Please fill out this survey so encourage me to develop and distribute ECUView! Mention you're interested in a 2nd Generation version (Timing advance mode only)!
I don't know if I will market this but it may be at some point. If you're interested in this product, please send email to laser92awd@q.dyndns.org with the words "DSM ECUVIEW" anywhere in the subject. All mails without the two "DSM ECUVIEW" in the subject may be deleted as an antispam measure.
FAQ
Q. What does it measure?
A. It doesn't measure, it just reads and reports - Reports Knock, timing
advance, and other things as things from the ECU, (and more when they
get figured out in future revisions?)
Q. How do you get the information?
A. From the ECU Diagnostic port. What the ECU gets or calculates is what
you see! This is why it's only for 1st generation Diamond Star Motors
vehicles.
Q. How fast are the updates?
A. Around 20 updates per second, or something. It's fast enough to change
without you having to wait for it to change. I have not yet calculated it
yet because there are a lot of software loops. The chip barely has enough
resources to handle this task. If it had more resources it would be easier
to program and calculate updates per second (but it's "fast enough"...).
Q. How many things can it display at once?
A. To reduce cost, just one (two in ECUView HW rev 1.2)
stat(s) at a time. More stats may be added at a future time, but
it will increase costs. Note: Both versions are up in the air now. Please
respond which one would be more interesting for you.
Currently the revisions that are pending are:
| Model | Displays | Data Displayed | Current Size | Current Kit Cost (may change) | Estimate Final | Kit Availability as of 2003 Jan 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1b+ | 2 | One | 1.9" Diagonal | $50 | $70 | Yes |
| 1.2b+ Standard | 4 | Two | 2.8" Diagonal | $60 | $80 | No, unless you want the one I am using in my car |
| 1.2b+ Shrunk | 4 | Two | 2.1" Diagonal | $70 | $100 | very limited |
Q. How will this be sold?
Direct Internet Sales or possibly eBay. I am not interested in large quantity
as nobody wants to take a big risk in producing these after spending so much
time in research and development.
Q. What's the price?
A. Well, it depends on the cost of the units. It looks like that my initial
estimates of $100 leaves me a VERY slim profit margin, which doesn't give me
much motivation to mass produce these things, but getting a few out will make
me think it's worthwhile. Right now they're all generally sold for less than
this price due to feature lacking, size, or mostly - no case or no assembly.
Most of this price going into the copyrighted software license fee, and
possibly some of the parts that are expensive (For the shrunk 1.2b+ the LED
displays aren't negligible as they are hard to find; as well as the PCB fab
costs and assembly costs). Please help a poor, modless, broken, 16 second
turbo awd dsm that needs lots of work :( (it should be in the 15s stock,
right?)... The price still has not been set down, I will need to compare
to other products coming out (Digital Tuning/Pocketlogger's unit comes to
mind. Looks like this may drive down the cost of dsm HW knock units!).
My assembly and PCB cost is the biggest cost as they'll be hand built
for the most part. PCB fabbing will be the biggest concern at the moment.
It takes me a lot of time to carefully build/assemble with the PCB. When
assembly becomes a problem, production will cease, I am not interested in
assemblers at this point unless there is a tremendous desire for the
unit.
Q. Will software updates be available?
A. If you get a unit RMA'ed due to defect, we may just subsitute a newer
version. Due to the likely omission of sockets to keep costs down, software
updates will probably be difficult and require some sort of return to
complete.
Q. Are other output options available?
A. An LED Bargraph display is possible. Please express interest.
This product could make your blinky AFG unnecessary. The prototype
uses 0.56" or 0.3" high segments. LCD may be in the works.
Q. Does it (the prototype) work yet?
A. See MPEG demo :) The 1.3B version of the firmware is working pretty well,
but the 1.4 series of code isn't doing as expected but still generally works
well. Maybe I should have used a higher level language like C to program
this?
Q. What kind of warranty is there?
A. There is absolutely no warranty expressed or implied. Each device will be
hand tested on my Plymouth Laser RS AWD before shipment. Use this device at
your own risk. I've only tested it with my 92 Turbo Laser, and since
there is some hand connections required, it's your responsibility
if you ruin your car with it in any way, regardless if you hook it up
wrong or overboost your car after the unit fails. I will NOT be
responsible for any damage you do to your car from the use of this
device just like any other performance devices on the market. A short
DOA guarantee will be honorred though.
Q. Can I get the parts?
A. You can order the central chip from me for some fee
which includes the chip price and software license
that's on the chip. I've not decided a price for the chip and the
software written on it. The software may not be reverse
engineered, disassembled, or redistributed. The hardware central
device is a Microchip PIC microcontroller with copyrighted code burned
on it. All other parts are available from most electronics supply
houses. A complete kit could be available (schematics
will be available, no point in making it not
available since it's not too hard to reverse
engineer), and that has not been decided yet. I do not have the
resources to help you debug kits or your own hardware version.
Q. Can I use TMO Datalogger, Pocketlogger, or Tunerstein
and the ECUView at the same time?
A. No. You'll need to disconnect one. A future revision may
let you use both simultaneously providing that you're logging
what you want to display on the ECUView, and it will be at much
lower refresh rate.
