Torquetronix

The most difficult concept to grasp for most people is that re-chipping is merely engine tuning, albeit that it's being done electronically rather than mechanically (as in the old days of carburetters and distributors).

A chip is simply an electronic storage device which is located on a circuit board inside the E.C.U.(the Engine Control Unit). The chip contains values in a binary form which the E.C.U's main processor (another device on the same circuit board) can understand and use to control the engine.

Each value inside the chip is held in its own separate position (known as an 'address'), and when a car is re-chipped, what we are basically doing is altering the values at the groups of addresses that control fuelling, ignition timing and on turbo engines, turbo boost.
These are known as maps, hence the often-used term 're-mapping'. It is these maps which we change in order to tune the engine.

Naturally, this is a complex and skilled operation. It requires experienced programmers who understand the hardware and software, and of course have the appropriate electronics qualifications in order to understand the procedures. Nowadays the technology is becoming even more complex. Gone are the days of the 28-pin plug in chip, a simple 8-bit device. We've experienced the occasional wake-up calls from chips soldered to the circuit board and with unusual sets of contents, and have now moved into territory which is definitely not for the faint hearted. Modern engines such as the V.A.G. Diesels have E.C.U's with 16-bit 44-pin devices, surface-mounted to the circuit board. Not just new hardware on the outside but also some mind-boggling software on the inside.

Luckily, we have kept abreast of the technology, and have invested heavily in state of the art de-soldering equipment and mapping software. We do not, therefore, have to rely on modem-downloads from any other source, we do it all here, for both private customers and dealerships. We have just recently completed our development of the EDC17 ECU range which has seen the introduction of lambda control in Diesels for the first time.

How is it done?

The first job to do when a new E.C.U. type arrives is for the chip content to be read and stored on a PC. Then, using a combination of in-house software, in-depth experience of engine management software, and processor instruction sets the maps of interest are identified. Engine analyser, serial data stream reader and a real-time in-circuit emulator are then used to rewrite the map contents to achieve the required results. The new chip content, complete with necessary checksums is then programmed usually via the OBD port.

Why re-chip at all?

E.C.U's (Engine Control Units) were first introduced back in the 1980's as a supposedly more efficient method of controlling engine fuelling, ignition timing, and emissions. The problem lies in the fact that all new cars have to undergo 'Type Approval', and part of this is getting the car through the 'Urban Driving Cycle' tests. Remote from European driving conditions as they are (the tests are based on a simulated trip around Los Angeles with the resulting noxious gases collected in a bag for testing), car manufacturers had no option but to comply. In order to meet the stringent requirements, engines are virtually detuned to pass the test. As a result the car never performs as well as its mechanically controlled counterpart, with hesitancy and flat spots thrown in for good measure. This leaves masses of room to re-tune for vastly improved performance, and without infringing an emissions regulations.