapter.
The emulator source is MPL-2.0. The APK includes three original support files; the larger SAAB card image is downloaded during setup. Security access requires internet access to the OpenSAAB security-access API. Installed USB diagnostics work offline.
§ 4 · TESTED SO FAR
Where we are today.
Status is recorded from what has actually been observed on our bench and test vehicles, in the same terms we use internally. "Tested" means it has worked on real hardware; it is not a compatibility guarantee.
| Area | Status | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Chipsoft Pro · Android | Vehicle-tested | ECU information, DTC and selected security workflows have worked on our test vehicles. Wider compatibility needs testing. |
| Desktop · macOS, Windows, Linux | Mac and Windows previews | Mac 0.2.8 and Windows 0.2.15 preview downloads are available. Windows adds shared security processing and private reports; an intermittent adapter-parser stop remains under investigation. Linux downloads and complete platform parity remain pending. |
| VCX Nano · Android | Under investigation | Earlier successful runs; a later channel-initialization regression remains unresolved. |
| MDI and other adapters | Not supported | No claim of a working backend. |
| Live data and programming | Incomplete | Not ready to advertise as dependable across vehicles and modules. |
Read the dated Android DTC research notes for earlier evidence; the table reflects subsequent findings.
§ 5 · WATCH
Meet the app. Learn the first steps.
Introducing OpenSAAB T2
A captioned overview of the project and the community preview. Transcript
Your first launch
Select software, understand download and extraction, and recover from an offline error. Transcript
Captioned walkthroughs from a development build, not live vehicle demonstrations. No private VINs, security codes or traffic logs are shown.
§ 6 · BUILT TOGETHER
Help shape what comes next.
Tell us what works, describe what fails, or volunteer to test with your phone and adapter. The forum is on GitHub Discussions; repeatable bugs go in an issue.
Buy me a beer.
I've put my own time into OpenSAAB T2. If it helps you, consider supporting development and adapter testing on Ko-fi. Support is voluntary — it does not unlock diagnostics, purchase vehicle security access, or guarantee compatibility. No VIN, logs or security data are attached to the link.
§ 7 · RELEASE LOG
What changed, and when.
- Android ARM64 preview.28: visible app version and optional daily idle update reminders, with separate architecture channels, a one-day snooze and manual opt-out.
- Android ARM64 preview.27: richer reviewed diagnostic reports, Chipsoft firmware identity and expected-stop handling for security processing. Field retesting is still required; ARM32 remains on its separate release.
- Collector 0.5.3: create a sanitized copy, review counts of supported text redactions, then confirm upload. Originals stay local and unchanged. Split identifiers and security exchanges may remain. Collector download and privacy limits →
- Collector 0.5.2: stop and save locally, review your capture, then choose Upload. Fresh bundles preserve your edits; no automatic upload or automatic redaction. Collector download and review instructions →
- Windows 0.2.15 preview: Chipsoft direct USB/CDC, shared security-data processing, firmware continuation and private issue uploads. Removes a legacy private bench identifier before publication. Known adapter-parser limitation is documented. Windows download and release notes →
- Branded Collector 0.5.1 and Mac 0.2.8 betas: separate Apple-silicon and Intel downloads, matching source, checksums and a scoped test guide. Persistent Donate controls are being brought to every platform. Mac beta downloads →
- Mac 0.2.7 development checkpoint: Connect and start now reads the bench VIN and launches the original SAAB firmware with a deferred native Chipsoft bridge. Real CAN reception, clean shutdown and successful retry verified on M4. The original single-wire wake still fails on our bench without diagnostic pin 1/SW-CAN; original ECU-information and DTC success are not confirmed. Apple-silicon and Intel packages archived privately; Intel 0.2.7 native hardware retest pending. Read the progress update →
- Desktop previews: the macOS Apple-silicon build identifies a Chipsoft Pro and reads the VIN over HS-CAN natively, without the vendor driver. Windows and Linux previews exist offline. Nothing desktop is downloadable yet.
- Setup 0.3.4 opens the verified app automatically after installation. ARM64 preview.22 and 32-bit headunit.17 share the shorter software-preparation flow and the Chipsoft Connect and start action. Installer cleanup is optional. Install updates over the existing app to keep firmware and settings.
- 32-bit head-unit build keeps its optimized startup and defers CANdi initialization until communication is needed. On our ECM-only bench the VIN reads; the missing single-wire bus still stops the full vehicle workflow.
Full release notes, source archives, signing identities and checksums are on GitHub Releases.