risen
01-12-2011, 11:58 PM
So, now that I've finally gotten around to writing the article for datalogging what do you need to do it? You need 1 piece of hardware, some wiring, and some software.
The Hardware:
In most cases new laptops only have USB connectivity and should use a FTDI devices chipset to handle the USB to Serial conversion needed for communication with the SMEC/SBEC/LM.
You can get the SBEC Interface cable from www.boostbutton.com if you'd perfer not to have to deal with selecting the proper cabling and/or you want to be ready if you plan to buy a flashable smec or flash a SBEC head on over there.
While there are many different modules out there, the ones that are known to work are the following:
DLP devices TXRX-g - http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/DLP-Design/DLP-TXRX-G/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMuDw7xUFNwm7DkwLBaP%252bxBrqX8IyUdaUK g%3d
Datasheet - http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Documents/DataSheets/DLP/dlptxrx-v14-ds.pdf
FT232RL cable - http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/FTDI/TTL-232R-5V-WE/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMtf8aSAtgR7DtM6b7hTwLVv
Datasheet - http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Documents/DataSheets/Cables/DS_TTL-232R_CABLES.pdf
For the TXRX-g module you will also need a A to mini-B USB cable. Many times these come with cameras or phones, so you may already have one laying around. If not, you can pick one of these up from Mouser:
USB A to mini-B cable - http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Molex/88732-8902/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMt4a%252bVKO2jOrWFMTmDxV%2fLV6%252bF7 ub0qqBo%3d
Mouser isn't the only place that offers these modules or cables, so feel free to search for a better price if you're not happy with ~20$ for the module. I have personally used these devices for LM and SMEC duty so I know they work correctly. I've even bootloaded a SMEC with one and a perl script.
And that's really it for the hardware part.
The Wiring:
Once you purchase the hardware you will need to wire it up in the way described below. If you're considering how to wire it, run some wires from the adapter to the SCI port where you can crimp or solder spade terminals that will slide into your SCI connector is a good idea. This way you can pull them out and not have to worry about splices or cutting up your harness.
Identification of TX and RX pins
TXRX-g adapter -
the TX line on the adapter has an arrow pointing twards the black connector top arrow
the RX line on the adapter has an arrow pointing away from the black connector 2nd arrow from top
the GND line is the one with the arrow pointing parallel to the black adapter 3rd arrow from top
The TXRX-g adapter also has holes that are connected to each pin on the black connector, so if you would prefer to solder the wires into those holes instead of attempting to use the black connector, feel free.
FT232RL cable -
the TX line is connected to the Orange cable
the RX line is connected to the Yellow cable
the GND line is the Black cable
Once you have identified the pins that need to be connected you will need to connect them to the proper ports on the SCI connector. The SCI connector will only need 3 pins. The connections are as follows:
TXRX-g -
TX line on adapter -> Green wire on SCI connector
RX line on adapter -> Pink wire on SCI connector
GND line on adapter -> Black wire on SCI connector
FT232RL -
Orange cable (TX)-> Green wire on the SCI connector
Yellow cable (RX)-> Pink wire on the SCI connector
Black cable (GND)-> Black wire on SCI connector
Once you've connected the pins from your adapter to the SCI connector the wiring part is done.
The Software:
These adapters are very flexible and, as such, need to have some minor tweaks made to their configuration to ensure they function properly with our ECUs. For interfacing via the SCI port this means setting the comms to inverted I/O for all ECU types. Also, the TXRX-g adapter needs to have it's 2 status LEDs setup to flash on TX and RX if you'd like the visual status indication. Lastly, the adapter can be setup to use shorter timeouts which will speed datalogging significantly. The simple tweak will increase the performance by nearly an order of magnitude vs a default adapter.
You will need to download drivers for your adapter and the FT_PROG utility from FTDI's website. It may also be helpful to grab a copy of FTDIclean just in case your system needs to have old drivers removed. Please note that this is the nuclear option, so only use it as a last resort or after posting in the forums, I've never had to use it personally and I've updated my drivers and had 4 devices hanging off one system at a time.
You can follow the links below to retrieve the programs I just mentioned -
Drivers : http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm
- Grab the latest ones that suit your OS and processor version. Stick with the VCP drivers as most applications expect a serial port.
FT_PROG : http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Utilities.htm#FT_Prog
Please note that you also need the Microsoft .NET framework if you don't already have it installed. You can download the FT_PROG zip file and see if you can run it. If you can, don't worry about the .net download. If it fails to run (may take 10 or 15s to start), grab the .net package linked to on the FTDI site and install it. FT_PROG should run just fine after you install that.
