I there any DIY laptop chip emulator/data logger out there?

wild man · 11-03-2010, 01:35 PM

Like an ostritch sort of data link between the DME and the laptop software.

Rogue_Ant · 11-03-2010, 07:44 PM

? What are you looking for?

wild man · 05:29 AM

Final goal is is fully (custom, by me) tuned chips, for my particular setup. I was going to start with your base 28-pin DME bin (and the 24-pin KLR bin, when you have it finished). I would be watching (also manually logging the data) the tachometer, boost gauge, A/F gauge, and knock counter. I would then make adjustments, and re-burn the chip, repeating this process until I'm happy with what I see.

But It would be FAR less hassle, if I could make on-the-fly adjustments by means of a connected laptop, based on data that is being automatically logged by it. Therefore, I would only have to burn the chip once, in it's final version.

I will be using the tuner pro software, and I know that a (ostrich, or ostrich II) data cable is compatible with it. But since I like to go DIY (and I'm a hardware-oriented person), I would like to build a compatible cable myself. But not knowing exactly what the software needs for the interface, I would need some sort of plans to go by. I was wondering if plans for any such cable/interface exist, or do I have to buck up to the pre-made cable? I'm assuming that it is a ribbon cable with one end having a 28-pin plug that would be placed into the EPROM socket, and the other end terminating with an interface, such as USB, into the computer. But if was wondering if some sort of compatible parallel cable, such as a JTAG cable that I have built several of, could be constructed. I do have a USB-to-parallel interface cable, that could be connected to it, if needed (WOULD be needed for my laptop, IIRC). Or if a direct-to-USB chip is required. I would buy the chip (or take it out of something that has one in it), and build the cable around it. But I would need to know pinouts, and other info.

Anyone selling a used ostrich II?

flash968 · 11-04-2010, 06:10 AM

the ostrich is inexpensive and works very well - i have been very happy with mine - i would not go about reinventing the wheel

wild man · 10:20 AM

I think it like 2 bills, IIRC. That ummm, "moderately" expensive for me. I not reinventing wheel. Just trying to save the $ by putting together a cable, like I have done with JTAG cables, instead of paying $ for them.

EDIT: I likely already have most of the parts needed.

Rogue_Ant · 11-04-2010, 02:05 PM

The Ostrich is more than just a cable...
You could just use an EEPROM, then you can re-program it as needed.

wild man · 11-04-2010, 02:08 PM

Just found a DIY chip emulator here:

ftp://nic.funet.fi/pub/ham/schema/prom-emu.zip

But no datalogging, or on-the-fly changes, unless compatible with turner pro software (I'm not sure, but doubt it).

wild man · 11-04-2010, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogue_Ant

The Ostrich is more than just a cable...
You could just use an EEPROM, then you can re-program it as needed.

I do have a couple of them, but the problem I have seems to be that the burner that I recently bought (Genius G-540) has problems burning 64k chips. It will only burn the 1st byte of a 2864 EEPROM, before throwing an error. And it will not burn ANY bytes on 2764 EPROM, before the error comes up. With the other half dozen or so various size chips that I attempted to program, there was no problem.

flash968 · 11-04-2010, 06:16 PM

the ostrich 2.0 is only $175 - i spill more wine than that - save yourself the hassle and frustration - i'm wiling to bet that you've already spent more time looking around than that cost at even minimum wage - just buy the thing that works and be done with it

wild man · 11-05-2010, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flash968

the ostrich 2.0 is only $175 - i spill more wine than that - save yourself the hassle and frustration - i'm wiling to bet that you've already spent more time looking around than that cost at even minimum wage - just buy the thing that works and be done with it

If you spill more wine than that, you drink too much! And that would be like 24hrs @ min wage - I spent maybe 3hrs or so, finding the DIY option. But there's no doubt, the ostrich 2.0 is the BEST option, "hands down". The issue is that I just dropped $700 between a KEP stg2 PP and 930 disc. That is a MAJOR expense for me, but I think I got a good deal, and I'm doubting that anything less is going to hold up. Maybe in a month or so, I can swing it. It's compatibility with Tunerpro RT, along with datalogging cababliity and the ability to make on-the-fly changes is what makes it the best one to use. So it looks like I'm going to have to make it my goal to aquire one. But I have half a mind to check out the DIY option, while I play the waiting game, just so I have some experiene going into it.

flash968 · 11-05-2010, 07:51 AM

lol - i poured out a $40 bottle last night - didn't like it - it's easy to go through that much money in wine - heck, it seems like $175 doesn't even cover a decent dinner anymore - but i get that my situation is not necessarily somebody else's

anyway, it's always cheaper to do it right than it is to do it wrong - save up if you have to, but get the right tools - you won't regret it

you'll be spending a lot more than that though on the dyno to really tune the car, as you can only get so far on the laptop on the road, so i'd start parking those pennies

wild man · 11-10-2010, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wild man

I do have a couple of them, but the problem I have seems to be that the burner that I recently bought (Genius G-540) has problems burning 64k chips. It will only burn the 1st byte of a 2864 EEPROM, before throwing an error. And it will not burn ANY bytes on 2764 EPROM, before the error comes up. With the other half dozen or so various size chips that I attempted to program, there was no problem.

