NIStune

Real-time tuning for SR20

We've formed a partnership with Matt B - the developer of NIStune and we can now offer realtime tuning for most SR20 powered vehicles. Those in the know would be well aware that Matt has been working on NIStune for many years and it's now been developed to the point where it is a mature system.

We've come up with the hardware and software to make affordable real-time tuning for Nissan engines a reality. The idea was to develop a product for owners to use so they could tune their own vehicles. As it turns out we also have many professional tuners now using it. So now you can buy a real-time board, fit it to your ECU and trundle down to one of the ever growing number of tuning shops to have your car tuned. Matt now has a list of tuning shops on his website here.

We've been using the system to tune SR's for quite awhile now - see some of the results here.

Functionality

NIStune provides real-time map trace, advanced editing and map comparison functions, 3D map view, Consult Data display, WB AFR meter support and logging/playback of all parameters. It's a great system to use - you don't even need to see the daughterboard once installed. Bolt your ECU back in and fit all the covers. Then just plug into the diagnostic port with a laptop to tune - no mass of boxes, cables etc.

Editing a fuel map showing map trace and 3D map view.	Wideband mixture display and logging overlaid on fuel map.	Live Consult data display while editing maps.

The system consists of a special real-time daughterboard which is fitted to the ECU in the normal manner. You then run the NIStune software on your laptop which communicates via the Consult Port. When you are finished your tuning session you just hit a button to save the changes and pull the Consult Cable out. That's it. Data is now permanently saved until you wish to do more tuning.

Type 3 real-time board.	Consult Port - all tuning done through here!	Consult cable - Serial or USB available.

NIStune boards

We have 4 different boards to support the range of Nissan engines (see table below). The system does NOT require an emulator to perform real-time tuning (although if you have one you can use NIStune software with it - and perform real-time tuning using a regular "EPROM daughterboard").

What you need:

1. NIStune real-time daughterboard
2. NIStune software license
3. Consult Cable
4. A laptop computer

The NIStune real-time boards are fitted to the ECU just like the traditional daughterboards that take EPROM chips. The process is quite simple but you do need the skills and equipment to de-solder/solder a 40 pin header into your ECU and move a surface mount link on the motherboard. For Australian residents we offer a fitting service where you send us the ECU and we perform the fitting, test everything out and return the ECU to you via registered post for $AU50. If you are confident that you can fit the board then you are welcome to do that. Detailed instructions for fitting boards (and all other NIStune documentation) can be found on the NIStune website.

NIStune software licenses come in two versions - either Single User or Tuner Edition. Single user will only allow you to tune 5 different ECU's. Tuner edition will allow tuning of all currently supported engines. Software functionality is the same. Holders of a Tuner's license are also entitled to discounted rates on NIStune boards.

A Consult Cable is required to connect between your laptop and the vehicle. We now sell both Serial and USB versions so please specify when ordering.

NIStune is anti-bloatware. It is written very efficiently so you don't need to do any huge downloads (the current version is under 2MB) and it will run on a minimal machine. I have used a P333 machine with 128MB of RAM running Win98 for much of my tuning. It actually has heaps of grunt. This means that you can grab an old laptop off eBay for minimal $$$. But if you'd rather run XP or (gulp) Vista then you'll need a better laptop purely to support the operating system.

Base Image Programmers

When you order your board we program the correct base image into it for your particular ECU. So if you have a "red-top" S13 SR20DET then we'll send you a Type 3 board with a 50F00 image. You can then tune the maps in this board as much as you like. But you cannot change the "base image" to something different (like a 69F00 S14 for example).

This works fine for most individual users who just wish to tune their own vehicle. But if you're a professional tuner who tunes many cars then you'll probably wish to keep some NIStune boards in stock and program them as required. This is where the Base Image Programmers come into it.

These units were originally developed for our own use. But it quickly became apparent that there was a need for tuners to also have them. So after many design iterations we now have them available. NIStune boards use surface mount NVRAM chips which cannot be removed from the boards - and so cannot be programmed in a normal EPROM programmer. They are programmed in-circuit and this is why we have these programmers.

