Hex Terminal for BMW and MINI
Send a single diagnostic command to one control module and see its raw answer — with a built-in catalog of named commands, so you choose “Read VIN” instead of typing bytes.
The Hex Terminal is DiagBimmer's expert tool. It speaks UDS, the same diagnostic protocol BMW's own workshop equipment uses, to a module you pick by address. Most people never need it: the rest of the app reads faults, live data and service information without it. It is there for the moments when you want to ask a module something directly.
What you need
- An ENET connection. On Android, an ENET cable with a USB-C Ethernet adapter, or a Wi-Fi ENET adapter. On iPhone, a Wi-Fi ENET adapter (MHD / ModBMW type), or a plain ENET cable with the gateway address entered by hand. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi OBD (ELM327) adapters do not reach the terminal.
- A car whose gateway answers HSFZ — F-series and early G-series cars. The terminal is not available on a car whose gateway answers only DoIP.
- The one-time premium purchase to send commands. There is no subscription.
Built-in commands
The app has a catalog of named commands. The 22 below are the everyday ones, with what each does in plain words. Each one is marked Read only or Changes the car, from the app's own safety check: before sending, the terminal rates every command, and anything that changes the car goes out only after you confirm it.
Identify a module
Check what a module is and what software it runs — useful when you fit a used part.
| Command | What it does | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Read VIN | The vehicle identification number stored in the module. Shows whether the module belongs to this car. | Read only |
| Read serial number | The module's own serial number. | Read only |
| Read manufacturing data | The production data the module was built with. | Read only |
| Read software list (SVK) | The hardware and software part numbers installed in the module right now. | Read only |
| Read supplier software list | The SVK as the supplier delivered the module. | Read only |
| Read plant software list | The SVK as the factory programmed the module. | Read only |
| Read backup software list 1 | An earlier SVK the module kept from a previous programming. Lists 2 and 3 are in the catalog too. | Read only |
| Read SGBD index | The variant index BMW's diagnostic software uses to pick the right description file for this module. | Read only |
| Read programming counter | How many times the module has been programmed. | Read only |
| Read programming counter limit | How many programming cycles the module allows in total. | Read only |
Session and status
See what state a module or the whole car is in before you change anything.
| Command | What it does | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Read active diagnostic session | Whether the module is in its default, extended or programming session. | Read only |
| Read energy mode | Normal, production, transport or flash mode — the mode that decides how much power the car lets its modules draw. | Read only |
| Read gateway mode | The operating mode of the central gateway. | Read only |
| Read gateway IP configuration | The network address settings the gateway uses on its ENET port. | Read only |
Fault memory
Raw access to the same fault memory the app's scan reads, one module at a time.
| Command | What it does | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Read fault codes | The module's pending and confirmed fault codes, with their status bytes. | Read only |
| Read supported fault codes | Every fault code the module is able to store. | Read only |
| Read info memory | BMW's second event memory: entries the module records without setting a fault. | Read only |
| Clear fault codes | Erases the module's fault memory. Sent to the broadcast address, it clears every module at once. | Changes the car |
| Clear info memory | Erases the info memory entries. | Changes the car |
Restarts and energy mode
Commands that change the car. The terminal sends them only after you confirm.
| Command | What it does | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Restart module (hard reset) | Restarts the module, the same as cutting and restoring its power — for example the head unit when the iDrive screen has frozen. | Changes the car |
| Energy mode: normal | Sent to the broadcast address, takes the whole car out of transport or production mode. | Changes the car |
| Energy mode: transport | Puts the car into transport mode, which cuts standby consumption for shipping or long storage. | Changes the car |
The catalog also holds advanced commands, such as gateway network settings and head-unit service routines. They are meant for technicians who know exactly what they do and are not described here. You can also type any command yourself; the terminal rates it the same way before it goes out.
Safety
A command that writes, erases, restarts or runs a routine changes the car. The terminal shows what kind of change it is and waits for your confirmation; a read goes out straight away. Damage from improper use is the user's responsibility — see the Terms of Use.