M400 and E888 / 816 expanders

[JulianEdgar]

I am running out of outputs on the M400 / CDL3 dash.

I have been reading here about the E888 / 816 expanders and it appears that their use is not particularly seamless with the hundred series ECUs.

If I get (say) an E888, can I drive the 8 outputs it has with full 3D tables programmed in ECU Manager? If so, where are those tables in ECU Manager? I don't quite understand how those tables are created. Or do they replace existing functional tables?

Or do those expander outputs work under the normally available Aux output functions (except where stated otherwise)? ie these functions:

1 : Boost Control
2 : PWM Idle Speed Control
3 : Aux Table
4 : Tacho Signal (Not suitable for Aux 5,6,7,8)
5 : Drive by Wire (Aux1 only - uses Aux2 also)
6 : Drive by Wire Idle Speed Control (Aux2 only)
7 : Idle Slave
etc

If so, there's only 8 Aux outputs in the software - where do the extras come from?

Thanks for any help people can offer me.

[Scott@FP]

Once you set up the expander in the CAN communications tab, your injector outputs tab becomes 'expander outputs'.
If you have 4 injectors and are using the ind trim tables, expander outputs 1-4 can be used but cannot use a table, if you are not using the individual injector trim tables, all 8 expander outputs can use the tables. Table use is selected in expander outputs setup. If you are using the trim tables move outputs not requiring a table over to the expander, like fuel pumps, fans etc.

Think of the expander as a 'dumb box' everything is controlled by the ECU.

I'm not sure how an M400 deals with the extra (5-8) expander tables. set up the CAN comms and see what you have available.

[Scott@FP]

adjust/general setup/communications/CAN setup if CAN 2 and 3 are available, set up expander transmit/receive like this-

CAN 2 Data= 9 (transmit to expander, 'injector outputs' become 'expander outputs')
CAN 2 Address= 243
CAN 3 Data= 2 (receive from expander)
CAN 3 Address= 240

Also you don't HAVE to set up to both receive and transmit, if you are only using the expander for the outputs with no sensor, TC, or digital channels, or the thermocouples or AV's with no expander outputs in use you can set up to transmit from ECU or receive from expander only.

Sensors on expander are set up in inputs same as any other, with the exception instead of volts in x.xxx format its in millivolts. Digital speed inputs are (if I remember correctly) transmitted in raw Hz with a tenth added on, since the input range in the ECU is limited to 32767 you are limited to 3276.7 Hz, and the speed, RPM, or distance conversion is done either in a user channel or in I2.

[JulianEdgar]

Thank you.

I have done what you have suggested to see it in ECU Manager.

As you say, Expander Outputs replaces Injector Outputs. So what happens to Injector Outputs? They're just assumed to be working in the background?

I don't understand why Expander Outputs replaces Injector Outputs, rather than Expander Outputs being a new tab to match the new hardware. Or is this just the weird way MoTeC has chosen to do it?

[Scott@FP]

Its a 'dumb box'. There is no internal configuration, all setup is done in the ECU/dash, so if your expander outputs need to use a lookup table, they have assigned the injector output individual trim tables for their use. Why? Don't know. Maybe they ran out of ROM space in the ECU? You don't lose the injector output, you lose the individual trim table. In setting up a new ECU configuration be sure and assign cylinder count and injectors BEFORE enabling the expander comms.

Also familiarize yourself with the expander output capabilities (see the manual), odd numbered and even numbered outputs are different, coarse PW steps and slow speed vs. fine PW steps and high speed.

I've had to set up a couple rigs that used almost every input/output on both an M800 and an expander, it takes some setup and shuffling around sometimes to do what you need to do. It may be prudent to move all the outputs that don't need tables over to the expander in order to keep inj trims.

[JulianEdgar]

Thank you very much