Anyone done MXL Pista dash in an Ultima before?
Discussion
Hi guys,
I'm getting closer to finishing my Ultima GTR project. The one outstanding bit is to get the Aimsport MXL Pista digital dash to work. As far as I can tell it cannot read everything from the LS7 ECU which I got via A/S. Now am thinking whether to hook up the analog inputs from the sensors directly to the corresponding analog ports on the dash. Still would be nice to have everything run nice & tidy via ECU. Any suggestions? Thanks a lot in advance!
Cheers,
Willy
I'm getting closer to finishing my Ultima GTR project. The one outstanding bit is to get the Aimsport MXL Pista digital dash to work. As far as I can tell it cannot read everything from the LS7 ECU which I got via A/S. Now am thinking whether to hook up the analog inputs from the sensors directly to the corresponding analog ports on the dash. Still would be nice to have everything run nice & tidy via ECU. Any suggestions? Thanks a lot in advance!
Cheers,
Willy
I am going down this path right now. Below is a copy of an email thread I am having regarding the AIM with an LS7.
Josh posted a query on the international dealer forum on Thursday about whether or not the LS6 CAN protocol would work with the LS7 and then I got your email the next day, so this was more luck than the workings of a well oiled communication machine. :-} I saw a follow up post yesterday that said the LS7 protocol doesn't currently work because both the MXL and the ECU have CAN terminations. AIM West in Lake Elsinore is working a fix which may involve removing a resistor from the MXL PCB, so I'll follow up with them. You can too, as I'm not looking to step on anyone's toes.
John Miller owned the car and was actively involved, but Lawrence was in charge of making sure everything worked. (We first met Lawrence in the mid 1990's when we were racing a 914-6 with PCA, so it was nice to see him again and catch up.)
It's possible to remote wire two of the four buttons (View and Memory), but not the Menu or >> buttons or the alarm lights. I don't know how limiting that will be in your case.
There are two USB ports, one on the side of the display and the other wired into the harness. We recommend using the one of the harness because it usually provides a better, longer lasting solution than the one of the display, which seems to loosen up over time. The harness USB connection can be located so that it's easy to reach.
I don't know what channels are enabled on an LS7 ECU, but at a minimum I'd guess RPM, Throttle, Oil Temp, Water Temp, Oil Pressure, Fuel Pressure and Voltage.
I'll work on those two items I mentioned above, but feel free to contact me if any additional questions come up.
Thanks,
Ellen Ferguson
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Josh posted a query on the international dealer forum on Thursday about whether or not the LS6 CAN protocol would work with the LS7 and then I got your email the next day, so this was more luck than the workings of a well oiled communication machine. :-} I saw a follow up post yesterday that said the LS7 protocol doesn't currently work because both the MXL and the ECU have CAN terminations. AIM West in Lake Elsinore is working a fix which may involve removing a resistor from the MXL PCB, so I'll follow up with them. You can too, as I'm not looking to step on anyone's toes.
John Miller owned the car and was actively involved, but Lawrence was in charge of making sure everything worked. (We first met Lawrence in the mid 1990's when we were racing a 914-6 with PCA, so it was nice to see him again and catch up.)
It's possible to remote wire two of the four buttons (View and Memory), but not the Menu or >> buttons or the alarm lights. I don't know how limiting that will be in your case.
There are two USB ports, one on the side of the display and the other wired into the harness. We recommend using the one of the harness because it usually provides a better, longer lasting solution than the one of the display, which seems to loosen up over time. The harness USB connection can be located so that it's easy to reach.
I don't know what channels are enabled on an LS7 ECU, but at a minimum I'd guess RPM, Throttle, Oil Temp, Water Temp, Oil Pressure, Fuel Pressure and Voltage.
I'll work on those two items I mentioned above, but feel free to contact me if any additional questions come up.
Thanks,
Ellen Ferguson
- **************
I found an ALDL/OBD-II connector on my LS7 engine harness. I should be able to get the CAN+ and CAN- signal out of pins 6 and 14 (according to http://www.obdii.com/connector.html). The engine is definitely modern enough to support CAN protocol. What I don't know is how different the CAN protocols are for different car makes and models. And whether it's a case of a simple software tweak to make things happen. I e-mailed AiM Sports and got following reply: "We have the protocol for the DELPHI MEFI-4B or the GM C6-LS2." I figured that a protocol that works for the C6 should work for an LS7?!? Anyways, I'll continue bugging AiM Sports until I get a better answer ...