FT_CLEAN: http://www.ftdichip.com/Resources/Utilities/FTClean.zip
NUCLEAR OPTION!!! USE ONLY AS LAST RESORT IF YOU FULLY UNDERSTAND RAMIFICATIONS!!!!
Driver installation:
At this point you should have your adapter disconnected from both the PC and ECU. Sometimes if the USB adapter is plugged into the PC and connected to the ECU with the car powered off, the ECU can cause the adapter to get hot. You will probably want to avoid that situation in the future and should definitely do so for this section.
If you downloaded a .exe version of the drivers (an installer) you can simply run the installer to install the drivers. You can then plug the adapter into your PC and you should hear some tones and it should find your device without problems. If this is the case you can skip down to the programming of the adapter. You may already have drivers so if you can see the device under device manager, you can skip down to the FT_PROG section.
If you downloaded a .zip file for the drivers you will need to extract the files in the .zip to a folder. In my examples I'll be using the C:\CDM20808 folder like below
28187
Once you've extracted the drvers from the .zip you can plug your adapter into your PC. Once you've plugged it in, you may get the 'Found new hardware wizard'. Direct the found new hardware wizard to serach only in a specific location on your pc and select the folder you extracted the drivers in. Once you've done this your device manager should have a device like the following sceenshot under your USB devices.
28186
If the hardware isn't reckognized, you can unplug it and plug it back in and follow the forced update instructions and screenshots below starting with the first wizard page. If you'd like to make sure the drivers are up to the latest or ensure that you're using a specific driver follow the sequence of screenshots below.
In the device manager right click on the device, and select properties.
28186
On the properties page that pops up, select the driver tab at top.
28184
On the driver tab, you click the button that says update driver.
28185
Those who have hardware that isn't automatically loading the driver can start following the procedure here. The update driver wizard will begin on the first page you will select 'No not at this time' and click next.
28198
On the next page select install from specific location and click next
28199
On this page select 'Don't search, I'll choose the driver to install' and click next
28197
On the next page click the 'Have Disk' button. Don't worry if your screen doesn't have the 2 drivers listed above, it may have none or 1 more 3 or 8, it's not important.
28196
When the 'Install from disk' dialog pops up, select the 'Browse' button and browse to the folder where you extracted the drivers.
28195
Double click to open the directory.
28194
Select the ftdiport.inf file and hit 'Open'
28193
On the select device driver window select the USB Serial converter line and click 'Next'.
28203
If the driver isn't signed, you'll get this pop-up window. As long as you downloaded the driver from FTDI's site, you can click 'Continue Anyways'. It's a *VERY* bad idea to install drivers from someone other than FTDI. It's a bad idea in general to install drivers from someone other than the hardware manufacturer.
28204
The driver install should then complete. If it asks you about overwriting any files, you can tell it to do so. Your device properties page should reflect the new driver if you select that tab now.
Now, at this point we have a driver installed and the device should be listed under the USB devices. If it's not there at this point, stop and seek some help or do some other troubleshooting like disconnecting and reconnecting the device and listening for the USB connection tones.
Configure Device with FT_PROG:
Now since the device is connected and the drivers are loaded we can go ahead and configure it for use with our ECU. At this point you should fire up the ft_prog application. Once it's up you'll be presented with a screen like the one in the screenshot.
28188
You can then click on the 'Devices' entry in the menu and run the 'Scan and Parse' option. Or just hit F5. You will see the application window have a status bar across the bottom and if all goes well you will be presented with a screen like below.
Please note that you should only have *1* device listed. If there are multiple devices listed, make sure you unplug all USB devices other than your adapter. We don't want to reprogram something else.
28189
Once you have that screen you should expand the hardware specific settings by clicking the + sign next to it. Once expanded you will see an entry for InvertTXD and InvertRXD.
28190
SMEC and SBEC -- You will need to click these as in the screenshot below
28191
For TXRX-g users, if you'd like to make sure the LEDs flash when there's tx or rx activity select the 'IO Controls'. The CBUS3 should be set to 'TXLED#' and the CBUS4 should be set to 'RXLED#' as in the screenshot below. Users of other cables can ignore these settings.
28202
At this point you are ready to program your device. You can click the lightning bolt on the icon bar or select 'Devices' and 'Program Devices' from the menu. This will bring up the dialog below.
28201
Once the dialog comes up and you see only 1 device you can hit the 'Program' button. You will see the dialog change it's status line in the lower left corner and it should say 'Finished Programming' there once done. See screenshot below.
