samnavy

iTrader: (7)

So I was doing some homework for another project and ran across this thing?
I've never heard of it... but it says Standalone PnP for all years Miata and has a ****-ton of features... everything MS seems to have, plus Closed-Loop EBC and VVT Control. Is this thing the missing link between Hydra and MS for 99+users???

It's $1200 shipped to the US:
http://www.boundaryengineering.com/ecucatalog.php

Here's the main website from Australia with all the specs:
http://www.adaptronic.com.au/

patsmx5

iTrader: (16)

Saw that a while back. Looks interesting. Someone go buy one and report back.

y8s

iTrader: (8)

why not just ask TravisR to tell you what's so great about it.

Juffa

I don't have any personal experience with this ECU, but some of the members of the Aussie MX-5 forum do.

http://mx5cartalk.com/phpBB-3.0.2/index.php

J

KPLAFIN

iTrader: (1)

The NA version doesn't specify 1.6/1.8/or both...but didn't the NA's all come with the 1.6 in europe? Which would mean it may not be plug and play with 94-97 1.8L NAs

samnavy

iTrader: (7)

NA's? Who cares? We've got MS for that.

I'm excited about the fact that it's STANDALONE for 99+ cars and will control VVT.

I was reading however that the RPM cells in the timing tables can only be set at 500rpm increments. It's still a 3D table, so it'll extrapolate... but I can't find the size of the tables or how people are making out with the thing.

It looks like they're in a continual state of development on the software... and if a little resolution is the only real downside, it has to be on the priority to "fix".

I've searched on the Aus forums and there's nothing that helps.

samnavy

iTrader: (7)

Been more in-depth in on the Oz boards and found some cool stuff. There's at least one guy running 350whp+ on a 3071 with this thing.

I checked out some of the software pages and it's got some cool features.
The EBC runs closed loop and it looks pretty easy to limit boost per-gear... that would be awesome. The VVT table has good resolution and appears highly adjustable at multiple user-set RPM points.
The fuel table looks to have much better resolution than MS but I can't find a whole lot on the timing tables.

http://www.boundaryengineering.com/a...ecumiatana.php
Check out some of the software pages here... the language of the pages seems really dumbed down. I think I can actually make sense of what the software does. That's one of my main complaints about MS... you need to know a good deal about electrical **** to decipher exactly what you're doing when you change the parameters. These pages try to tell you in english what the function is.

For $1100, this thing looks ******* awesome... what's the catch???

Stein

iTrader: (46)

I was just perusing the installation manual. It's downloadable. Looks pretty detailed. Might have to read the whole thing.

Sam: The 500 rpm increments are only valid if using a 15,500 redline. If you use a 7,750 redline, it is 250 rpm increments, per the manual. It has a serial WB input for an LC-1 and others. Starting to look like an option. The harness is PnP.

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

The Adaptronic is nothing new, but not many people outside of Australia are using it...

Torkel

Seams like a great alternative. What is the catch?

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

As Braineack said, the price.

That ECU has been around for some time- it's nothing new, and it's a perfectly good device from what I hear. It just happens to be a bit on the pricey side.

TurboTim

iTrader: (9)

For $1200 shipped to the US, I'd save a little more and go with the AEM and figure out how to wire it in.

TravisR

iTrader: (9)

I run this E.C.U. on my car and I can tell you its a great unit. The guys in Australia are very knowledgable to work with as well. The major advantage of this unit as far as I can tell is that it looses absolutely zero control from the OEM unit. I've even set the E.G.R. to work on my car. I was really worried with going to a standalone that I'd have a hack fix, but thats just not the case with this E.C.U. There are tons of maps and logic controllers, and ofcourse the control of V.V.T to do everything the stock computer does.

I've also got a very solid map for a stock miata without the F.I. portion yet which gets shipped with the kits. I would highly recommend you install this before you go forced induction as there is a learning curve with going from turn key stock to stand alone. The software helps and it is easy to use but still there is a bit of an uphill battle in realizing what all these features do.

I will in the next couple of months be adding a plug and play launch control and traction control feature to control slip angle in corners, and bite off the line.

samnavy

iTrader: (7)

Here's what I'm looking at.
It's $1160 plus the cost of a MAP sensor ($88). You'll need a wideband on top of that... call it $200. I guess $1400 is your OTD price. I can't see where it claims "MAF delete" anywhere, but I don't see anybody running 350whp through the stock MAF of any year, so I'll assume that's part of the deal.

One drawback is as Stein mentioned... 250rpm increments on the fuel table... and I still have no idea what it will do for spark? I'm just not sure that's enough fidelity to safely run the power I'm considering. Even being 3D interpolating between the RPM's. What happens if I need cells to read 2800/3000/3200 during boost onset? Maybe it is enough... I don't have the tuning knowledge to know whether this is a big deal or not.

Other than that, it would appear to do everything MS does with a host of other ****. It also does VVT... which we know is worth a bucket-load of torque as witnessed w/the 01+ Hydra guys posting their dynos recently.

How much better is Hydra? Hydra has onboard MAPsensor and Wideband. Hydra has infinitely variable huge *** tables. It has fully adjustable VVT control. Hydra is also $800 more and the software has been said to suck... but you get FM help. It looks like Hydra it a better unit, but it better be for the cost.

The Adaptronic looks like it fits in exactly between MS and Hydra in functionality as well as price if you're talking about PnP. There is no MS PnP for 99+ cars (which is a ******* crime)... and although Chad and others have worked almost all the bugs out to get parallel functionailty, there is still no VVT control. Maybe AbeFM will prove his worth and figure it out... but for now, it's not there.