Steve, I have to check whether the street odometer cannot be reset. It's an SVA requirement, right?
Randy, thanks for the info! Please keep me posted if you're successful. Meanwhile I'll try and see whether I can fumble my way through.
In any case, many thanks for the feedback!
Steve, I have to check whether the street odometer cannot be reset. It's an SVA requirement, right?
Randy, thanks for the info! Please keep me posted if you're successful. Meanwhile I'll try and see whether I can fumble my way through.
In any case, many thanks for the feedback!
wb200 said:
....I have to check whether the street odometer cannot be reset. It's an SVA requirement, right?......
As it is an instrument they may not have met before you may have to produce something like a spec sheet, link to a web page or a letter from the manufacturer stating that it cannot be reset by the customer.At the moment the web page says something like 'Street and trip odometer (resettable)' which probably means the trip but would not be clear enough for SVA test.
Steve
Some additional info on the AIM display here --> http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
HTH
HTH
just to put some closure on this thread...
wb200 and i managed to hook up the Pista MXL to our ECU.
In the RaceStudio2 software, we had to select a proxy ecu
which was available in their list (which is the GM C6-LS2 selection).
So some info fm the ecu such as RPM, EngineTemp, Engine AirTemp,
OilPressure are coming thru and can be monitored.
Fuel level sensors into the ECU just requires simple circuitry.
Ultima's vdo sensors are 70ohms when empty and ard 2ohms(or zero)ohms
when full, so pretty straightforward to create a circuitry to
convert signal into voltage into one of the channels on the Pista.
Then you would need to create a "custom sensor" selection in
RaceStudio2.
- Bernard
wb200 and i managed to hook up the Pista MXL to our ECU.
In the RaceStudio2 software, we had to select a proxy ecu
which was available in their list (which is the GM C6-LS2 selection).
So some info fm the ecu such as RPM, EngineTemp, Engine AirTemp,
OilPressure are coming thru and can be monitored.
Fuel level sensors into the ECU just requires simple circuitry.
Ultima's vdo sensors are 70ohms when empty and ard 2ohms(or zero)ohms
when full, so pretty straightforward to create a circuitry to
convert signal into voltage into one of the channels on the Pista.
Then you would need to create a "custom sensor" selection in
RaceStudio2.
- Bernard
DiscUltima said:
Fuel level sensors into the ECU just requires simple circuitry. Ultima's vdo sensors are 70ohms when empty and ard 2ohms(or zero)ohms when full, so pretty straightforward to create a circuitry to convert signal into voltage into one of the channels on the Pista. Then you would need to create a "custom sensor" selection in RaceStudio2.
- Bernard
Don't forget you will need to map the sensor reading to tank content at about every 2 Litre because the tank is an odd shape.- Bernard
Steve
Hi Steve,
the circuitry in the analog Ultima gauge obviously must be able to handle the non-linear output from the fuel gauge sender. Does Ultima custom tune it work with the Ultima fuel tank? If so Ultima might have the "function" that relates the resistance/current/voltage to the more or less exact fuel level?
Cheers!
the circuitry in the analog Ultima gauge obviously must be able to handle the non-linear output from the fuel gauge sender. Does Ultima custom tune it work with the Ultima fuel tank? If so Ultima might have the "function" that relates the resistance/current/voltage to the more or less exact fuel level?
Cheers!
I have the Stack dash which has the function to map the tank as you go along.
You power it up and tell the Stack the tank is empty so it uses whatever the sender output is.
You then add 2 litres and let it settle. You then tell the stack that the reading is 2 litre. You carry on in steps until full.
Steve
You power it up and tell the Stack the tank is empty so it uses whatever the sender output is.
You then add 2 litres and let it settle. You then tell the stack that the reading is 2 litre. You carry on in steps until full.
Steve
DiscUltima said:
just to put some closure on this thread...
wb200 and i managed to hook up the Pista MXL to our ECU.
In the RaceStudio2 software, we had to select a proxy ecu
which was available in their list (which is the GM C6-LS2 selection).
So some info fm the ecu such as RPM, EngineTemp, Engine AirTemp,
OilPressure are coming thru and can be monitored.
Fuel level sensors into the ECU just requires simple circuitry.
