ColorChange

I am trying to get full data acquisition for my '04 turbo. I have an AimSport MXL data acquisitions system and have been trying to tap directly into the CAN bus and get all the data available on the car. This does not look as promising as initially hoped. There are some stories of reading the data throwing cars into limp mode as the ECU thinks there is a problem or someone is hacking and data protection kicks in.

So, I am now going to try to make break out cables of the signals of primary interest. The idea is if I can intercept the analog signal, I can then get the information I want without having to hardwire my own sensors. My intent is to study the wiring diagrams, pick of the pertinent signals, and then try to characterize what they are (5mV, etc.), and then filter and log the data.

Does anyone have any suggestions or insights that will help me? If I do all the work, I will probably make the systems available for sale.

Geoffrey

Which signals do you want to get?

Nordschleife

Depending on how much time you have, and how you value your own time, you may be better off getting a GT3 ADL system from Motec. They have a package for the GT3 Cup cars which works with the Bosch Motronic ECU.
Some of the Motec cabling may work with your proposed logging system, it would be worth investigating.
R+C

Geoffrey

The GT3 Cup cars have different ECUs, they use 5.2 in the 2001 and earlier ones and the later ones have Motorsport 3.1. The 996TT has 7.x which is different.

hrk

I would worry about interfering the original signal going to ECU. What if the tapped wire or port where it is connected, alters signal so ECU gets different information than originally sent.
hrk

mikew968

CC:

What do you think of the Mychron 3 gold vs the MXL series?

Thanks, Mike

ColorChange

I have had both. Functionally, not a big difference. The MXL has a much nicer display but they both do the same basic job.

I want most of the PSM data - 4-wheel speeds, lat g, yaw, throttle position, steering angle, etc. In addition, I would love to get all the engine stuff (intake temp, oil temp, oil pressure, etc.)

It looks like PSI Motorsports might have something. I'll post as soon as I get hard info.

95m3racer

The new MXL pro has 12 channels plus 4 wheel speeds. So yo could get all the thing you need by direct sensors.

There are several cars of your same spec using the ecu can connection successfuly.

Contact Precision Automotive Research for more info.

www.precisionautoresearch.com

Nordschleife

We all know that they are different, however the process of interfacing to different versions of a supplier's ECU is simpler once the fundementals are understood. Motec understand these principles very clearly and attaching their ADL to the Motronic unit does not void the Bosch warrany as long as the Motec harness is used.

Working with Motronic and Motec gives the user access to a vast database of information and pool of experience and assistance. The benefit of this should not be lightly forgone.

As far as the differences between Motorsport and street Motronic units, the former are easier to set up as they do not have as much logic devoted to preventing the engine from hand grenading.

One of my favorite engine builders has interfaced the motec system to two engines in the same car (yes one in the front and one in the back) and both engines are controlled by 7.x units. So we know that interfacing to this version of the Motronic ECu is also well understood.

R+C

ColorChange

95m3 - Nope. I know those guys well. The cup CAN they have on line but not the tt ECU or CAN.

Nord, while you are correct in principal, I don't believe anyone has completely done it yet. If you would care to give me the name of your engine builder who has doen this ... I'm all over it!

Nordschleife

ColorChange

The Engine builder I have in mind is Roland Mayer. Also well versed in this are Alois Ruf, Olaf Manthey, Juergen Alzen and Ralf Niesse amongst a number of people who race or have raced Turbo engined Porsches. Mayer gets the nod from his peers because his in-house ecu man has huge experience in breadth as well as depth and has been hired to help out some 'famous names'. Roland's firm are only peripherally interested in Porsche tuning but their expertise with Motronics is outstanding.

I am sure any of the above people could supply what you require, but remember the EUR USD Xrate stinks right now so it won't be cheap!

If you want to investigate this further, email me, please.

R+C

924RACR

I would absolutely recommend tapping into the CAN bus over tapping directly into sensors; you're liable to degrade the sensor output quality sufficient to create problems with their control - highly not recommended!!! Trust me, you really don't want to see what happens when PSM sensors go out, it's not pretty. That's why we have all the monitoring for the sensors.

You definitely want to grab the sensor output on the CAN bus. If tapping into the CAN bus is causing ECU's to fault out - somebody's doing a rather bad job of tapping into the bus (and I certainly wouldn't trust them with the sensors).

I would think that all you should really need is a CAN matrix (mesage list) for the relevant ECU's. Sorry, can't help you there; we don't get to work on the cool stuff like P-cars over here, that's all done over in Germany.

924RACR

My crew chief pointed out that the correct tie-in to the CAN bus is using what we call a CAN "dongle" - he's going to look up where we get them from and all, I'll pass it on...