I am not sure I understand what you are trying to say Here? The OBD2 standard is a Worldwide standard along with adapters that translate the protocols that are required in order to communicate with it and it must be included(with The port) in all vehicles up to medium Duty Trucks manufactured since it was implemented in 1996! That is not likely to change at any time in the near future!Brodie M wrote "Do you have a preference of adapter other than one recommended by FORScan? Are there any avenues for bypassing an OBD2 port with USB specific hardware? You'd think that if you could transition from USB to OBD2 with an adapter that there would be no point for an OBD2 port. It's probably not that simple". "There's got to be a better reason other than highway robbery, right?"
The only things that have changed are what vehicle manufactures have done with this in terms of using the Communication protocols thru the OBD2 port and adapters for communication with their own vehicles systems(HSCan used by many, MSCAN Ford Only UBP Older Ford F series trucks and VCM2 Only, KLine Single and Dual GMC and Chrysler, ISO Used By several manufactures including older Ford, PWM/SCP older(Before 2004 Ford and some others etc.)!
Both of the FORScan recommendations will handle all of those protocols with the vLinker FS being the most capable of the two(vLinker FS has the added ability of being able to apply the 18 volt FEPS programming voltage for older Ford PCMs and is the only FTDI (ELM327 ) adapter with that ability (So called EEC/PCM version 5 from about 2004 to 2011 capable with FORScan older PWM version in development)!
As To what I would recommend? IF you have the money a J2534-2_Pass thru adapter is the most capable like CarDAQ3 or BOSCH Master Tech2 of which the latter is using much the same hardware as the FORD only VCM2/3(Bosch Builds them the VCM2/3 for Rotunda/Ford) and if you can find a Genuine VCM2(seen Some on Ebay) as they are out of production now in favour of the VCM3!
These are the expensive Professional options!
I have a VCM2 Chinese made Clone but the quality on these has declined significantly since I got mine so I do not recommend them so I will not post a link (Paid $250.00CAN for it in 2016 and so far have no problems with it, reprogrammed a 2005 FEPS F150 PCM with it three times and don't ask))
For the price and because it can do nearly everything a J2534Pass_Thru Adapter can do, I would look at the vlinker FS and although I do not know what your definition of High Way Robbery is, but if you are in North America you can get an FS at the US VGate mall here https://vgatemall.com/products-detail/i-19/!
If $32.99US is "High Way Robbery to you then I have no answer for you($46.99 Can$ At Amazon.ca)!
That has been happening to all of us for the last few months and is a problem with the forum server attachment quota being full not with an individual post!Brodie M I tried to attach a compressed .pdf of a screenshot of the issue I'm dealing with on the software, but the attachment limit for this board has been reached. It's only 57KB, I think.
The Team will have to talk to the Forum Hosting company for more Attachment room(probably involves a more expensive hosting fee)!
If you have a Drop Box or Photo bucket account or can set one of those up, post your attachment there and drop a link to it in your next post and we will try and give you further help!
One little tip, Windows 10 has a nice Screen capture program called "Snip and Sketch" (WIN KEY+Shift+S or if in Windows 7 look for "Snipping Tool") that can capture the FORScan screen(Or Any screen) and save it in a .png format that just about any Attachment/ online Photo Storage system can handle! Have a look!