An ECU scan tool for turbo and NA owners

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 8:09 am

Heres my serial adaptor

Just have to find my old parallel adaptor and attach it

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 10:19 am

Cool. Hehe, looks a bit like mine.

If it works you should put a hood over the connector so you have something to pull on when you need to unplug it. You can fill the hood with epoxy to pot the circuit, too, so it'll be highly resistant to vibration and moisture.

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 10:16 pm

Failed to read the ID

Ill double check my wiring, but it looks like I've fubared the diagnostic port on the ecu

It's a PITA, but Im replacing the ECU in a month or two, and that'll give me much better live diagnostics anyhow.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 5:24 pm

scuzzy · Post by **scuzzy** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 9:11 am

awesome vikash, I didn't think you had time to work on it anymore.

I'm staring at the source now, lots of goodies within. makes me want to drag out my ASM book and brush up.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 6:56 pm

I actually don't have time. Most of the new stuff was written a long time ago.

Assembly language is easy. Just think like a computer.

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 8:01 pm

If a SSM works on my car, your tool should too, right?

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 10:21 pm

Yes. Does a Select Monitor work on your car?

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 2:26 am

Dont know, Ill see if I can find out

scuzzy · Post by **scuzzy** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 2:49 am

something is wrong with the software, it's not reading my ROM id - unmodified, modified, nada, no reado. version 0.05 reads fine (tested one after the other), version 0.06 = no workie.

I dunno what you changed from the last version to this one

Also: My ECU is 'hitachi' 90-91 NA 5MT, ROM id reads as 70.som.thing

what my thoughts are for modification of the code is to add another parameter, I don't quite know how they work yet, but it's coming to me slowly and reading it over and over. specifically what I'm interested in is the first assignment in a parameter that lists an address, this address is for? what should it point to? and how do you figure out which address to use?

Sorry, I don't mean this to turn into a "here's the source, let me teach you how it works", this is the only question I have so far.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 9:07 pm

A lot of little stuff did change, unfortunately... but I can't imagine what would make it not work at all.

Out of curiosity, did you try each one fresh? Or did you first run 0.05 and then try 0.06? Or the other way around? Not that it should matter, but still...

I'm sorry it doesn't work for you. For the time being, you can stick with 0.05, but I may ask you for some help debugging 0.06 at some point then. What kind of computer are you using?

The "address" is the location in the ECU's memory from which the parameter should be read. I discovered these by reverse-engineering the Select Monitor and by disassembling the code of the Hitachi ECUs. What parameter are you trying to add?

scuzzy · Post by **scuzzy** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 12:46 am

vrg3 wrote:

A lot of little stuff did change, unfortunately... but I can't imagine what would make it not work at all.

Out of curiosity, did you try each one fresh? Or did you first run 0.05 and then try 0.06? Or the other way around? Not that it should matter, but still...

I'm sorry it doesn't work for you. For the time being, you can stick with 0.05, but I may ask you for some help debugging 0.06 at some point then. What kind of computer are you using?

The "address" is the location in the ECU's memory from which the parameter should be read. I discovered these by reverse-engineering the Select Monitor and by disassembling the code of the Hitachi ECUs. What parameter are you trying to add?

well, knowing what the address parameter does now, I know I can't get it to do what I want to do without going a different route - but anyway. what I was trying to do was similar to what's done for the input and I/O switches display, which is display two parameters at once, but it can't be done by adding another parameter alone because the addresses are seperate.

yes, tried each one fresh, did a system restart, restarted the car, so on and so forth, every time 0.05 worked fine, 0.06 didn't read at all. I'm using the first parallel port.

the laptop is a 75Mhz Pentium with 32MB ram, it runs windows 98 but the scan tool is called in autoexec.bat before windows is so that it doesn't load windows.

of course, my main computer is far more powerful, this is just the laptop I have on hand right now.

let me know.

Splinter · Post by **Splinter** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 1:20 am

Whats the practical limit on the length of the wires from the ECU to the computer?

