Live tuning allows the real-time update of some tables in the ECU. This greatly speeds up the tuning process as minor changes take effect immediately, without waiting for an upload.
Note
We recommend that Live Tuning is only used when tuning the vehicle. Disable Live Tuning for regular driving.
How Live Tuning works
Live tuning works by altering the ECU so that the ECU copies table information from flash memory (which cannot be changed without re-writing the whole ECU) to RAM (which can be changed quickly while the ECU is running). This copying process occurs every time the ECU RAM is cleared, which is every time the ECU is reset or the ignition is switched off and on. When tables are editing in FlashProManager, the changes are sent to the ECU where the RAM tables are updated, so that the ECU tables are updated in a fraction of a second.
Due to the method used, there are several limitations of live tuning:
| • | The FlashPro and laptop must be connected to the vehicle for changes to occur in realtime. |
| • | Not all calibration tables can be live tuned. This is due to the way the ECU internally accesses tables so that they cannot be read from ECU RAM. |
| • | Only some of the calibration tables can be live tuned at the same time. This is because there is much more flash memory in the ECU than RAM. With non-VTC engines (eg S2000), all of the tables available for live tuning can be used. With VTC engines there generally is room for 2-3 'major' tables (fuel low cam, fuel high cam, ignition low cam etc) plus many of the 'supporting' tables (injector latency etc). |
| • | If the ignition is switched off and then on, the live tuning tables will reset to default values. This does not mean the tables are reset to stock values; they are reset to the values from the last calibration upload. eg if an ignition table value is 20° when the calibration is uploaded, and via live tuning you edit the calibration to 24°, then the ECU will reset the ignition to 20° if the vehicle ignition is cycled. However, if you have the FlashPro connected to the vehicle, then FlashProManager will recognize a 'key-off key-on' event, and will upload all the changes to RAM. There also is a menu command to force the update of the ECU RAM. |
Using live tuning
Live tuning is fairly simple:
| 1. | Select the tables you wish to live tune. |
| 2. | Upload the calibration to the ECU. |
| 3. | Edit / tune the tables. |
| 4. | When finished editing, de-select live tuning tables and upload the calibration to the ECU again. |
Table Selection
There are two ways to select tables - either on a table by table basis from the Calibration and Table windows, or from the Select Live Tuning Tables menu..
Calibration Table Selection
Tables which allow Live Tuning show a Live Tuning icon next to them:
The Live Tuning icon shows the status of Live Tuning for that table:
Live Tuning not enabled for this table.
Live Tuning enabled, but pending a calibration upload.
Live Tuning active.
Menu Table Selection
Alternately, tables may be selected from a list available from the Online menu.
Buttons allow the quick selection of popular tuning options.
Resuming a Live Tuning session
When a calibration is saved it stores the status of Live Tuning tables. If the calibration is re-loaded, and the ECU matches the calibration, then Live Tuning may resume without the need to upload the calibration to the ECU again.