| Getting started |
Subject: Getting started by vis_croceus on 2007/12/31 0:54:35 How Do I get Started? You need three things to get started with scan/tune. Software to scan with; software to tune with; and the hardware to use them. Once you have those, read LJ's PCM tutorial linked above. SCANNING TTS Datamaster http://www.ttspowersystems.com/DataMaster_downloads.html is the most commonly used real-time scanning software for the 92-95 LT1. Free trial is good for 20 scans, which may not seem like much at first, but it is quite a bit once you are actually using the data for analysis and tuning. Unfortunately these guys are known for lousy customer service/support. [update] Tunercat is now a reseller for datamaster. I'd buy it from him, just in case he might be able to get you better customer service if you need it. http://www.tunercat.com/DataMaster/dmaster.html [/update] Freescan http://www.andywhittaker.com/ECU/FreeScan/tabid/70/Default.aspx Haven't used it. Not supposed to be as good as datamaster, but it's free... TUNING TunerCat http://tunercat.com/ Available for 92-95 (OBD1) cars. The cheapest tuning software for these cars and thus used by most DIYers. You need to purchase the tuner software and the appropriate mask for your car. I can't begin to address how good the support for this software is. I'm regularly amazed at how I keep getting highly valuable improvements for free after a small investment several years ago. LT1 Edit. http://carputing.tripod.com/ Available for 94/95 (OBD1) and 96/97 (OBD2). (No personal experience - somebody else want to comment here?) Jet Dynamic Spectrum Tuner http://www.jetchip.com/ For 96-97 (OBD2) PCMs. This started out as TunerCat but was bought by Jet. HARDWARE For a 94--> car you need a laptop and an ALDL adapter/cable. For a -->93 car you need that plus a chip burner. There are numerous vendors for premade cables amd DIY cable kits. Just google "ALDL cable" If you have a modern laptop with no serial port, get a cable that is made for USB rather than trying to use an RS232 cable with a USB adapter. Most USB adapters are crap and this is one of the applications that they have a lot of trouble with. Oh, and the 15-pin D-Sub on the back of your laptop is not a serial port. If you know your way around a soldering iron, there are several schematics on the web for making your own adapter. Google for ALDL schematic and you should find several. Here are a couple: http://www.akmcables.com/aldlif.jpg http://tinyurl.com/39sj8ky |
