Chips in a OBDII PCM?

[dave w]

TunerCat WInFlash OBDII will read as .cal or .bin. But only write in .cal, won't even open a .bin It's really not a viable option for anything but the program it's designed for.

You would have to have TunerCat OBDII which will open a bin and save as a .cal to write.

So if I'm understanding what I've read; TunerCat WinFlash OBDII can read / write to a supported PCM (VIN Specific ONLY). The HUGE DRAWBACK I see to WinFlash OBDII is NO DATA LOGGING!


What's the point to reading and writing to a PCM if you don't have a data log to tune with? Well maybe being able to read / write to a PCM to eliminate VATS or other parameters for a stock engine would be worth while.

dave w

[RobertISaar]

there's no reason it can't datalog... IIRC, there is even a tunerpro ADX out there to use the tunercat cable with?

also, for $300, you would still end up with an AVT cable that costs nearly the entire purchase price, IIRC.

[dave w]

there's no reason it can't datalog... IIRC, there is even a tunerpro ADX out there to use the tunercat cable with?

also, for $300, you would still end up with an AVT cable that costs nearly the entire purchase price, IIRC.

Good information.

I was going on the information available from the link posted above " NOTE: While the
OBDII Dealer kit allows the user to read and program all the C.A.T.S, supported
GM OBDII vehicles it does not have any tuning capabilities. To do any
tuning on these vehicles you'll need our OBDII Tuner, OBDII
RT Tuner or OBDII Diesel Tuner
program."

dave w

[RobertISaar]

yes, it can read and write, just not change calibrations... you would need something external for that. tinytuner covers pretty much all 3100/3400/3800 applications from 96-05, dimented24x7's set of XDFs for the 01 LS1 stuff for tunerpro, along with anything else i might be forgetting.

[EagleMark]

I did test a 98-00 Vortec ADX with TunerCat OBDII/AVT cable for dimented24/7 that was started but it had limited values added at the time, he was having issues with EMI preventing it from working on his truck. I'd swear there is one for LS1a as well?

I don't know what guys used in the old days for data with TunerCat OBDII to tune? Monodax...

The 2 best options I know of for data is ScanXL Pro with enhanced GM PIDS which is not cheap but excellent... and a cable, cable is cheap. But by then you could have bought EFI Live Scantool without the Tuning. I use my EFI Live Scantool and MAPS to tune .cal files, same as using TUnerPro RT and History Tables with spreadsheets.

[RobertISaar]

IOW: the GM OBD2 market is filled with conflicting, semi-comparable tuning packages for more or less the same investment(with some significant outliers).

it's ripe for something to undercut the entire field.

[EagleMark]

Yup! Had either of the 2 most popular OBDII tuning packages not had BIG fees per PCM no one would ever try. Then there are the resctrictions, HP TUners can't change a VIN once you license a PCM, or change year etc... and the credits thing is so complicated you need an accountant.

This is why I went with EFI Live, it's licence fee is per PCM and then you can change to any year or VIN and OS... but half of their definitions are only flash of cal, not full OS. Some are as worthless as tits on a bull! Way to much time spent to have a large quantity of PCMs and no real quality of parameters and documentation, loads of effort for newer and better software and so complicated it's huge headache to figure it out. Then there's so many programs and options??? Tune Tool, Scan Tool, V8 tool, EFI Explorer, go here do this, go there and do that, firmware, bootware, drivers, version number, registration here, have to connect V2 there.... then if you do upgrade something and don't like it you can't go back? Really it's a nightmare, none of the documentation is accurate because the software changes so much, none of the tutorials work for the same reason, then if you try anything on another mask, well it does not full flash? Argh!

I have a year into it, several re installs and getting the hang of it. I'd have been way ahead if I just figured it out for myself, but instead I spent weeks reading all the docs and tutorials to find they are outdated... Now they have an updated version and have been getting guys to work out the bugs for months? I'm not updating...

The HP TUners demo looks so much better! But the restrictions on VIN changes, Year and licensing make it impossible for my needs in conversions.

TunerCat OBDII does it all with no per vehicle fee, per PCM fee, per anything fees. The only disadvantage is the software looks old compared to the others. So what? It has all the parameters needed for each mask, does full flash of each, was really detailed for what a tuner needs. Not to concur a checklist of we have more then you and so much effort into protecting the fees and locking you out of everything you want to change, fix, etc....

[phonedawgz]

But the true target market for an OBD2 tuner program would be the single/double user. The vast majority of users only want/need to tune one or two vehicles.

From a business model a lower threshold of entry combined with a per VIN or PCM fee maximizes sales while maintaining profits.

[EagleMark]

It has also motivated enough people to come up with an alternatives.

[RobertISaar]

http://www.madtuner.com/index.php?pa...mart&Itemid=26

not sure what all is included here, but it seems madtuner has at least a VPW/CAN capable cable for $275. may or may not have to engineer the software to upload/download calibrations, along with making up calibration defintions, but IDK.

[busta9876]

What you are looking at on madtuner's site appears to be the AVT interface used with Tuner CAT OBD2. That is madtuners dealer package to load calibrations from madtuner into customer vehicles. Its same as was talked about a few posts ago, TC OBD2's dealer interface.

[busta9876]

I've been looking for a PCB to solider a PSOP44 flash chip to, and on other side of the PCB have a female header that will plug into the header pins that Moates sells for the roadrunner installation. This way you would solve the vibration issue of using a ZIF socket for the chip for semi permanent applications.

If you can find/build the PCB, then you need is a header your eprom progammer. You'll be able to quickly remove/install the eprom to make changes. I currently have a cheap hot air rework station from ebay, and a willem gq-4x programmer. It handles the intel / amd 28f400 and 28f800 chips no problem. I use this process for eprom recovery, clone pcm's s/n and so on.

[mekkis]

Looks like E40 is chippable, as well.

[JeepsAndGuns]

I've been looking for a PCB to solider a PSOP44 flash chip to, and on other side of the PCB have a female header that will plug into the header pins that Moates sells for the roadrunner installation. This way you would solve the vibration issue of using a ZIF socket for the chip for semi permanent applications.

If you can find/build the PCB, then you need is a header your eprom progammer. You'll be able to quickly remove/install the eprom to make changes. I currently have a cheap hot air rework station from ebay, and a willem gq-4x programmer. It handles the intel / amd 28f400 and 28f800 chips no problem. I use this process for eprom recovery, clone pcm's s/n and so on.

I'm not sure why this randomly popped back in my head today, but I think this guy could be onto something. Find a little circuit board you can solder the chip to, which you could then attach a socket to fit the header that moates solders to the pcm motherboard. Ya know, something like how the memcal readout header fits into a memcal.....

[RobertISaar]

could always make a PCB.... something that small/non-complex, really cheap to do. a batch of ~40 or so wouldn't cost much.

the only odd parts of it are the header(which honestly, i don't think i've seen anywhere else) and the socket on the removable board that the header would need to plug into.

so, essentially turning a PSOP44 PROM into a DIP package. it's certainly a neat idea. need to make sure the pinout will be compatible for a target burner(willems come to mind) and it's pretty much ready to go.