M1 Tune software Released.

[schakl]

And what are the negatives on having a flexible ecu that can be easily used for multiple engines ?
I can only see negatives on an ecu that is restricted to use on a single engine, unless that ecu is very cheap.
What benefit does the M1 actually offer then ? ( I havent tried the software etc )

For some people Mx00 is not flexible enough. I'm running an engine with direct injection and (secondary) port injection and I can only calibrate balancing between the two injectors with a map based only on two variables.
I'm waiting for a long time for the possibility to write own firmware-parts with specified calculations or further maps for the balancing (and also for the control of the high fuel pressure for the DI system - currently I'm doing it externally with an own embedded controller).
I also have mapped some engines running on two fuels (liquid and gaseous), the crossfading between the two fuels is also a topic where I was not happy with the possibilites the Mx00-firmware enables.

For more than 90% of the Mx00 users the Mx00 with the one firmware we are working now, is good enough and for these guys, there will be 5 predefined firmwares for the new M1xx ECU they can choose.
For guys like me, the possibility to write own code for an own firmware for the M1xx is very interesting.
Since ~2010 Bosch sells motorsport ECU's with the possibility to programm own code parts with Matlab/Simulink. It's for professional's and very expensive but if you have own ideas for controlling an engine it can be done with Motec ECU's in the near future too.

[JamieA]

The M1 model of being able to write your own code is being examined. We need to work out if we can sell such a feature, and if we do, how it is possible for us to support such a feature.

Support for such a function will be extremely high....

We believe that there is a demand for this feature, so I believe that it will come at some time.

You will have to give us some more time to determine a business model that allows us to make this work.

regards,

-Jamie

[Fast_Moto]

Jamie:

You guys have done a great job with the ECU. So, please take what I am saying with a grain of salt. Nonetheless, I think it would have been nice -- from a consumer perspective -- if Motec had offered a base generally configurable setup similar to the M880 for the M1 series. Maybe it would be a more expensive higher license category, but available nonetheless. Motec could still over application specific firmware packages that offered more advanced strategies or were directed toward more unusual applications. I suppose they could require a licensing upgrade or some other way to compensate Motec. That way users could enjoy the advantages of the new processor and maybe some additional strategies but continue to use the same interface that has worked for a lot of applications.

One of things that in mind is really great about the current Motec approach is that the software has a lot of flexibility, especially over its competitors and allows the customer to come up with a lot of their own solutions. The above approach would preserve that to an extent while permitting Motec to offer more sophisticated applications over time (and recoup their investment for those by requiring license upgrades) while driving hardware sales of the new ECU. It sounds like you may be trying to make your business model a little bit more service oriented with the new ECU, but for what its worth that approach would have been interesting from a customer perspective.

I really like the idea of having people write their own code, but I suspect that it will be a lot more difficult for the user (and, as you mentioned from a support perspective). An interface that can be used relatively easily with 80-90 percent of the applications out of the box was what made the M880 great (again, IMO).

[Holmz]

And what are the negatives on having a flexible ecu that can be easily used for multiple engines ?
I can only see negatives on an ecu that is restricted to use on a single engine, unless that ecu is very cheap.
What benefit does the M1 actually offer then ? ( I havent tried the software etc )

For some people Mx00 is not flexible enough. I'm running an engine with direct injection and (secondary) port injection and I can only calibrate balancing between the two injectors with a map based only on two variables.
I'm waiting for a long time for the possibility to write own firmware-parts with specified calculations or further maps for the balancing (and also for the control of the high fuel pressure for the DI system - currently I'm doing it externally with an own embedded controller).
I also have mapped some engines running on two fuels (liquid and gaseous), the crossfading between the two fuels is also a topic where I was not happy with the possibilites the Mx00-firmware enables.

For more than 90% of the Mx00 users the Mx00 with the one firmware we are working now, is good enough and for these guys, there will be 5 predefined firmwares for the new M1xx ECU they can choose.
For guys like me, the possibility to write own code for an own firmware for the M1xx is very interesting.
Since ~2010 Bosch sells motorsport ECU's with the possibility to programm own code parts with Matlab/Simulink. It's for professional's and very expensive but if you have own ideas for controlling an engine it can be done with Motec ECU's in the near future too.

That is very interesting work. I hope that we will see/learn more about that as time unfolds.

[Fast_Moto]

we replaced that with the F1 key flyout help.

if you select any item, then press F1, the help flys out so you can read it.

it stays there till you press F1, and it hides again.

this was done to try to make the best use of the screen real estate.

-Jamie

Jamie:

Unfortunately, the calibration windows automatically show help in the window which ruins the available real estate. It would be great if that could be disabled as it can be for the channel windows. The problem is that the help portion of the window can only be made so small and as a result sometimes prevent you from seeing the full name of the values you are trying to calibrate.

As for the help windown, I realize that different people have different opinions. But, given the variation among Motec's packages to date, I find it useful to have a single help window in a corner when learning a package. Clicking F1 also will hide part of the screen. I may not be in the majority, but I am probably not alone. I can't imagine it being a lot work to leave that in the software as it was included in the earlier version. Those that don't like it don't have to add a help window to a worksheet and can still use F1.

More importantly, I think being able to disable the help display in the calibration windows would really make the worksheets a lot cleaner.

Just my 2c.