For $1400, I'd say it's perfectly priced. I hope in the next few months, it gets a bigger following on Aus and people start generating MAP's and working the bugs out. I would like to see A LOT MORE from the company on exactly what it's capabilities are. There isn't a lot of specific information on the websites about what exactly it will do, spoken in English so a NOOB could understand EXACTLY how it stacks up against other ECU's. The Adaptronic website . It doesn't say anywhere about what it CAN'T do.
This page tries to compare ECU's, but Hydra and MS aren't on it:
http://www.adaptronic.com.au/comp.php

On that page where it says "RPM POINTS 32" and "LOAD POINTS 16" mean it's a 32x16 table for fuel?... and using a 7500rpm redline means I can make each RPM approx 250rpm apart?

Can anybody decipher how TIMING works with this ECU?

Stein

iTrader: (46)

Yes, 31 points per the installation manual. You should read it-there is a lot of information in it. It's 93 pages. I scanned it, but it needs an in-depth read.http://www.boundaryengineering.com/ecu.php and download ECU Documentation. It covers timing as well and should answer your questions. The only thing I didn't see is the CAS/ no CAS thing for 99+. I kept seeing references to a CAS, but that may have been just different examples. Like I said, I didn't have a chance for a solid read.

TravisR

iTrader: (9)

I'll run through with you my install process and how long it took me, and the "other" stuff I needed to know.

The kits come with the map sensor the plug and play harness and the unit itself.

When you get it the first thing you have to do is make sure you can to the E.C.U. I had to use a U.S.B. to serial convertor. Once you can connect to it installation is very easy.

Unplug the stock E.C.U. and remove the 3 bolts supporting it. Plug in the plug and play harness, and connect the plug and play harness connectors to the Adaptronic. Uninstall M.A.F. and find yourself a cone filter and adapter (if you need one let me know I have some aluminum pipe I used for mine I won't charge you for it). Cut the M.A.F. connector off and wire 3 of those wires into the M.A.P. sensor (all shown). Connect M.A.P. sensor to any open vacuum port or buy a t adapter to split off an existing one. The map you'll get from me will get your car running non-turbo without setting up a wideband. This is the physical install portion this part took me about 30 minutes in the first install; if you can change an air filter you can install this stand alone.

Then from here get in the car turn the key to the on position. Use the computer and the software to load the maps included with the package into the E.C.U. This usually takes about thirty seconds... Turn key start car and drive. It should be literally that easy. Installing wide band is of course highly recommended, there are some sensor calibrations that you can do if you are an absolute stickler on accuracy.

As far as accuracy in the tables, when I was first looking into stand alone I thought the same thing. Millions of table cells were necessary. I can tell you this I have my stand alone set with the 7750 (250 rpm increment) table and it’s an absolutely daunting task to tune them all. Every tune site interpolates to the next linearly. So it’s not like its analog, and the majority of changes between each cell at the 250 R.P.M. levels are probably already nearly within the margin of error. We are talking .1 milliseconds of fuel when looking at changes in R.P.M. and .5 to .6 maximum for pressure. That means if you have this map tuned correctly that worst that’s going to happen is instead of 11.8 A.F.R. you run 11.7 or 11.9 A.F.R. Looking at my wide band there is no way that’s even measurable it usually fluctuates more than that.There is also transient fuel which takes care of rapidly changing M.A.P. or throttle plate conditions.


As far as timing it’s a timing table just like the fuel table and it actually has a learning feature built into it. In tuning your car the software will tell you if advancing the ignition timing will generate more or less power. It is the same size as the fuel table, and there is a transient timing which was recently added that I've never seen on a standalone before. Definitely a first to market I think.

samnavy

iTrader: (7)

That is exactly what I was looking for. I'm almost sold. I've got the LC1 already, so that cuts my cost down. It looks like there's plenty of functionality for my purposes. I don't want to be the American guinea pig, but for a PnP Standalone $1k cheaper than Hydra... this thing should be the ticket.

One question that might show my noobNess to NB's... what about IAT's? Does the NB have a separate IAT sensor from the MAF? The IAT sensor for the 1.6 is imbedded in the MAF.

I've also got a hard-on for PnP everywhere. Cutting the MAF harness won't be ideal for returning to stock. How about connectors? Sourcing a used 1.8MAF and gutting it for the connector would suit me fine... but perhaps another option already exists. Maybe just wire-end connectors crimped pushed into/onto the MAF harness would be sufficient so it doesn't need to be cut.

TravisR, I think you need a tester or two here in the States to start getting the word out on this thing. One or two smart guys who can start showing the capabilities of this ECU might be the advertising you're looking for. This thing is the same price as Xede and looks like it will do a helluva lot more. If it was 8months from now, I'd be your man... but my NB purchase won't happen until early next year. Please keep the community apprised as you upgrade the unit and add functionality. This ECU really impresses me.

Stein

iTrader: (46)

IAT is stuck in the side of the stock airbox, MAF on top so they are separate.

y8s

iTrader: (8)

stock NB IAT would have to be removed and replaced with something more durable since the NB sensor is really just stuck in by friction fit. most ecus will change over to the GM IAT (MS does, hydra does, tec does, aem can...)

Sam, 250 rpm breakpoints are plenty. honestly the hydra has 32 fully variable points and it's just too many. if I had 5 in vac, a few at transition, and a handful in boost, i'd be happy.

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

It's more than enough.

First off, break yourself of this metal construct that there is boost and then not boost, and that these are two separate things. They're not. Now that you're ditching the piggyback world and going full standalone, you will see that all of MAP is just a single continuum. There's no "transition" into and out of boost anymore- crossing over the 100 kPa row is no different than any other change in MAP once you're no longer fighting against a stock ECU every step of the way.

seriously- 250 RPM is a lot of resolution. A lot of us are still using the old 8x8 or 12x12 tables with our Megasquirts, which means appx. 1000 RPM steps!