fireroasted

iTrader: (3)

This post is to help beginners sort through some basic concepts.

This is the bread and butter (one of them) post to understand the concept of using ECUFlash. Excellent.
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/ec...beginners.html

The thing that is worth understanding is how ECUFlash and programs like it use files to manage how they are setup.

Understand that you can use ECUFlash for different types of EVOs and totally different cars which tells you that somehow it must be flexible enough to accommodate different ECUs. It is, and does so by the use of definition tables. ECUFlash loads the appropriate definition tables, which are little text files, from your hard drive depending on what type of ROM file you ask it to open.

When you open a ROM file with ECUFlash, it reads what kind of ECU is referenced in the file and opens the appropriate definition files to accommodate that data.

ECUFlash has a number of definition files that install when you install it. They are effectively a collection of default files to meet a number of ECU possibilities.

You will find those files in the following directory
C:\Program Files\OpenECU\EcuFlash\rommetadata

You can open them in any text editor and you can also modify them. As you go further into tuning you will see posts instructing you to "add the following tables to your Definition File". That means there is code, that looks like html tags, that you paste into your specific definition file. I have a 88590015 ID for my ECU. So the file that I usually modify is located here:
C:\Program Files\OpenECU\EcuFlash\rommetadata\mitsubishi\evo\ 88590015.xml

I use notepad to edit that .xml file. Usually just pasting in what the gurus told me to from the posts of whatever project I am on.

ECUFlash opens the Evo9Base file AND this file to build the interface in the application that you will work in.

This is a clever way to allow the software to continually expand its feature set. As new tables and doodads are figured out by the gurus on this forum they give instructions on how you can now access these items in your ECU. You don't need to upgrade ECUFlash, you just need to add the new tables, which are containers or locations for data in the ECU, to your definition files.

About values, usually you are given two pieces of information. The table tags that need to be pasted into your definition files, and a set of values to plug into them. You open EUCFlash once you have added the tables to your definitions xml file, to see new options for tables on the left hand pane in ECUFlash. Now you need to open those tables and edit the values with the ones provided from whatever doodad/post you are working on. Usually just typing in = will allow you to edit the value.

Now the catch is organized management and backup of your definition files. Which is kind of my little point to this post.

Since the definition files change as the application matures, more tables are provided with each successive version. However on a parallel track you are yourself modifying your definition files over time. The two tracks are not sync'd up. So if you upgrade ECUFlash in the future you will need to effectively or manually sync up the two definition tracks, or files.

For instance:
I used ECUFlash for 1 year on version 1.35. Along the way I added several table definitions based on info provided by the gurus in posts. I added the JDMMAP, and ECU boost control functionality among other things. Now my 88590015 definition file has lots of code in it I added myself.

If I upgrade to ECUFlash 1.41, which I did, or get a new computer, which I also did, now the definition files being used are the default 88590015 for 1.41. I need to paste the additions I made over time from the 1.35 definition file into that new one provided with 1.41. The point here is to understand that you need to manually manage the changes you make.

You can keep the additions to your tables organized at the bottom of the definition file with comments around the tags, and then when you upgrade copy and paste the added definitions to your new definitions file.

The same logic applies to when you get a new computer. You need to retrieve your modified definitions file and get it to the new computer. NOT just your ROM file, which is the data from your ECU, but the definition file that controls how ECUFlash looks to you based on your ECU. One of my computers died and I was able to get files off of it, but at that moment I only grabbed my ROM files (or my tunes). I forgot to copy out the files located at:
C:\Program Files\OpenECU\EcuFlash\rommetadata

Now I had to rebuild my definitions file by rereading many posts, and manually adding the tables I needed to address items I had previously tuned.

M

fostytou

iTrader: (15)

You can also use a _Mods file which is much easier to manage, and helps make upgrades easier as well as helping to prevent conflicting table information from winding up in a definition (for instance opening a v6 rom with v5.10 definitions in the xml).


Thanks for hopefully getting some people a start to using ecuflash. There is also a ton of information available on http://openecu.org .

cij911

iTrader: (14)

Great information above (thanks)...I have been logging and flashing my car for ~2.5 years, but have no idea how to actually change my ROM ID and/or add in the XML needed for Tephra Modv5.10 or v6 (I would love v6 as I am running Meth).