Ultima's vdo sensors are 70ohms when empty and ard 2ohms(or zero)ohms
when full, so pretty straightforward to create a circuitry to
convert signal into voltage into one of the channels on the Pista.
Then you would need to create a "custom sensor" selection in
RaceStudio2.
- Bernard
Bernard, from this post it sounds like I can stop waiting for he LS7 protocol? By the way where is your oil pressure sensor mounted in your configuration? Is your engine an American Speed build? wb200 and i managed to hook up the Pista MXL to our ECU.
In the RaceStudio2 software, we had to select a proxy ecu
which was available in their list (which is the GM C6-LS2 selection).
So some info fm the ecu such as RPM, EngineTemp, Engine AirTemp,
OilPressure are coming thru and can be monitored.
Fuel level sensors into the ECU just requires simple circuitry.
Ultima's vdo sensors are 70ohms when empty and ard 2ohms(or zero)ohms
when full, so pretty straightforward to create a circuitry to
convert signal into voltage into one of the channels on the Pista.
Then you would need to create a "custom sensor" selection in
RaceStudio2.
- Bernard
Thanks,
Randy
Randy, yeah... I was hoping to get a complete LS7 implementation/selection in RaceStudio2 from based on your email with Ellen Ferguson, I suggest if you can continue that conversation on behalf of all of us. So in the meantime, I just used the GM C6-LS2 selection which implements the CAN protocol just as well.
I may have to get the speed info from the engine harness still, as I
dont remember being able to get the speed info thru the CAN dataframes.
Hmmm.. will revert later re that.
Oil pressure sensor should be right on top of the oil filter which
is on the engine's left hand rear side. Yes, engine fm AS.
I may have to get the speed info from the engine harness still, as I
dont remember being able to get the speed info thru the CAN dataframes.
Hmmm.. will revert later re that.
Oil pressure sensor should be right on top of the oil filter which
is on the engine's left hand rear side. Yes, engine fm AS.
Randy,
re oil pressure sender in an LS-7, it looks like AS has made some small changes vs the standard Ultima set-up (as laid out in Ultima's LS-7 manual) and didn't tell the factory about it. Instead of having to connect Ultima's external oil pressure sender to the LS-7 and wiring it up to the Ultima harness, AS has a 3-pin connector that plugs into a built-in oil pressure sender. So expect to get the oil pressure readings via ECU instead of Ultima harness. Cheers!
re oil pressure sender in an LS-7, it looks like AS has made some small changes vs the standard Ultima set-up (as laid out in Ultima's LS-7 manual) and didn't tell the factory about it. Instead of having to connect Ultima's external oil pressure sender to the LS-7 and wiring it up to the Ultima harness, AS has a 3-pin connector that plugs into a built-in oil pressure sender. So expect to get the oil pressure readings via ECU instead of Ultima harness. Cheers!
DiscUltima said:
Randy, yeah... I was hoping to get a complete LS7 implementation/selection in RaceStudio2 from based on your email with Ellen Ferguson, I suggest if you can continue that conversation on behalf of all of us. So in the meantime, I just used the GM C6-LS2 selection which implements the CAN protocol just as well.
I may have to get the speed info from the engine harness still, as I
dont remember being able to get the speed info thru the CAN dataframes.
Hmmm.. will revert later re that.
Oil pressure sensor should be right on top of the oil filter which
is on the engine's left hand rear side. Yes, engine fm AS.
Bernard, below is my latest email from Ellen. Looks like things remain that same. I will continue working with her and will keep everyone posted on the progress.I may have to get the speed info from the engine harness still, as I
dont remember being able to get the speed info thru the CAN dataframes.
Hmmm.. will revert later re that.
Oil pressure sensor should be right on top of the oil filter which
is on the engine's left hand rear side. Yes, engine fm AS.
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Josh at AIM in Lake Elsinore ?believes that the LS7 protocol is being tested, but he hasn't heard back whether or not it works. ?He said he'd follow up again and get back to me. ?As you mentioned, depending on the timing on the LS7 protocol release by AIM, you could run engine sensors for now and later on be able to take advantage of the ECU data stream information and free up analog channels.
Thanks,
Ellen Ferguson
Veracity Racing Data
906 Gail Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
ellen@veracitydata.com
Phone/Fax: 408.732.6606
Cell: 408.857.1150
www.veracitydata.com
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