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Thread: Identifying Cal Files for Organizing

  1. #1
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    Identifying Cal Files for Organizing

    So with the OBDI cals it took a few years to get things worked out, but today we can identify calibrations by Mask ID, then by BCC. We tend to use the latest cals available for a particular mask and vehicle combination and we know enough to have worked out that some masks can be used in non-native ecm's. But in the world of OBDII we're still copying cals from every vehicle we can get our hands on. Which leads to questions such as "How many cals are redundant except for VIN?" and "How many cals are 'superceded' and shouldn't be used?" "How many cals are 'special cases' such as the ones intended to be used only when a customer complains of cell phone interference?" And finally, is it possible to "break apart" a .cal file, group together a combination of the best cals, and reassemble it into a working file? Should this even be done?

    Seems like there really should be a way to:

    1) Identify cal by major features
    ------ Operating System number
    ------ Engine Cal number
    ------ Fuel System Cal number
    ------ System Cal number
    ------ Transmission Cal number
    ------ Other cal numbers?

    2) Determine which if any of the numbers above are the latest

    3) Sort cals based on numbers above

    And ultimately, 4) assemble complete calibrations from individual component cals possibly based on cal number above.

    The OS number appears to be roughly equivalent to the Mask ID. The same OS may be used across different years just like the same mask can be used across different years. It may also be used in different PCM's or VCM's. The cal variables are grouped together in tables such as the Engine Calibration, Fuel Calibration, and others as listed above. Any changes to the variables will result in a different calibration number. So, it follows that updates and reflashes would create calibrations with different numbers under the OS, but the OS isn't likely to change. This also provides a very nice way to organize calibrations, just like MaskID.

    As far as update history, currently I'm looking at a handful of files in hex editor which have a VIN stored at location 0. That information can be used to identify the history through an online resource. It's a cumbersome process but it will work. It's going to take a long time to develop a master list of calibrations this way but it is possible. The rest, well, who knows if it will ever happen...
    Last edited by 1project2many; 02-02-2013 at 10:53 PM.

  2. #2
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    Some PCMs do not use the modular format for data. OS and data are included together and a single calibration number is assigned to the combination. For these pcm's, any change, either to code or to data, results in a new calibration number being generated. It's possible for a specific pcm to have many calibration numbers assigned to it. An example is 9354896 which has 23 different calibration numbers.

    Attached is a list of pcm's and OS / Calibration Numbers. It contains 2273 unique entries. It can be used to help sort and group calibrations. Hopefully we'll come up with a good method to sort and identify calibrations as well as reduce the number of redundant calibrations.
    Attached Files Attached Files

  3. #3
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    i was about to say... all of the 3100/3400/3800 BINs i've disassembled have been like that.
    1995 Chevrolet Monte Carlo LS 3100 + 4T60E


  4. #4
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    There's so much overlap and / or redundant development in GM land. Maybe it's better these days but probably not. Just out of curiousity, are any of the OBDI or 1.5 ecm / pcm numbers in the list I posted?

  5. #5
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    none that i could recognize...

    the 93-95 3100 flash PCM is 16196397, i did a search for it and it's similar PCMs but didn't find any.
    if the early OBD2(95 3800 F-body, some 95 4.3) units are in there, i wouldn't know... i don't have immediate PCM part numbers for those on hand.
    1995 Chevrolet Monte Carlo LS 3100 + 4T60E


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