ECUtuner software and Select Monitor Interface
 

This post is just a place holder to start the thread so I can make links to it. I'm going to go ahead and release the ECUtuner software. I haven't gotten a chance to add in the table editing or ROM emulation features yet but the software already has more functionality than a Subaru Select Monitor, namely:

1)check and clear trouble codes
2)monitor all the same parameters a select monitor can
3)download the firmware from any compatible control unit (ie: any obd1 Subaru ECU or TCU, older polaris watercraft and snow mobiles, older harley davidsons, etc)


What is the ECUtuner software? It's a windows application. I wrote it/am writing it in Microsoft Visual Studio c sharp. It should work on any laptop with any dot net enabled Microsoft Windows operating system and a USB port. It also requires an appropriate interface cable.


What is the appropriate interface cable? An FTDI TTL-232R-5V plus an ECUtune OBDI inferface with a Subaru Select Monitor plug on it.

The ECUtune OBD1 interface with the Subaru Select Monitor Plug on it is available for $79 on the ECUtune website: http://www.ecutune.com/ecutuner.htm

The TTL-232R-5V is available on the FTDI website: http://www.ftdichip.com/Products/Cab...BTTLSerial.htm

You will also need to download and install the d2xx drivers while you are there: http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/D2XX.htm



How much does the ECUtuner software cost? It's free to use. How much product support should I expect or demand from its author, Michael Emery? None. You guys will have to help eachother if and when you run into problems and hopefully you will develop a community knowledgebase both to guide new comers and to spur future developments.

Re: ECUtuner software and Select Monitor Interface
 

This sounds awesome and is something I'm really looking forward to.

Re: ECUtuner software and Select Monitor Interface
 

Ok, it's posted. Get your interface and download your copy of ECUtuner here: http://www.ecutune.com/ECUtuner.htm

Re: ECUtuner software and Select Monitor Interface
 

No OBDII version? Are 96-97 svxi doomed to stock ECUs for all of time?

Re: ECUtuner software and Select Monitor Interface
 

Almost. I think a Hydra will work on them too. Also you can technically run anything on a megasquirt if you can calibrate the sensors for it but it would probably be too difficult to keep it an automatic.

Re: ECUtuner software and Select Monitor Interface
 

Couldn't someone build an OBD2 cable that would interface to this board and the SSM pins on the OBD2 port?

Re: ECUtuner software and Select Monitor Interface
 

I don't know a whole lot about the obd2 cars. I don't have one. I belive Phil has examined the obd2 firmware and select monitor firmware and may have insights about them but I coudln't tell you what they are.

So anyway, for now at least we have all the capabilities of a select monitor and then some for the majority of SVXs.

Re: ECUtuner software and Select Monitor Interface
 

Thank you Michael. That is a great service for the SVX Community!

We now need to download it and give it a try. :) :)

Re: ECUtuner software and Select Monitor Interface
 

Thanks Earl,

I'm going to make some rudimentary instructions soon and will include this there when I do but for now......

There are some computers now that may have .net 4.0 installed without any of the prior versions of the .net framework installed. For some reason unknown to me (and some other programmers like at amd/ati) these computers will throw an error when you try to run some .net applications specifying earlier versions of the .net framework in their config files. You need to have the earlier versions of .net installed to run the ECUtuner application. If you have such a computer you can download the complete .net 3.5 installation package which includes 2.0, 3.0, & 3.5 from microsoft using the following link: http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...dotnetfx35.exe

Re: ECUtuner software and Select Monitor Interface
 

Mike,

If working on OBD2 versions of stuff is impractical, how about taking an OBD2 car and swapping out both the ECU and TCU to the earlier versions with your updated chips? Is that possible?

Re: ECUtuner software and Select Monitor Interface
 

The first bit of trouble with that comes into play for guys like you and me who have to plug OBD-II cars into the State computer come inspection time. :(

The Hydra 2.7 that's just been released supposedly is OBD-II compliant. Whether that just means that it's happy to work with CEL codes or that it will also satisfy inspection requirements, I can't say.

What I can say is, it's good to be OBD-I!! :D

Re: ECUtuner software and Select Monitor Interface
 

Hey Tony,

Sure it's possible but you're talking about either changing wiring harnesses or making wiring harness adapters. I wouldn't encourage anyone to do that unless they had a dire need to. It's likely the obd2 control units are flashable and it's likely someone will figure out how to do it someday.

I hate to see the desire for obd2 support overshadow what is available for the obd1 cars. I certainly understand why someone who has an obd2 svx would want to be able to use the ECUtuner software and it's completely possible I can make the ECUtuner software support it. Unfortunately I don't have time to look into it right now. I don't have the 97 factory service manual update book to even look at the wiring schematic. I don't have a select monitor II. I don't have a 97 SVX or access to one. And when I do get time to turn my attention back to the ECUtuner software I will want to finish the table editing and emulation functionality before considering looking into supporting obd2 SVXs.

So while I understand and sympathize with the obd2 owners wanting this kind of thing for their cars and even encourage you to work towards that end you guys need to take the task upon yourselves. If I were you i'd start your own thread in the engine managment section of mod mania. Get the applicable parts of the wiring schematic from the 96 and or 97 fsm update books posted. Look into the interfaces and software people are using on other obd2 SVXs..etc etc

Re: ECUtuner software and Select Monitor Interface
 

Crap. That's what I feared you would say. I guess I need to continue to push my 13 year old geek to get moving on this. He loves his Droid, loves computers and will be inheriting this SVX some day. That should be motivation enough. I will start that thread and start gathering the relevant information. If he and I can design the cable/interface for OBDII/SSMII and he can design the software for Droid, he can sell it on ebay and probably add a nice chunk of money to his college savings.

Re: ECUtuner software and Select Monitor Interface
 

Mike are we able to work some sort of magic and use your piggy back boards in the ECU change the chip to a Ram and then be able to write new fuel maps etc?
Or is it just all to complicated and easier to swap ECUs?
Tony

Re: ECUtuner software and Select Monitor Interface
 

To make custom changes to your ECU firmware you would do the same thing I do. Edit a copy of the firmware on your pc, write that firmware to a ROM chip, install that ROM chip into one of my memory adapters, and install that memory adapter into your ECU.

To edit the firmware which the ECU is using while you are running the engine you have to use a device called an emulator. An emulator emulates a ROM chip but is really a more complicated piece of hardware which you communicate with from your pc. Emulators pretty much all emulate 8 bit ROMs so to use one with an SVX you need to have a memory adapter like my original style which uses two 8 bit ROMs (which I believe you do have). Then you need two emulators. I am going to make the ECUtuner software work with 2 ostrich emulators from moates.net but haven't written in that functionality yet. It will be nice to have but not having that ability doesn't stop you from making your own custom tunes. Most of the time you're better off making your changes at the comfort of your favorite workstation and then testing them on the car.