28200
That's it for the programming of the device. You can now close out the ft_prog window. I normally disconnect my device and reconnect it to verify that everything is functioning OK.
Reduce the USB transmit timeout for higher performance
To do this you will need to open device manager and expand the 'Ports - (COM & LPT)' section as shown in the screenshot.
28205
You will now need to select your USB serial converter com port if you have more than 1 listed. You can right click on the device and select properties to check. If the properties page says 'FTDI' for manufacturer and 'on USB serial converter' for location you have the correct device. If not, select another com port. See the poperty page screenshot below for example.
28206
At this point you need to select the port settings tab on the properties page and click the advanced button. The page and resulting advanced window are below.
28207
On the Advanced page you will want to set the Latency timer to it's lowest possible value (one in this case, sometimes it's 2). This will cause the USB device to send back the data more quickly if it's quota hasn't been reached yet.
28208
After setting the value as in the above screenshot click OK on the advanced page and OK on the peroperties page.
At this point your device is fully configured. You just need to remember which COM port your device is listed as.
Datalog Software:
You currently have 3 choices of TM compatible Datalog software. They're linked to below:
MPScan - Newest, works with most ECUs, written by wowzer who also wrote MPTuner. Pretty sweet piece of s/w in both cases.
Download MPScan here - http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/showthread.php?47905-MPScan
Winlog plugin - relatively old, only works with LMs, has some warts, but is workable.
You will need to download winlog from here: http://www.devtechnics.com/winlog.htm
And the winlog plugin is here:
http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/showthread.php?25344-Logworks2-datalogging&p=465691#post465691
Logworks Plugin - works for LM/SMEC/SBEC, flexible, has editable addresses, and full integration with Innovate hardware. In the process of getting a rewrite, but still good if you have an Innovate W/B or feel like using innovate's stim .dll and only 5 inputs. Instructions are in the thread, I'd reccommend reading the whole thing over a cup of coffee (or a beer...) before attempting to run it. If you want the stim.dll PM me.
Download from here: http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/showthread.php?42191-Logworks-plugin-for-SMEC-SBEC-LM
I will be updating the plugins in the coming months (or years...) so they have better support for a wider array of ECUs and protocols. Once the plugins are updated I'll move all the relevant documentation into this article.
The Hardware:
In most cases new laptops only have USB connectivity and should use a FTDI devices chipset to handle the USB to Serial conversion needed for communication with the SMEC/SBEC/LM.
You can get the SBEC Interface cable from www.boostbutton.com if you'd perfer not to have to deal with selecting the proper cabling and/or you want to be ready if you plan to buy a flashable smec or flash a SBEC head on over there.
While there are many different modules out there, the ones that are known to work are the following:
DLP devices TXRX-g - http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/DLP-Design/DLP-TXRX-G/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMuDw7xUFNwm7DkwLBaP%252bxBrqX8IyUdaUK g%3d
Datasheet - http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Documents/DataSheets/DLP/dlptxrx-v14-ds.pdf
FT232RL cable - http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/FTDI/TTL-232R-5V-WE/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMtf8aSAtgR7DtM6b7hTwLVv
Datasheet - http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Documents/DataSheets/Cables/DS_TTL-232R_CABLES.pdf
For the TXRX-g module you will also need a A to mini-B USB cable. Many times these come with cameras or phones, so you may already have one laying around. If not, you can pick one of these up from Mouser:
USB A to mini-B cable - http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Molex/88732-8902/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMt4a%252bVKO2jOrWFMTmDxV%2fLV6%252bF7 ub0qqBo%3d
Mouser isn't the only place that offers these modules or cables, so feel free to search for a better price if you're not happy with ~20$ for the module. I have personally used these devices for LM and SMEC duty so I know they work correctly. I've even bootloaded a SMEC with one and a perl script.
And that's really it for the hardware part.
The Wiring:
Once you purchase the hardware you will need to wire it up in the way described below. If you're considering how to wire it, run some wires from the adapter to the SCI port where you can crimp or solder spade terminals that will slide into your SCI connector is a good idea. This way you can pull them out and not have to worry about splices or cutting up your harness.
Identification of TX and RX pins
TXRX-g adapter -
the TX line on the adapter has an arrow pointing twards the black connector top arrow
the RX line on the adapter has an arrow pointing away from the black connector 2nd arrow from top
the GND line is the one with the arrow pointing parallel to the black adapter 3rd arrow from top
The TXRX-g adapter also has holes that are connected to each pin on the black connector, so if you would prefer to solder the wires into those holes instead of attempting to use the black connector, feel free.