If worse-come-to-worse, here is a DIY EPROM burner package that I could put together:

Programator EPROM 2764 - Elektronika - badmiro - Chomikuj.pl

It is ONLY works for 2764 EPROMS (28-pin), but would be very simple to construct.

HondaDustR · 11-10-2010, 11:59 AM

Well flash968, not everyone has a huge "fun" budget. It's not rocket science and a funtional device could theoretically be made for less with the right information, maybe not as nice looking or feature laden as the ostrich...kind of like how a $12 bottle of wine is still pretty tasty if you know what to look for.

A simple burning circuit and a couple of EEPROMs would probably be the cheapest option. With the right software, an emulator shouldn't be a big deal, but unless you can find something someone already designed, it could take a bit of digital circuits knowledge to be able to come up with the cable. I'm always a fan of DIY when time permits...even of it's not much cheaper, it's much more informative.

wild man · 11-10-2010, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flash968

lol - i poured out a $40 bottle last night - didn't like it - it's easy to go through that much money in wine - heck, it seems like $175 doesn't even cover a decent dinner anymore - but i get that my situation is not necessarily somebody else's

anyway, it's always cheaper to do it right than it is to do it wrong - save up if you have to, but get the right tools - you won't regret it

you'll be spending a lot more than that though on the dyno to really tune the car, as you can only get so far on the laptop on the road, so i'd start parking those pennies

I could achieve very close to what the ostrich can do, by simultaneously running the DIY emulator mentioned above, along with an adarundio type device (a simple device based on a cheap microcontroller chip) for the datalogging. But that device needs to be programmed (not my specialty, by any means.), and you can't simply take the data that you are logging direcly off of the EPROM data pins, like the ostrich can do. You would have to splice in to some of the DME signal wires.

So I suppose the ostrich is going to be the way it that things are going to need to roll. I'll have to wait until next month, or so, before I'll be able to swing it.

wild man · 11-10-2010, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HondaDustR

Well flash968, not everyone has a huge "fun" budget. It's not rocket science and a funtional device could theoretically be made for less with the right information, maybe not as nice looking or feature laden as the ostrich...kind of like how a $12 bottle of wine is still pretty tasty if you know what to look for.

A simple burning circuit and a couple of EEPROMs would probably be the cheapest option. With the right software, an emulator shouldn't be a big deal, but unless you can find something someone already designed, it could take a bit of digital circuits knowledge to be able to come up with the cable. I'm always a fan of DIY when time permits...even of it's not much cheaper, it's much more informative.

+1. It can be fun, and you can learn a lot. And there's always that good feeling that results from knowing the you did it yourself.

flash968 · 11-10-2010, 01:06 PM

i am very much a DIY guy - in fact, i have an entire product line for the 968 now, as a direct result of "doing it myself"

that being said, all of those projects have taken me away from actually driving the car, which is what the parts were originally supposed to facilitate

so, while DIY stuff can be fun, it can also take you away from what the stuff is supposed to do for you

work on the car or drive it - take your pick

bebbetufs · bebbetufs's Garage

My winter project is to build an Arduino based stand-alone datalogger with realtime lcd readout for my 951. I'm still in the research fase, but some gear has been aquired, among it a red letter-back background LCD which mathces the 80s look of the car.

I'm planning alarms for overboost and possibly A/F ratio, and I'm might include a shift-light for fun. If I can get the sensors to work properly it should be easy to display Max G forces, max boost and the number of knocks on the in-car lcd, both of the current run as well as the all-time max values.

I will consider tuning once I have the logging sorted. I would like to know what you come up with, perhaps we can join forces!
Check out this thread for more info on what I'm hoping to achieve

wild man · 11-16-2010, 06:26 PM

Ok, after checking my bank account, I just bought myself an ostrich. But I have a question. I want bluetooth connectivity, and I do see the instructions on how to install "the bluetooth module", yet nowhere on the site to purchase it (or I would have). So is it safe fore me to conclude that it is included WITH the ostrich?

Rogue_Ant · 11-16-2010, 06:44 PM

AFAIK the bluetooth is extra.

flash968 · 11-16-2010, 06:49 PM

i'm not so sure i'd do that anyway - i don't really feel comfortable with the lack of reliability and poor performance of bluetooth - one bad data bit and who knows what will happen?