Cipher
10-22-2005, 08:25 PM
Well, First, Im new to the GAOC Community so id like to say the site kicks tail and im glad to be around :)
Well, I was doing some random research out of curiousity on the subject of ECM tuning and scanning. (Mostly Due to the fact that the idea of a touchscreen display in your car for real time adjusting and stats just kicks ass)
While nothing ive ever run across looks anything remotely like the toys they try to sport in "The Fast and the Furious" there are quite a few tools and toys that will Graphically and Numerically display and edit almost anything you want to know about your car.
So, you can call this a guide to PC Engine Management, or just a random venture into the eccentric ;)
First, Everything has to do with the hardware and your purpose. For most people, itd be more then enough to view and graph their data and stats.... but for those of us whom dont have laptops, why the heck would you go buy one just for this? Well cheapskates, theres good news on that front. Software has been developed for the Pocket PC.
With the power of your stylus you can run in your computer, graph your dyno information, check quarter mile stats (as you run them) everything you can do with OBD II Reading software for the PC you can do on the Handheld!
Free software is available for this task that handles it quite well, its available from Digimoto, Digimoto Pocket PC v1.0 (http://www.digimoto.com/installs/digimotoppc10z.exe)
Although, theres a catch in this one, due to car manufacturers and their capitalistic methods, a computer cant connect directly to an ECM due to its communication protocols, BUT never fear, they make hardware now to interpret for you via Serial/USB connection. Via the same site, you can pick up a box called an ElmScan. This interface will allow you to read all the information, sensors, and codes your computer has access to. Only drawback to this software method is the inability to write to the ECM, No modifications can be made to the values, as far as I can read (*disclaimer* I have been wrong before, once or twice maybe ;P)
--- THAT is how its done with the Pocket PC, on to PCs and Laptops
First youll need to decide what and how you want to view and use the information. If you have a laptop or want to pick up a cheap laptop, there are a wide variety of laptop stands produced mostly for law enforcement that would suit all of your needs without taking up too much of the passenger area, These programs are fairly light on system resources, but you do need to be able to run Windows XP and .NET 1.1.
Next Option, Building an in car computer. Simply put a task for the involved modder, but not too terribly pricey all things considered. (Minus a touch screen LCD, unless you use a trackball)
LCDs have come down in price, as have touch screens (5 wire) with their now wide use in the food and services industries. Newegg shows a full color 15" display for just under 500 (ELO TOUCHSYSTEMS 1515L IntelliTouch) this will give you near full functionality in the cockpit, minus a conventional keyboard (Although, windows DOES include one in its accessability features)
Next comes the compression of the bulky desktop, but this is actually easier then youd think, with the advance of blade style servers, extremely compact full function celeron based boxes can occupy less surface area then a floor mat and be only a few inches thick, To make a longer story short, blade style server, and the equipment required to run its power supply and caps would be under 600ish. You would be able to play DVDs, MP3s and Media, Keep it all with you in a winamp powered media center. But thats also off topic. Less then 1100 and you have a media playing, (nearly) ECM tuning machine.
I did forget to mention that mounts for flat screens come fairly compact with a swing arm to let you throw the monitor where you want.
Next, the ECM Link. This time you have two options, ElmScan again, and mOByDic (Either support all modes of communication, Chart (http://www.digimoto.com/confirmedobd.htm)) This will allow you to read and write to any car, make, or model... minus a few older and stragglers (Sorry Yugo owners)
Youll use the older brother of the Digimoto software, either DigiMoto Lite v1.06 (http://www.digimoto.com/installs/lite/digimotolitefw106.exe), a less functional version of Digimoto v4.02 (http://www.digimoto.com/installs/digimoto402fw.exe) which has all the bells and whistles. Check out the site for all the features and demos, it does and shows a whole lot. Well worth the 38 bucks)
Now, intermission, if you havent already go check out the side, look at the software and when youre done, well go over editing the ECM
*Insert Cheap MIDI Interlude with dancing refreshments*
Lastly comes the ECM Tuning and Editing. Word of caution, Dont mess with things you genuinely dont understand. Screw up your ECM and youll need to buy a new ECM, Parts, or Engine.
There is a seperate software program that uses the same interface (As best as I can tell) to let you access the ECM, but it changes the single variable slots stored. Tuner / TunerCat (http://www.tunercat.com/tnr_desc/do_tc.html) is the name and site for the program, again, read through their software and manuals, take a look at what you can change and ONLY change variables you completely understand. Dont jack up your car for a few horsepower, its not worth it ;)
Well, thats mostly it, if you want me to go more in depth on anything I rambled about please let me know and ill be more then happy to elaborate.