Tephra has been overly kind and patient with me, but I am still just a tad confused on what I should backup and how I flash a new ROM ID.

A few questions:
(1) Should we copy everything in C:\Program Files\OpenECU\EcuFlash\rommetadata to a safe location (for backup)

(2) Do I just flash the new ROM like any other tune / flash ? (While using ECUunlocker?)

(3) If I have a tune that I am pleased with now, is there an easy way to copy over all the tables / definitions?

(4) In v6 is it intuitive how you set the trigger to kill boost if knock is greater than a set threshold (e.g. if knock > 6, wgdc = 0 or fuel cut)?

Thanks in advance!

fireroasted

iTrader: (3)

I haven't used the tephra mods yet, so I will leave it for tephra or the other gurus to comment on how to do that. I don't want to theorize any incorrect info. And I'm not familiar with changing ROM IDs either, sorry. So I can only comment on #1.....

1 - I always backup now. Organizing the files is key, and things can get surprisingly complex with multiple versions, and multiple tunes. Even more so if you are also using multiple ROM IDs.

ROM ID change aside, Logically, you could think of it this way..... Your ECU is never changing. Its the same box all the time. So just your def files are getting more and more sophisticated to address memory locations deeper and deeper into the ECU as the gurus reverse engineer in order to find out how to manage functions.

So as an example, lets say you wanted to do the fictitious RadiatorFan mod, in which you ad tables to ECUflash, and then modify the values of those tables so that the fan is on all the time independent of actual temps. Now you do this and its March. In June your computer is stolen, and you don't have backups of that install or def files.

You don't think about it, because you car is running fine and no changes are necessary. Then in August you want to complete the fictitious door locks mod. However now you have a new install of ecuflash. You add the doorlocks tables, and flash the ECU. You didn't change the RadiatorFan mod data, because you didn't address it. Since you didn't have the tables loaded in that iteration of ECU flash nothing changed.

In contrast, if you wanted to UNDO that radiator mod you WILL need to ad those tables to ECUFlash (again) so that you can set the values back to stock to UNDO those mods.

Any corrections to my logic welcomed.

M

khalid_mark

hi
how is possible to find addresses of anti lag for evo 6 { 25570000 }
thanks

minezevoix

I know is very old but why is when I try to edit my 0015.xml file and save it it says "access denied"

Raptord

iTrader: (10)

Make sure it's not read-only (right click, properties, uncheck the "read only" box if ticked). Also try editing with administrator privileges

merlin.oz

See the guide here


http://evoecu.logic.net/mirror/merlin/

minezevoix

Thanks for the tips. I'll try it asap. I kinda forgot about this for awhile. It's nice to see people actually check 2yr. Old + threads to help out is newbies.

fireroasted

iTrader: (3)

That Merlin guide is great. Newb or whatever, we are all still constantly learning to some degree. Remember to log lots and make small incremental adjustments in ecru flash and you'll be fine.

awdordie

iTrader: (1)

im having the same issue as minezevoix. when i go under properties the read only box is not checked and i have tried editing with administrators privledges and its still saying access denied

fireroasted

iTrader: (3)

You guys may need to change your UAC. Google that and a zillion windows things will come up. It's in the control panel under users.

Or you can move the file out of the openecu folders onto the desktop, open it, edit, save, and then copy back into the appropriate folder. Give those a try.

minezevoix

I've tried to change every read-only folder and any permission level I could find. Still when I try to overwrite the existing rom to have the changes take effect, it still says access denied.

fireroasted

iTrader: (3)

Did you specifically try something like this related to the UAC?

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windo...windows-vista/

Or, did you specifically try the copying of the ROM file to your desktop, then opening, editing, saving, and then copying it back to the rommetadata folder?

awdordie

iTrader: (1)

changed my uac and still got the same error messsage. going to try the moving copying and then pasting next. if this is how i will have to do everything from now on its going to be a serious inconveniece.

copying the xml to the desktop and doing it that way worked. its more of a pain in the *** having to copy the xml paste it to the desktop make a second backup copy on the desktop, edit one, delete the one in rommetadata, copy and paste the edited one into rommetadata and see if it worked lol