4
Which brings us back to the boards. The schematic for my prototype is here:
http://web.utk.edu/~cjohns32/consult/proto.pdf
and the parts list is here:
http://web.utk.edu/~cjohns32/consult/prot_list.htm
Let me say one thing first. This was my first cut and I did not concentrate on being cheap. In fact most of those components I had on hand thats why I used them. Oh, here's my first board (heh, its ugly, i screwed up the pins on the DB9 connector and a couple of other things, oopsie!):
![]()
Here's one I did for a local yesterday evening. Muuuuuch cleaner, eh?
![]()
Like I said, these were prototypes. I'm going to do a second cut shortly that should bring the cost of parts down significantly. Right now I'm looking at ~$9 in small quantities per board, with out box. Actual board cost (just the PCB) for now is just my time as I'm making them in house. You'll notice those boards don't look like normal circuit boards. Those are actually CNC milled out of thin sheets of copper.
![]()
For small runs it works great (5-10), but for like over 30 we'd need to outsource it, and prices would probably be on the order of $2-5 per board depending on how many we made and size, etc. I'd like to put together some group deals when this stuff gets a little more developed. Prices will depend on whether you want me to assemble the boards or if you want to solder them up yourself. I'll do two versions, one using larger through hole parts and one with surface mount like the above pictures. For me its no big deal, but quite frankly if your not half way decent at soldering you don't want to do the surface mount ones yourself. This stuff is tiny. Anyways, the price I'd like to meet is with me doing the assembly $50 shipped, and with you doing it $20 shipped, no box. I'm doing a run of local beta test boards first though at cost, and as I said earlier if your willing to write software (especially if you have experience programming com ports) I'll try and add you to that last. For everyone else wait for a post in the group buy section or an update here. I'll post pics of the new version with a cheaper parts list soon. BTW, you can build these on a perf board if you've got the patience and you like to build stuff.
The only hurdles I've got right now is the box and plug. The box I'm putting mine in runs $10 from digikey and dosn't come down in price unless I order 50 (yea, it's a ripoff). I haven't been able to find anything I like thats cheaper. I contemplated trying to squeeze the board in a DB9 hood, but I've just about trashed that idea, they're just too small. The other problem is the actual consult plug. Right now I'm doing individual pins, but thats annoying to use. I've finally found a vendor that claims to have some plugs but I havn't gotten them yet. I'll post when I do. The other option is to splice your harness and add a second connector of a standard type, but I don't really like that option. Here's what they look like right now (this is for a TN guy):
![]()
Moving on, there is a small Z forum where some of this stuff is being developed. It concentrates more on rom tuning, but theres a gentelman there who is also in the process of making boards. They should also be a cost effective solution. Its also got links to some of the Z software.
http://www.tangentrix.com/forums/index.php
One final note, on the subject of ROM tuning, 'cause this is one direction this is going. I'd really like to see many many different tuned roms freely available for SE-Rs out there. I'd also like the whole process of what it takes to tune a rom documented and the tools freely available. This is a step in that direction. I figure within a month dumping the contents of the rom should be automated. The next two things that need to be done are developing a daughter board and figuring out where the different tables are. Nissan roms are getting better explained these days, and all that stuff should apply to se-r ecus, we just need to get the locations of the maps. One of the Z guys (we se-r guys really are behind the curve btw) has written a little program that lets you walk through the rom looking for tables. You can find it on the Z board above. Of course, all ROM software thats been done for Z cars/silvias (think 925style and if you don't know what that means don't worry, lol) should work if we get the addresses. I think with enough people working on this we should be able to get somewhere. I figure just comparing different stock roms should get us somewhere. The other problem is the daughter boards...
First, I think with the right ROM the infamous badbiki boards should work (a pinout he posted on another list a long time ago looks right), but there a little expensive for my blood.
My next project as soon as I get the consult boards finalized is to do a daughter board. Amazingly, the specs on these are out there if you look hard enough ('course, some of you already now this because your way ahead of me). I've already got the schematics drawn up, I just need to do the layout and mill a board (and I need the stock ROM!). I'm going to do my boards a little different than the Australian/Japanese boards (oh, and there are a bunch of Japanese boards btw). They all use two cheap 8-bit eproms to generate a 16-bit output; I'm going to use one 16-bit eprom that will be pin compatible with JWT boards (although half the size of the proms Jim uses). They cost difference in doing it this way is maybe $5 dollars, no biggie. If your wondering, I'm doing it this way because I own a JWT ecu, and I'd like to be able to swap ROMs with it. Let me say one thing. I am not copying JWTs ecus. If I was I wouldn't be on the hunt for the stock ROM. If I wanted a JWT rom I'd read mine right now. I know there are already people out there copying JWT ecus. I won't do this. When I have a working version I will post schematics, parts lists, and full details. I figure its two months out or so.