Q. How will this be powerred?
A. You'll have to come up with a way to power it. Just hook it
up to +12V anywhere and it'll work. A cigarette lighter plug option will be
available at additional cost. Please have this switched by the ignition key,
as this device can be up to about 100mA (more for the 1.2b+) of power draw
depending on how many LEDs are turned on. Ignore the prototypes with a 9V
in the picture, I was generally using that as a test power source, the
ECUView Plus versions require the unit to be hooked up to car 12V power.
A special low draw version may be available in the future to allow for
leaving it connected hot all the time at low/minimal current draw (few
mA's...). The recommended way is to tap off a empty fuse socket in the
fusebox that's tied into the ignition switch. Being so close to the
ALDL connector it's pretty convenient.
Q. Will a 2nd Generation (1995-1999) DSM version be available?
A. Only if you buy me a Turbo 2nd Gen first! In other words, not likely,
since I don't have such car (obd2 or whatnot) and don't intend to buy one
yet to test on. I am not a speculator and don't have any clue how to make
money off of anything, I just don't want to be ripped off and designing such
doesn't pleasure me enough because I don't own the car it will be for.
Q. I heard a Linux datalogger version will be available?
A. Likely I'll be writing and releasing something for us real
hackers who use Linux, if there is none that fits the bill sometime
in the future. I am very displeased at the lack of a linux laptop
version. A freely distributable (but NOT GPL!) version is planned. I
do not want this to compete with any of the existing software products, but
merely as a method to evangelize my favorite operating system, Linux.
Note: No source code will be released, sorry. And the license agreement
will disallow usage under the LINE emulator. If you want to use the
binary under LINE you will have to purchase a separate license.
Q. Why will my ABS light be on all the time now?
A. For all of you who are lucky enough to have ABS will have to deal with
having the ABS light turn on as this unit, like a data logger cable, will put
your car into diagnostic mode, and thus turn on the diagnostic mode of the ABS
as well. Since I don't have ABS on my car I won't know what side effects it
will have.
Q. Is the prototype what the final product looks like?
A. The 1.1B+ Hardware "Production Prototype" is very close to the hardware
that will be distributed. It should be just about small enough to fit in an
A-piillar gauge. The standard 1.2B+ won't fit, it's quite large. The shrunk
1.2b+ may fit.
Also, notice I don't have cases encapsulating these units. The 'kit' forms
do not include cases, nor do I have one designed or what not. The "final"
product version should include cases.
Q. Won't the LEDs get washed out in bright sunlight?
A. Yes. You'll need to think of a creative way to make sure this doesn't
happen. I'll drive the LEDs as bright as I can without risk of burning it out.
I've already been having trouble with sunlight, may need to rethink how
to handle this issue. On a side note, at night, these units will still be
very bright. An automatic dimmer is being investigated (will add cost to
the unit as well as another board spin.) The latest revision of the 1.2b+
shrunk unit has superbright LEDs and may even be visible in sunlight.
Q. What do the DIP switches|pushbuttons|switch do?
A. They select operation mode. ECUView HW Revision 1.1a and older work fine
(pushbuttons or dip switches work fine). The current 4 modes of operation are
knock, knock hold (it will hold the largest knock number for a few seconds),
timing advance, and one undetermined mode. See revisions page for some
details on switches, the 1.1B hardware and corresponding software is a bit
more involved.
Q. Can I get just the software for free?
A. No. Software code is proprietary information and will not be
distributed. If you want to buy my whole operation, make an offer.
I can help you figure out/reverse engineer a DSM ECU if you
need assistance but I am of limited help as I don't have a logic analyzer.
Q. Why Arizona Microchip and not Atmel AVR/Intel 8051/Motorola HC11?
A. It got me first. Atmel gets my business for 2.0 which is in the works.
Arizona Microchip's PICs are not as bad as you think they are. They have
full, powerful output driver, still quite versatile, and not as expensive
as a 16F84 makes it sound like. Remember, embedded apps are just that,
they do not need to be full computers to be functional. I could design one
with dual Athlon MP's but wouldn't that be overkill?
Q. Can I have the specs?
A. I don't have them either.
Q. Why?
A. My car sucks. It's in poor shape. It's slow. I have no money for my car.
I wanted to know my knock to help debug it. I wanted to know my timing
advance for the same reason. I can't even start thinking about making it
faster. Luckily my friend lent me his datalogger. Then I wanted one.
But didn't want to look at a laptop while I was driving. Nor could I keep
his setup, as he needed it too. So I built one. This was beyond the call
of duty for me as I've spent a year developing it, from initial plans,
figuring out how to do it, designing a set of electronics that would work,
calculating proper values, debugging a realtime piece of software with no
in-circuit debugger (and even if I had one, realtime is difficult to debug
anyway - slowing it down will break it), writing the software with no
libraries, all in assembly,... and well, it's been a difficult year and my
car still is in poor shape. Buy one and help me fix my crappy car. I will
barter even, anyone will help me swap out my worn-thin clutch?
Install a 16G? Remove the broken bolts out of my head?
Email if you can help me.
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Last Updated January 2003
