ECU Tuning as per "Down Under"

[Chris Pronios]

George, I agree there are several ethics issues involved here.

> From: "George Roffe" <geo3@earthlink.net>
> 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.

Still, (un)ethical as I may be I find it a matter of personal pride and
achievement to "modify" most any piece of S/W I use.

> 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.

And this is the real use of a commodity-like daughterboard. DIY small mods.
There were several cases in old MK articles in SCC or what-have-you, in
which you could find the statement "a JWT ECU is worth the money just for
removing the speed/rev limiter from your car". Well, much as I value JWT's
work, people in Japan, AU and Greece have been doing it with US$60 not 600.
I am sure that Clark's work is worth way over USD600 but not "just for
removing the speed limiter".

This is exactly the point I have been trying to "sneak by" in sr20deforums
posts without offending anyone and without sounding like I have an interest
in JWT's welfare.

What is actually out there as common knowledge is ONLY what I included in
the first post. JWT seems to actually know a lot more than that. For
example, no-one knows how to disable in the ROM the EGR cirquit. JWT does!
If your cars have a second O2 sensor, tough luck, the AU maps do not. If
your car ghas an intake temp sensor, tough luck! Wnat NOS? Tough luck! Clark
et al have way more knowledge than what is public domain knowledge.

> 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.

Well, things have a way of returning to the "average" situation. At this
point I do not believe that JWT will loose much business from the DIY crowd.
I know at least 2 persons in Athens that did not buy JWT cams because they
would need a JWT ECU as well and the cost of importing the duo would be
unacceptable (at least 50% more than what you people pay there) let alone
the need for sending an extra Euro-ECU there. Now, with a DIY ROM that would
work fairly well, the cost of cams is OK.

Same thing in the States. You have people "bulking" at the cost of a cam/ECU
combo. Students, family-burdened people, etc. Maybe JWT will actually have
increased revenues just from their cam business!!! I really think it will be
for the best.

As for protecting the code in the EPROMs, of course there are ways they
(JWT) can do it. In any case though this would be a hardware solution and I
do not believe that the US$100 reprogram will go away. It would be some h/w
based "scrambling" of the board that would enable them to write the ROM
image in non-contigeous pages on the chip.

Chris