Opensource ecu reflashes?

[worxman02]

Anybody have a SAFE and reliable rom that can be flashed to a 2002 WRX that is a power upgrade like the AP Stage 1? Im new to these boards so forgive me if i ask dumb questions. Also has anybody figured out how to use the openecu software to flash a accessport map? That would be an interesting project

[Spiider]

With this project you can backup and restore ANY ecu rom to ANY OTHER ecu.

If one was so inclined they could backup an AP map or E****k map from one ecu and copy it to other ecu's as many times as they'd like.

I leave it up to you to consider whether that is in fact copyright infringment or not and to consider your actions respectively.

I personally would like to get a good library of roms together including all the commercial "Stage" maps in order to further support my research purposes.

If anyone has such rom's please post them up and we can all benefit from the research.

[bofh]

There was a discussion about this. However, before I would post a ROM, I would want some way to make it un-flashable. You could still study it, but not flash it to a car and run with it. That way, my but is covered. What would work? Changing the first 10 bytes to null?

[qoncept]

You could set all bytes that haven't changed from a stock map to 0..

[Freon]

The Cobb OTS maps are probably about as good as an OTS map will get. They have a lot of research and experience with them. I think their OTS maps would be a good target to equal in terms of quality for open source maps. But an OTS map always has to have some room for error, rather than shoot for all-out power.

I'd much rather see the community come up with truly open source maps rather than steal Cobb or Ecutek's work. This is a great project with lots of potential. Let's not mar it. I think I'm going to start another thread on the ethical/legal issues.

[worxman02]

Thats why I asked fisrt about open source maps, and hence the title of the thread. I know i asked about flashing an accesport map, but they are availible for free download on cobb's website, so figuring out a way to flash these free maps using open source free software wouldn't be so bad. It would only be bad if you had to have an accesport in order to aquire the maps. Yes I know that you can't fiddle around with them unless you buy something from cobb, but the raw data is there, so....

[crazymikie]

The Cobb maps are in a proprietary format, so flashing them without buying an AccessPort doesn't seem to be exactly kosher.

I've been experimenting with a TBE mapping for a WRX and it's going okay- it's not easy to make generic maps though. There is a lot of variation from car to and this doesn't even account for different grades of fuel.

To some degree, I'd rather teach people how to modify the maps than just post mappings that people could blindly flash to their cars.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Thanks!
Mike

[cboles]

Cobb maps are not "free" - they are intended for use with a Cobb AP which costs $$$...

[Spiider]

We can't use their files or proprietary formats. That would infringe on their copyright for sure.

[worxman02]

Yea you guys are right. I don't think we should infringe on cobbs copyright cause that could cause a huge issue and be really bad for this community. I really just want a safe way to get a better tune for my car that fixes some of the stock issues like running way too rich, etc. with out having to fork over $600+. I can't afford that much dough being in school right now with all my expenses. But it is the price you pay for years of experience and research. Oh and this forum is nice and much more intelligent than nasioc is. Once that site got over 80,000 members it started to go downill in the intelligence portion.

[qoncept]

A guy on clubwrx.net posted screenshots of his custom stage 2 tune from StreetTuner. 75% of it seems to be Cobb's AP stage 2 though.

[Freon]

Interesting. Wonder if Cobb is/would be upset about that screenshot... I figure anyone with ST will pretty much know the contents of the Stage maps.

I think posting Cobb's ROM images or maps is kinda dirty pool, legal or not.

Anyway, I think there are some pretty obvious changes to the stock map, such as lean out fuel where it is set to like 9.5:1, maybe add a few degrees of timing in certain areas, and obviously add boost. As long as a few people are willing to do some validation, I think we can come up with some good downloadable maps without too much difficulty.

I would see validation involving having a few people with the correct car, similar mods, EGT gauge, and AF run a map and post their logs and findings.

[gregsachs]

A guy on clubwrx.net posted screenshots of his custom stage 2 tune from StreetTuner. 75% of it seems to be Cobb's AP stage 2 though.

got a link? wanted to see this info
nm, assume this is what you meant:
http://www.clubwrx.net/forums/showthrea ... et+stage+2
Those are modified tables in both cases, vs the base stage 2 maps, so not sure what cobb could do/why they would care-guy is showing what he is running, ala a utec map. If he'd posted teh stock stage 2 maps i think it would be different.

[Kha0S]

Interesting. Wonder if Cobb is/would be upset about that screenshot... I figure anyone with ST will pretty much know the contents of the Stage maps.

I think posting Cobb's ROM images or maps is kinda dirty pool, legal or not.

Indeed... though, Trey himself said this in a thread on NASIOC:

The trade secrets I mentioned are OUR methods used to reflash the ECU, the actual AP firmware code, our unique map file format, the actual boot kernel we use, etc. Big picture stuff, not things like fuel map locations, etc. That's obviously not our property!
...
The only thing I'm asking the community to do is to not distribute copies of our ROM images or attempt, or make it possible, in any way to illegally use multiple copies of the same ROM image to be used on multiple ECUs at the same time. Feel free to learn from them, that's all part of reverse engineering. I can't say I get filled with glee seeing someone discover with a 10 second binary compare of my map data what may have taken me countless late nights to discover but hey, information just wants to be free, right? Maybe in return I'll learn a thing or two...

So, while he would rather not see the ROMs posted in such a way that they can be used directly, he seems to be okay with people sharing/learning from the maps... he's not "filled with glee" but understands that people can/will learn from his maps.

Anyway, I think there are some pretty obvious changes to the stock map, such as lean out fuel where it is set to like 9.5:1, maybe add a few degrees of timing in certain areas, and obviously add boost. As long as a few people are willing to do some validation, I think we can come up with some good downloadable maps without too much difficulty.

Also, at the very least, on my MY02, the load areas from 2.5 to 3.5 g/s at about 2200 to 2800 RPM, needed to be substantially richened to prevent an over-lean condition (we're talking 12:9.1 at 13psi sort of lean) and ignition retard. I'm still finding lean zones after about 12 revisions to my ROM.

I would see validation involving having a few people with the correct car, similar mods, EGT gauge, and AF run a map and post their logs and findings.

I don't have an EGT gauge, though, that's a product of being too lazy to put the probe into the manifold and wire it up to my TechEdge wideband. After I get my boost control sorted out (which I'm close to, just experimenting with different restrictor/coupler pieces on the solenoid hose), I'll be happy to share my map with others.

/Andrew

[qoncept]

Interesting. Wonder if Cobb is/would be upset about that screenshot... I figure anyone with ST will pretty much know the contents of the Stage maps.

Before I saw those screenshots and compared them to an AP stage 2, I was under the impression, for whatever reason, the AP maps weren't available in ST format, so just this sort of thing wouldn't happen.

It seems to me that Cobb should spend less time trying to protect their intellectual property and more developing their products or (gasp) more AP maps. Honestly, if they were smart, they would have just sold something like ecuflash and openport and told people to use a laptop instead of wasting whatever it costs to make an AP.