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Mon Apr 03, 2006 1:50 am

scuzzy - Yeah, displaying multiple parameters at once is going to be a nontrivial modification. The input switches and I/O switches are prepared by the ECU to be displayed all at once already.

What exact make/model is your laptop?

Splinter - I would say it would be good practice to keep it below maybe 2 meters. I've exceeded that without problems, but still.

scuzzy · Post by **scuzzy** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 12:52 am

vrg3 wrote:scuzzy - Yeah, displaying multiple parameters at once is going to be a nontrivial modification. The input switches and I/O switches are prepared by the ECU to be displayed all at once already.

What exact make/model is your laptop?

Splinter - I would say it would be good practice to keep it below maybe 2 meters. I've exceeded that without problems, but still.

It's a Compaq 1220.

I figured it would be a complex modification, but I'm interested in looking into it regardless, if just for fun.

west_minist · Post by **west_minist** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 1:06 am

vrg3,

Do you know if this would work with 1996 subaru's up to 98, especially wrx's?

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:14 am

scuzzy - Hm. Stupid Compaq. Well, no, stupid me, since I obviously did something to make it not work.

Would you be willing to try a few modified versions of the program for me? Maybe we can isolate what's making it not work.

That's great that you want to try hacking the scantool. That's why I GPLed it.

west_minist - It won't. I used to say it only works on 90-94 North American Legacies, but apparently it does also work on at least some Australian first-gen models which apparently use very similar ECUs to North American models.

If you have access to a 96-98 WRX, you may be able to modify the code to make it work for you. I do believe 96-98 WRX ECUs are very similar to 93-94 North American non-turbo ECUs, so you could start from there. There is some discussion on the RS Liberty Club about this.

scuzzy · Post by **scuzzy** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:20 am

vrg3 wrote:scuzzy - Hm. Stupid Compaq. Well, no, stupid me, since I obviously did something to make it not work.

Would you be willing to try a few modified versions of the program for me? Maybe we can isolate what's making it not work.

That's great that you want to try hacking the scantool. That's why I GPLed it.

west_minist - It won't. I used to say it only works on 90-94 North American Legacies, but apparently it does also work on at least some Australian first-gen models which apparently use very similar ECUs to North American models.

If you have access to a 96-98 WRX, you may be able to modify the code to make it work for you. I do believe 96-98 WRX ECUs are very similar to 93-94 North American non-turbo ECUs, so you could start from there. There is some discussion on the RS Liberty Club about this.

sure man, go ahead I'd love to give it a shot, I keep my laptop in the house ready for transfers and the parallel connector plugged into the car (I use the stereo adapter, it's like $3.40 at BestBuy with employee discount - $20 regular)

but anyway, go ahead, fire them off. you can email me at mobilepolice@gmail.com, I respond to that quicker than I do here.

west_minist · Post by **west_minist** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:47 am

Thank in getting back to me

I do have some wrx's.

Can you give me idea what you mean by modifying the code for it to work, so that I will have it listed when I do?

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:22 am

Thanks, scuzzy. I'll email you some binaries tomorrow.

I can't teach you to code if you don't already have that skill, west_minist, but if you do, you might start by just adding support for your ROM ID using all the existing 93-94 NA parameters.

west_minist · Post by **west_minist** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:29 am

Ok. I will look through it.

I was surprise that you used machine code

Thanks a lot.

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:30 am

No problem.

Assembly language just seemed best suited for this task, given the sensitivity to timing.

scuzzy · Post by **scuzzy** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 7:29 pm

vrg3 wrote:Thanks, scuzzy. I'll email you some binaries tomorrow.

I can't teach you to code if you don't already have that skill, west_minist, but if you do, you might start by just adding support for your ROM ID using all the existing 93-94 NA parameters.

still awaiting those binaries

vrg3 · Post by **vrg3** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:43 pm

Sorry it took so long... I'm sending some to you now. Thanks again for the help.

scuzzy · Post by **scuzzy** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 12:31 am

vrg3 wrote:Sorry it took so long... I'm sending some to you now. Thanks again for the help.

you got mail

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An ECU scan tool for turbo and NA owners