-Rob
Well, I was doing some random research out of curiousity on the subject of ECM tuning and scanning. (Mostly Due to the fact that the idea of a touchscreen display in your car for real time adjusting and stats just kicks ass)
While nothing ive ever run across looks anything remotely like the toys they try to sport in "The Fast and the Furious" there are quite a few tools and toys that will Graphically and Numerically display and edit almost anything you want to know about your car.
So, you can call this a guide to PC Engine Management, or just a random venture into the eccentric ;)
First, Everything has to do with the hardware and your purpose. For most people, itd be more then enough to view and graph their data and stats.... but for those of us whom dont have laptops, why the heck would you go buy one just for this? Well cheapskates, theres good news on that front. Software has been developed for the Pocket PC.
With the power of your stylus you can run in your computer, graph your dyno information, check quarter mile stats (as you run them) everything you can do with OBD II Reading software for the PC you can do on the Handheld!
Free software is available for this task that handles it quite well, its available from Digimoto, Digimoto Pocket PC v1.0 (http://www.digimoto.com/installs/digimotoppc10z.exe)
Although, theres a catch in this one, due to car manufacturers and their capitalistic methods, a computer cant connect directly to an ECM due to its communication protocols, BUT never fear, they make hardware now to interpret for you via Serial/USB connection. Via the same site, you can pick up a box called an ElmScan. This interface will allow you to read all the information, sensors, and codes your computer has access to. Only drawback to this software method is the inability to write to the ECM, No modifications can be made to the values, as far as I can read (*disclaimer* I have been wrong before, once or twice maybe ;P)
--- THAT is how its done with the Pocket PC, on to PCs and Laptops
First youll need to decide what and how you want to view and use the information. If you have a laptop or want to pick up a cheap laptop, there are a wide variety of laptop stands produced mostly for law enforcement that would suit all of your needs without taking up too much of the passenger area, These programs are fairly light on system resources, but you do need to be able to run Windows XP and .NET 1.1.
Next Option, Building an in car computer. Simply put a task for the involved modder, but not too terribly pricey all things considered. (Minus a touch screen LCD, unless you use a trackball)
LCDs have come down in price, as have touch screens (5 wire) with their now wide use in the food and services industries. Newegg shows a full color 15" display for just under 500 (ELO TOUCHSYSTEMS 1515L IntelliTouch) this will give you near full functionality in the cockpit, minus a conventional keyboard (Although, windows DOES include one in its accessability features)
Next comes the compression of the bulky desktop, but this is actually easier then youd think, with the advance of blade style servers, extremely compact full function celeron based boxes can occupy less surface area then a floor mat and be only a few inches thick, To make a longer story short, blade style server, and the equipment required to run its power supply and caps would be under 600ish. You would be able to play DVDs, MP3s and Media, Keep it all with you in a winamp powered media center. But thats also off topic. Less then 1100 and you have a media playing, (nearly) ECM tuning machine.
I did forget to mention that mounts for flat screens come fairly compact with a swing arm to let you throw the monitor where you want.
Next, the ECM Link. This time you have two options, ElmScan again, and mOByDic (Either support all modes of communication, Chart (http://www.digimoto.com/confirmedobd.htm)) This will allow you to read and write to any car, make, or model... minus a few older and stragglers (Sorry Yugo owners)
Youll use the older brother of the Digimoto software, either DigiMoto Lite v1.06 (http://www.digimoto.com/installs/lite/digimotolitefw106.exe), a less functional version of Digimoto v4.02 (http://www.digimoto.com/installs/digimoto402fw.exe) which has all the bells and whistles. Check out the site for all the features and demos, it does and shows a whole lot. Well worth the 38 bucks)
Now, intermission, if you havent already go check out the side, look at the software and when youre done, well go over editing the ECM
*Insert Cheap MIDI Interlude with dancing refreshments*
Lastly comes the ECM Tuning and Editing. Word of caution, Dont mess with things you genuinely dont understand. Screw up your ECM and youll need to buy a new ECM, Parts, or Engine.
There is a seperate software program that uses the same interface (As best as I can tell) to let you access the ECM, but it changes the single variable slots stored. Tuner / TunerCat (http://www.tunercat.com/tnr_desc/do_tc.html) is the name and site for the program, again, read through their software and manuals, take a look at what you can change and ONLY change variables you completely understand. Dont jack up your car for a few horsepower, its not worth it ;)
Well, thats mostly it, if you want me to go more in depth on anything I rambled about please let me know and ill be more then happy to elaborate.
-Rob