ECU Tuning as per "Down Under"

[George Roffe]

Brax Sisco wrote:

>At the time, it was "like" OK, dudes know Nissan ECU code, have good
>rep., SE-R list and some Roffe guy says buy it.  So I did.

Really????  On my say so?  SUCKER. ;-)

Uh....  at the next convention, I think you should buy everyone a beer. ;-)

>But then you get into the Roffe, err, Ethics questions.  "If they spent
>X dollars on the Dyno getting Y results, shouldn't we pay Z + X * Y?"

>That question makes me wonder.  I BOUGHT the damn thing, didn't I?  If I
>can read data from it with an EPROM reader and clone it, do I owe JWT if
>I make a clone?

As with all software, you bought the right to use it, not the rights to the
source code or the right to reproduce it.  But, I also admit that I'm not
lilly-white when it comes to software.

>My bottom line is if it can be done, it will be.

That is true, for right or  for wrong.

>JWT ECU maps will soon be "Read & Spread" and will probably be improved
>upon.  I don't doubt that Jim & Clark @ JWT spent many hours on the dyno
>getting the best results from SR20 tuning.  But what they send out is a
>box with a chip added that has some wiring, but mostly contains numbers,
>an array, a table, a "MAP."

One thing to remember is that JWT tweaks more than just maps.  That's one
of the things that makes their ECUs better than most aftermarket ECU
tuners.  I would also imagine that if such a product as we are discussing
becomes available, I would think that JWT would try to employ some methods
of protecting their proprietary information.  I personally don't know how
it would be done, but I imagine it can be and Clark is a pretty bright
guy.  I also fear that it could spell the end of the $100 reprogram.  It
would be dangerous for them to make it so simple as to just pop out the
chip for someone to read.  Would they solder the chips in place in the
future?  I could see it happening.  That would suck for the rest of us who
have JWT ECUs.

George Roffe
Houston, TX
91 SE-R (well modded)
91 G20 turbo (well modded)
84 944 SCCA ITS race car under construction
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