So it's 2015.
You can now get a $14 programmable micro controller (arduino) or a fully fledged pc for $35 (raspberry PI) yet we still pay $500 for a halfway decent tuner that's been on the market for 15 years without a change.

I've been looking thorough current offerings of PHP, DP, noname-stuff and other tuners and quite frankly all if them seem to have been designed in 1999 and are stuck in the age of Radioshack being profitable.

Anyway. Here is what's on my mind.
I would like to make or modify an existing unit to be more active and intelligent.

Features I want:
- Throttle position based horsepower tune
- Load based active tune
- Autodetect Tow tune
- Highway tune
- Transmission saver tune (high temp)

All these parameters are easily obtained by obd2 port or rudimentary methods such as even reading Throttle Position Sensor, speed sensor, or current on the 'trailer charge' circuit.

So there. I'm serious. This can be done and it is not hard.
And, please do not tell me that the '6 position tuner' with that ugly *** **** stolen from some used Marantz amp is really good enough for 2015.

Let me know what your thoughts are on this.

 

Deleted original response since it had nothing to do with original poster's intent.


New message:


Where's the emoticon of the guy laughing his butt off?

 

"This can be done and it's not hard."

Get to it then and be the next dead-platform sensation.

 

if it was as easy as everyone thinks it is, everyone would have done it already. it ain't, and that is the reason it hasn't already been done. .

 

I like my 6 position tuner even with the amp ****. I can select stock, high idle, economy, 50, 75, 100 hp with a turn of the ****, as long as my radio doesnt blare when I turn it im happy with it.

 

If you don't like the **** make something like I did https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1236326-diy-lighted-number-ts-****-in-gauge-pod.html

But don't think you can just change perimeters and it will run. 1 Ops and you are getting a new engine. Tunning is not a joke it is tons of things that must work together. Car manufacturers don't spend $ on engineers if a layperson could do it.
Save yourself the pain and get a $250 tunner that has been worked over for years.

 

What you need to learn first is what the factory PCM (and thus the calibrations on the PCM) are capable of reading and processing.


At that point then you'll understand that what you are trying to accomplish is not going to happen as easily or cheaply as you might think.


Besides, there are newer chips out there that aren't the rotary *****. Chips that can be loaded with new tunes on the fly, hold more than 6 calibrations, etc. Others with monitors that can show you a wealth of information, and even some new ones that integrate with your smartphone.


Tuning itself has also improved over the years.


However, the limitation has been and always will be this: what can be programmed and what information can be processed within the calibration programming parameters of the 7.3L PCM.

 

I have the Hydra with the digital display (not unlike the DP F6), and DP has the Infinity touch screen controller.

You said something that implies you would do well to search for and read some of threads on tuning: "Throttle position based horsepower tune" Throttle is horsepower. Tuning isn't a matter of "just add more fuel" - it's a matter of when to add it and how much under what conditions. Throw the auto transmission in there and things get complicated fast.



If you are just talking about wanting better hardware, it's available out there. But if you are not content with the price of tunes, well... look at the price of buying Minotaur. That is our available method by which tunes are written. Once you have the tuning software, you have to learn how to adjust the fueling without knocking windows in your block - it's quite easy, you know. It's been done many times.

Here is the flow graph for an AC 160/stock injector. One needs to know the flow of the injector he's tuning for, if the tune is to be optimal (or even work).



Even with Minotaur and some knowledge, you still have to have the chip burner hardware and base programs (or something like that, I'm not a tuner). I've seen what it takes to dial a tune - here is a live-tuning session:

 

I'm happy with my 6 position **** just like David7.3 is. My truck is a 2003 and the only things digital are my odometer and radio display (my overhead console died many years ago). My PHP tunes brought my truck to life and have been making me happy for three trouble-free years and counting. If I had it to do all over I would happily shell out $300 again for my '1999' tuner!

 

Thanks for all the interesting responses!
Personally I have no interest in manufacturing such a unit as I do not have manufacturing or retail experience.

But I do intend to build one. I already have a micro-controller (Arduino) hooked up to gauge sensors and communicating using a serial port with Asteroid (android) head unit. It displays gauges and controls my Veggie oil setup.

At minimum I am going to get that 'marantz amp' **** tuner and wire into it with the micro-controller. From there the following are possible next steps.

-Read TPS using micro and apply appropriate tune
-Read engine load from obd2 and apply appropriate tune
-Read intake temp and apply high idle tune


That is going to be my summer project, looking for some more interesting ideas!

 

Also, Price isn't a concern. There is a ton of engineering going into the product and that's not cheap.

At the same token, this is basically a 15 year old product. My beef is with lack of progress and innovation.

The real goal is to have a stock truck that will go half a million miles, but also have horsepower available when you need it.

 

Don't you not want to change tunes while you're applying the throttle? Pretty sure it says in the instructions when you purchase your tunes to change them once you've let off the throttle. This has to do with the timing changes that happen.

So my guess you wouldn't want to be pushing the throttle down, the engine under a pretty heavy load, and then all of a sudden change the timing drastically by loading a tune in based on throttle position.

I want to say I remember reading a threat on a different forum where a guy bent a rod in his engine by change the tunes while WOT. He knew he was being dumb but "wanted to see what happened"

 

I'm happy with my 6-position **** and the results it provides. The smart-a$$ in me has to comment on the above statement....you are trying to re-invent a 15yr old tried and true product, that was built for a 15yr+ old tried and true engine. Kind of re-inventing the wheel isn't it? But I appreciate ingenuity so go for it and best of luck

 

A point for conjecture...

I started... to start down that road a couple years ago.
I realized the folly in my logic after taking a peek at the calibration binary for my pcm (nvk4).

Looking at nvk4 right next to pmt2... only served to add to confusion.


Intermingled with my years of manipulating metals... was a large portion of time spent conversing with computer systems. I have a working knowledge of quite a few programming languages and base systems...


Attempting to write, or even augment/modify a tune was something I did not have time to learn.

Just a suggestion...
But if 2015 technology is what you need in your truck...
Maybe a 7.3 isnt for you.

Sounds like your looking for a 6.7...

Good luck hero...

 

Well, not all the products sold by the tuners out there is 15 year old technology.

I know for a fact the F5 is less than 10 years old and the F6 is newer still.

Stewart