The mini that app forums keep recommending: a V1.5 super mini built on the PIC18F25K80, speaking Classic Bluetooth to Torque, Car Scanner and the pickier apps that stumble on v2.1 clones.
V1.5 is a number you will never find in Elm Electronics' own history. The Canadian company went from v1.4 straight to v2.0, so every V1.5 adapter is a clone. The label survives because clone makers attached it to boards that copy the older, fuller command set and run it on a Microchip PIC18F25K80.
That pairing of label and chip is why the super mini draws a loyal following. Many OBD apps were written against the v1.x command list, and they send setup commands a cheap v2.1 clone may simply ignore. A V1.5 on the PIC18F25K80 answers more of them, so the app gets past its initialisation and on to the data.
What V1.5 means in practice:
The full protocol list on this family is complete: SAE J1850 PWM at 41.6 kbaud and VPW at 10.4 kbaud, ISO 9141-2, ISO 14230-4 KWP with 5-baud and fast init, and ISO 15765-4 CAN in 11- or 29-bit form at 500 or 250 kbaud. The descriptions also list SAE J1939 and two user-set CAN modes, USER1 at 125 kbaud and USER2 at 50 kbaud.
Descriptions also say it works with diesel OBD-II cars, which matches the complete protocol list.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Version label | V1.5 (clone firmware) |
| Microcontroller | PIC18F25K80, named on most variants |
| Chip-free variant | One blue variant is marked without the PIC18F25K80 |
| Connection | Classic Bluetooth |
| Devices | Android phones and tablets |
| iPhone / iPad | Not listed |
| App named in the title | Torque |
| OBD-II protocols | SAE J1850 PWM (41.6 kbaud), SAE J1850 VPW (10.4 kbaud), ISO 9141-2, ISO 14230-4 KWP (5-baud and fast init), ISO 15765-4 CAN (11/29-bit, 500/250 kbaud) |
| Extra CAN modes | SAE J1939 (29-bit, 250 kbaud), USER1 CAN (11-bit, 125 kbaud), USER2 CAN (11-bit, 50 kbaud) |
| Vehicles | OBD-II petrol and diesel cars |
| Functions | Read generic and manufacturer-specific codes with meanings, clear codes, turn off the MIL |
| Code library | Over 3,000 generic code definitions |
| Live data | RPM, load, coolant and intake temp, speed, fuel trims, manifold pressure, timing, air flow, throttle, O2 voltages, fuel pressure |
| Colours | Blue, white |
| In the box | 1 mini ELM327 Bluetooth adapter |
The title of this super mini names one app: Torque. That is the natural first install on Android, and the V1.5 firmware gives it everything it asks for. DashCommand, Car Scanner and OBD Fusion follow the same Classic Bluetooth routine.
Which apps get the most from V1.5:
Every variant is described for Android, and none names iOS or a Windows PC. The connection settings each phone app needs are covered under mini app setup, and the pairing order with PIN alternatives in the ELM327 mini manual.
The super mini is sold in a string of near-identical variants, and one detail separates them: whether the PIC18F25K80 is named. Most say it outright. A few leave the chip unmentioned, and one pair spells out the difference by colour.
| Variant | Chip statement | Colour |
|---|---|---|
| V1.5 Super Mini (three styles) | PIC18F25K80 named | Blue |
| V1.5 with PIC18F25K80 chip | PIC18F25K80 named | Blue |
| V1.5 multi-car, white | With PIC18F25K80 | White |
| V1.5 multi-car, blue | Marked without PIC18F25K80 | Blue |
| Mini V1.5 (two styles) | Chip not named | Blue |
That multi-car pair is the one to read carefully. Both carry V1.5 in the title, yet the blue one is labelled as having no PIC18F25K80, while the white one has it. If the chip is the reason you are buying, pick the white one or a variant that names the chip.
How to check what arrived:
A command check matters more than the colour of the plastic. A variant that answers the full command list works like a V1.5, whatever its title says, and one that fails is a v2.1 clone in a V1.5 box. Test it inside the return window.
The variants share the rest: Classic Bluetooth, Android first, and the thumb-sized mini shell that sits flush under the dash.
The super mini is the generic route to V1.5 and a named chip. Two other minis cover the same ground with more paperwork: a branded Android mini with V1.5 printed in its model name, and a Bluetooth 5.1 mini built on a 25K80 chipset.
| Super Mini V1.5 | Panlong B02 V1.5 | B02-KD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chip named | PIC18F25K80 | Not stated | Dual-board 25K80 |
| Link | Classic Bluetooth | Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.1 |
| iPhone | No | No | Yes |
| Warranty | Not stated | 1 year | Defects replaced |
Choosing among them:
The generic route has a trade-off. The super mini comes with no manual worth the name and a short description, so the setup knowledge has to come from the app side. For owners comfortable with that, it delivers the chip and the version most apps are happiest with. For anyone who wants to email a maker when something fails, the branded Panlong is the calmer purchase.
For an iPhone household, neither Classic mini helps: the B02-KD brings the same 25K80 chip family to Bluetooth 5.1, where iOS apps can find it.
Tick three boxes first: the phone is Android, the car has an OBD-II port, and your chosen app is one that benefits from V1.5. Then choose a variant whose title names the PIC18F25K80, and run a command check the day it arrives.
It is a clone label. Elm Electronics went from v1.4 to v2.0, and V1.5 adapters copy the older, fuller command set, usually on a PIC18F25K80.
For apps that send advanced setup commands, usually yes. For plain code reads in Torque, both work.
Torque is named on the box. Car Scanner, OBD Fusion, DashCommand and FORScan on high-speed CAN also run on V1.5 minis.
Open the shell and read the chip marking, or run a checker app such as ELM327 Identifier. Buy a variant that names the chip.
No. Its Classic Bluetooth radio is invisible to iOS apps. The B02-KD is the 25K80 option for iPhone.