FT232RL cable -
the TX line is connected to the Orange cable
the RX line is connected to the Yellow cable
the GND line is the Black cable
Once you have identified the pins that need to be connected you will need to connect them to the proper ports on the SCI connector. The SCI connector will only need 3 pins. The connections are as follows:
TXRX-g -
TX line on adapter -> Green wire on SCI connector
RX line on adapter -> Pink wire on SCI connector
GND line on adapter -> Black wire on SCI connector
FT232RL -
Orange cable (TX)-> Green wire on the SCI connector
Yellow cable (RX)-> Pink wire on the SCI connector
Black cable (GND)-> Black wire on SCI connector
Once you've connected the pins from your adapter to the SCI connector the wiring part is done.
The Software:
These adapters are very flexible and, as such, need to have some minor tweaks made to their configuration to ensure they function properly with our ECUs. For interfacing via the SCI port this means setting the comms to inverted I/O for all ECU types. Also, the TXRX-g adapter needs to have it's 2 status LEDs setup to flash on TX and RX if you'd like the visual status indication. Lastly, the adapter can be setup to use shorter timeouts which will speed datalogging significantly. The simple tweak will increase the performance by nearly an order of magnitude vs a default adapter.
You will need to download drivers for your adapter and the FT_PROG utility from FTDI's website. It may also be helpful to grab a copy of FTDIclean just in case your system needs to have old drivers removed. Please note that this is the nuclear option, so only use it as a last resort or after posting in the forums, I've never had to use it personally and I've updated my drivers and had 4 devices hanging off one system at a time.
You can follow the links below to retrieve the programs I just mentioned -
Drivers : http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm
- Grab the latest ones that suit your OS and processor version. Stick with the VCP drivers as most applications expect a serial port.
FT_PROG : http://www.ftdichip.com/Support/Utilities.htm#FT_Prog
Please note that you also need the Microsoft .NET framework if you don't already have it installed. You can download the FT_PROG zip file and see if you can run it. If you can, don't worry about the .net download. If it fails to run (may take 10 or 15s to start), grab the .net package linked to on the FTDI site and install it. FT_PROG should run just fine after you install that.
FT_CLEAN: http://www.ftdichip.com/Resources/Utilities/FTClean.zip
NUCLEAR OPTION!!! USE ONLY AS LAST RESORT IF YOU FULLY UNDERSTAND RAMIFICATIONS!!!!
Driver installation:
At this point you should have your adapter disconnected from both the PC and ECU. Sometimes if the USB adapter is plugged into the PC and connected to the ECU with the car powered off, the ECU can cause the adapter to get hot. You will probably want to avoid that situation in the future and should definitely do so for this section.
If you downloaded a .exe version of the drivers (an installer) you can simply run the installer to install the drivers. You can then plug the adapter into your PC and you should hear some tones and it should find your device without problems. If this is the case you can skip down to the programming of the adapter. You may already have drivers so if you can see the device under device manager, you can skip down to the FT_PROG section.
If you downloaded a .zip file for the drivers you will need to extract the files in the .zip to a folder. In my examples I'll be using the C:\CDM20808 folder like below
28187
Once you've extracted the drvers from the .zip you can plug your adapter into your PC. Once you've plugged it in, you may get the 'Found new hardware wizard'. Direct the found new hardware wizard to serach only in a specific location on your pc and select the folder you extracted the drivers in. Once you've done this your device manager should have a device like the following sceenshot under your USB devices.
28186
If the hardware isn't reckognized, you can unplug it and plug it back in and follow the forced update instructions and screenshots below starting with the first wizard page. If you'd like to make sure the drivers are up to the latest or ensure that you're using a specific driver follow the sequence of screenshots below.
In the device manager right click on the device, and select properties.
28186
On the properties page that pops up, select the driver tab at top.
28184
On the driver tab, you click the button that says update driver.
28185
Those who have hardware that isn't automatically loading the driver can start following the procedure here. The update driver wizard will begin on the first page you will select 'No not at this time' and click next.
28198
On the next page select install from specific location and click next
28199
On this page select 'Don't search, I'll choose the driver to install' and click next
28197
On the next page click the 'Have Disk' button. Don't worry if your screen doesn't have the 2 drivers listed above, it may have none or 1 more 3 or 8, it's not important.
28196
When the 'Install from disk' dialog pops up, select the 'Browse' button and browse to the folder where you extracted the drivers.