Whew, finished that coffee yet?
-Calum
http://web.utk.edu/~cjohns32/consult/proto.pdf
and the parts list is here:
http://web.utk.edu/~cjohns32/consult/prot_list.htm
Let me say one thing first. This was my first cut and I did not concentrate on being cheap. In fact most of those components I had on hand thats why I used them. Oh, here's my first board (heh, its ugly, i screwed up the pins on the DB9 connector and a couple of other things, oopsie!):
Here's one I did for a local yesterday evening. Muuuuuch cleaner, eh?
Like I said, these were prototypes. I'm going to do a second cut shortly that should bring the cost of parts down significantly. Right now I'm looking at ~$9 in small quantities per board, with out box. Actual board cost (just the PCB) for now is just my time as I'm making them in house. You'll notice those boards don't look like normal circuit boards. Those are actually CNC milled out of thin sheets of copper.
For small runs it works great (5-10), but for like over 30 we'd need to outsource it, and prices would probably be on the order of $2-5 per board depending on how many we made and size, etc. I'd like to put together some group deals when this stuff gets a little more developed. Prices will depend on whether you want me to assemble the boards or if you want to solder them up yourself. I'll do two versions, one using larger through hole parts and one with surface mount like the above pictures. For me its no big deal, but quite frankly if your not half way decent at soldering you don't want to do the surface mount ones yourself. This stuff is tiny. Anyways, the price I'd like to meet is with me doing the assembly $50 shipped, and with you doing it $20 shipped, no box. I'm doing a run of local beta test boards first though at cost, and as I said earlier if your willing to write software (especially if you have experience programming com ports) I'll try and add you to that last. For everyone else wait for a post in the group buy section or an update here. I'll post pics of the new version with a cheaper parts list soon. BTW, you can build these on a perf board if you've got the patience and you like to build stuff.
The only hurdles I've got right now is the box and plug. The box I'm putting mine in runs $10 from digikey and dosn't come down in price unless I order 50 (yea, it's a ripoff). I haven't been able to find anything I like thats cheaper. I contemplated trying to squeeze the board in a DB9 hood, but I've just about trashed that idea, they're just too small. The other problem is the actual consult plug. Right now I'm doing individual pins, but thats annoying to use. I've finally found a vendor that claims to have some plugs but I havn't gotten them yet. I'll post when I do. The other option is to splice your harness and add a second connector of a standard type, but I don't really like that option. Here's what they look like right now (this is for a TN guy):
Moving on, there is a small Z forum where some of this stuff is being developed. It concentrates more on rom tuning, but theres a gentelman there who is also in the process of making boards. They should also be a cost effective solution. Its also got links to some of the Z software.
http://www.tangentrix.com/forums/index.php
One final note, on the subject of ROM tuning, 'cause this is one direction this is going. I'd really like to see many many different tuned roms freely available for SE-Rs out there. I'd also like the whole process of what it takes to tune a rom documented and the tools freely available. This is a step in that direction. I figure within a month dumping the contents of the rom should be automated. The next two things that need to be done are developing a daughter board and figuring out where the different tables are. Nissan roms are getting better explained these days, and all that stuff should apply to se-r ecus, we just need to get the locations of the maps. One of the Z guys (we se-r guys really are behind the curve btw) has written a little program that lets you walk through the rom looking for tables. You can find it on the Z board above. Of course, all ROM software thats been done for Z cars/silvias (think 925style and if you don't know what that means don't worry, lol) should work if we get the addresses. I think with enough people working on this we should be able to get somewhere. I figure just comparing different stock roms should get us somewhere. The other problem is the daughter boards...
First, I think with the right ROM the infamous badbiki boards should work (a pinout he posted on another list a long time ago looks right), but there a little expensive for my blood.
My next project as soon as I get the consult boards finalized is to do a daughter board. Amazingly, the specs on these are out there if you look hard enough ('course, some of you already now this because your way ahead of me). I've already got the schematics drawn up, I just need to do the layout and mill a board (and I need the stock ROM!). I'm going to do my boards a little different than the Australian/Japanese boards (oh, and there are a bunch of Japanese boards btw). They all use two cheap 8-bit eproms to generate a 16-bit output; I'm going to use one 16-bit eprom that will be pin compatible with JWT boards (although half the size of the proms Jim uses). They cost difference in doing it this way is maybe $5 dollars, no biggie. If your wondering, I'm doing it this way because I own a JWT ecu, and I'd like to be able to swap ROMs with it. Let me say one thing. I am not copying JWTs ecus. If I was I wouldn't be on the hunt for the stock ROM. If I wanted a JWT rom I'd read mine right now. I know there are already people out there copying JWT ecus. I won't do this. When I have a working version I will post schematics, parts lists, and full details. I figure its two months out or so. Whew, finished that coffee yet?
-Calum
