# Vehicle Connection Interfaces (VCI)
Canonical URL: https://mbretrofit.it/guides/vehicle-coding/vci
Description: Pick the right OBD cable for your Mercedes coding job. We match your VIN to the cable your chassis needs: Openport for CAN, ENET + AT adapter for DoIP.


Every Mercedes coding job needs a cable between your laptop and the car's OBD-II port. Buy the wrong one and the software can't see the modules at all, so check your VIN against the picker below before you spend anything.

## What's a VCI?

A Vehicle Connection Interface (VCI) is the hardware bridge between your laptop and the car's OBD-II port. Which one your Mercedes needs depends on how it talks to its modules.

* **Older Mercedes** (NTG3.5 → NTG6 / MBUX Gen 1) speak CAN. A cheap J2534 pass-thru like the Tactrix Openport 2.0 is enough.
* **Newer Mercedes** (NTG7 / Gen20x, meaning MBUX Gen 2 with the Zero-Layer interface) speak DoIP over Ethernet. CAN-only cables can't see the modules at all, so you need an ENET yellow cable with the MB pinout.

## Find your cable from your VIN

Enter your VIN below and the picker names the cable your chassis needs.

Use the VIN recommender on the canonical page before buying an interface.

## Cable compatibility by NTG generation

If you already know your NTG generation, find it in the table below. Each row gives the model years, the bus the car uses, and the cable that talks to it.

The NTG-to-interface compatibility table is available on the canonical page.

## Cable catalog

Two cables cover every Mercedes coding job, the Tactrix Openport 2.0 for CAN cars and the yellow ENET cable for DoIP cars.

The current vehicle-interface catalog is available on the canonical page.

## Where to buy

Buy the cable from a third-party seller. We don't sell hardware directly.

* **Tactrix Openport 2.0.** Sold by the [official Tactrix store](https://www.tactrix.com/), Amazon, and eBay.
* **ENET yellow cable.** Search AliExpress for "BMW ENET cable". Despite the name, it works on all Mercedes DoIP cars. These run €10 to €20 and are the same hardware sold under MB branding at 5× the price.

## Confirm your cable by email

Send your VIN to [contact@mbretrofit.it](mailto:contact@mbretrofit.it) and we'll name the exact kit before you spend anything.

## Related guides

* [Vehicle coding overview](/guides/vehicle-coding). Feature unlocks, pricing bands, and DIY versus remote.
* [Star3 SECoC coding](/guides/vehicle-coding/star3-secoc). Gen20x partner coding with ZenZefi certificates.
* [Region conversion (US → EU)](/guides/vehicle-coding/region-conversion). Imported Mercedes to EU spec, covering cluster units, headlights, ambient zones, MBUX languages, and navigation map region.
* [Remote diagnosis](/guides/vehicle-coding/remote-diagnosis). Xentry sessions for workshops and owners.

Need a map code?
Enter your VIN to generate your Mercedes-Benz map license key. Works with supported NTG systems.

Enter your VIN in the map-code flow to confirm the compatible navigation system, region, and version.