28195
Double click to open the directory.
28194
Select the ftdiport.inf file and hit 'Open'
28193
On the select device driver window select the USB Serial converter line and click 'Next'.
28203
If the driver isn't signed, you'll get this pop-up window. As long as you downloaded the driver from FTDI's site, you can click 'Continue Anyways'. It's a *VERY* bad idea to install drivers from someone other than FTDI. It's a bad idea in general to install drivers from someone other than the hardware manufacturer.
28204
The driver install should then complete. If it asks you about overwriting any files, you can tell it to do so. Your device properties page should reflect the new driver if you select that tab now.
Now, at this point we have a driver installed and the device should be listed under the USB devices. If it's not there at this point, stop and seek some help or do some other troubleshooting like disconnecting and reconnecting the device and listening for the USB connection tones.
Configure Device with FT_PROG:
Now since the device is connected and the drivers are loaded we can go ahead and configure it for use with our ECU. At this point you should fire up the ft_prog application. Once it's up you'll be presented with a screen like the one in the screenshot.
28188
You can then click on the 'Devices' entry in the menu and run the 'Scan and Parse' option. Or just hit F5. You will see the application window have a status bar across the bottom and if all goes well you will be presented with a screen like below.
Please note that you should only have *1* device listed. If there are multiple devices listed, make sure you unplug all USB devices other than your adapter. We don't want to reprogram something else.
28189
Once you have that screen you should expand the hardware specific settings by clicking the + sign next to it. Once expanded you will see an entry for InvertTXD and InvertRXD.
28190
SMEC and SBEC -- You will need to click these as in the screenshot below
28191
For TXRX-g users, if you'd like to make sure the LEDs flash when there's tx or rx activity select the 'IO Controls'. The CBUS3 should be set to 'TXLED#' and the CBUS4 should be set to 'RXLED#' as in the screenshot below. Users of other cables can ignore these settings.
28202
At this point you are ready to program your device. You can click the lightning bolt on the icon bar or select 'Devices' and 'Program Devices' from the menu. This will bring up the dialog below.
28201
Once the dialog comes up and you see only 1 device you can hit the 'Program' button. You will see the dialog change it's status line in the lower left corner and it should say 'Finished Programming' there once done. See screenshot below.
28200
That's it for the programming of the device. You can now close out the ft_prog window. I normally disconnect my device and reconnect it to verify that everything is functioning OK.
Reduce the USB transmit timeout for higher performance
To do this you will need to open device manager and expand the 'Ports - (COM & LPT)' section as shown in the screenshot.
28205
You will now need to select your USB serial converter com port if you have more than 1 listed. You can right click on the device and select properties to check. If the properties page says 'FTDI' for manufacturer and 'on USB serial converter' for location you have the correct device. If not, select another com port. See the poperty page screenshot below for example.
28206
At this point you need to select the port settings tab on the properties page and click the advanced button. The page and resulting advanced window are below.
28207
On the Advanced page you will want to set the Latency timer to it's lowest possible value (one in this case, sometimes it's 2). This will cause the USB device to send back the data more quickly if it's quota hasn't been reached yet.
28208
After setting the value as in the above screenshot click OK on the advanced page and OK on the peroperties page.
At this point your device is fully configured. You just need to remember which COM port your device is listed as.
Datalog Software:
You currently have 3 choices of TM compatible Datalog software. They're linked to below:
MPScan - Newest, works with most ECUs, written by wowzer who also wrote MPTuner. Pretty sweet piece of s/w in both cases.
Download MPScan here - http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/showthread.php?47905-MPScan
Winlog plugin - relatively old, only works with LMs, has some warts, but is workable.
You will need to download winlog from here: http://www.devtechnics.com/winlog.htm
And the winlog plugin is here:
http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/showthread.php?25344-Logworks2-datalogging&p=465691#post465691
Logworks Plugin - works for LM/SMEC/SBEC, flexible, has editable addresses, and full integration with Innovate hardware. In the process of getting a rewrite, but still good if you have an Innovate W/B or feel like using innovate's stim .dll and only 5 inputs. Instructions are in the thread, I'd reccommend reading the whole thing over a cup of coffee (or a beer...) before attempting to run it. If you want the stim.dll PM me.
Download from here: http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/showthread.php?42191-Logworks-plugin-for-SMEC-SBEC-LM
I will be updating the plugins in the coming months (or years...) so they have better support for a wider array of ECUs and protocols. Once the plugins are updated I'll move all the relevant documentation into this article.