The files used to program NIStune boards are called "ENT files" which are a "patched" version of the original Nissan images. Extra code is added to allow NIStune functionality. Obviously Nissan never intended their ECU's to be able to write to their own maps, so this functionality has been added.

• These are a dedicated programmer and cannot be used for common EPROM chips. Grab a Willem programmer or similar if you wish to do these.
• Connection to PC is via the parallel port only. The USB connection is currently just to supply power to the board.
• Software to run the programmers is provided free of charge on the downloads section of the NIStune website.
• Price: $AU140

Which SR20's are supported?

Pretty much all of them. Exceptions being the SR20VE from N16 Pulsar and SR20DE from S14/15 (DET is OK). Supported engines are listed below. If your ECU part number is not listed then please contact us and we'll see what we can do. It's usually a matter of getting hold of a copy of the binary image from your ECU.

Supported engines:

Do you support engines that are not SR20's?

You mean there are other engines? ;) OK, we tend to specialise in SR20's (*) but NIStune is available for most Nissan engines. Specialising in SR20's enables us to provide the best support for the SR20 range - so we can confidently address any queries. We can supply NIStune for other engines but we do not have the same level of knowledge as we do for SR's. Speak to matt via www.nistune.com for other engines.

* We've also done quite a bit with CA18DET and can supply NIStune systems for these engines

Who can use NIStune?

Almost anyone with basic computer skills and engine tuning knowledge can use it. If you know absolutely nothing about engines and/or tuning, then do not buy this system. It is very user friendly and we offer support to get you going - but we cannot teach you how to tune. We also do not supply "pre-tuned bins" although if we have something suitable then sometimes we can help.

Can I run bigger injectors and airflow meter with this system?

Yes, NIStune has facilities for both of these.

Will other Consult cables work with this system?

Maybe. We certainly haven't locked NIStune to our cables or anything sinister but we can't guarantee that it will work with other cables. Most cables are only designed to work with monitoring programs like Datascan, Conzult etc. These use a largely one-way data stream. A command is issued to the ECU and then the ECU just streams data. Data integrity is not a big issue so if they get bad data it doesn't matter so much - it will only cause a small glitch in what's being displayed.

NIStune is more complex. Because it's a full tuning system there is data going both ways most of the time. And the data is actually modifying the maps in the ECU. So data corruption cannot be tolerated. Data is constantly monitored for errors and if too many errors occur it will terminate the Consult connection. Our cables have been designed and thoroughly tested to ensure the best possible data integrity. Inferior cables can (and do) cause problems.

My car has been converted to SR20 and doesn't have a Consult port - how can I make this work?

It's quite easy to add a Consult port to most vehicles. Simply grab a connector out of a wreck and wire it in. You only need 3 signal wires (+ power and GND). Instructions here.

But doesn't running the factory ECU limit how much horsepower I can make?

No. The only limiting factor is the airflow meter - and this isn't as bad as you might think. You can use a range of AFM's with Nissan ECU's. The most popular being the Z32 because it reads to over 500hp. And it's not like the ECU just stops functioning or leans the engine out immediately. It will actually allow you to top the AFM out and still function. Although it's not recommended to run like this. Some enterprising people have been taking the sensing element from standard AFM's and fitting it into a larger size pipe. This effectively increases the HP capability - but you obviously need to tune for your particular setup.

To order just email me on the link below with details of which model/year your car is, the ECU PN (23710-XXFXX) and which country you live in - and I'll let you know current availability and a total including shipping etc. We MUST be able to identify your ECU so we can program the correct base image.

* Please specify whether you need USB or Serial type consult cable when ordering. Most new laptops are USB. Older ones tend to be Serial. Both work fine. Avoid using USB to serial adaptors if possible.

Ordering/shipping details here.

Last modified : Tuesday, 01-Sep-2009 07:14:51 EDT