msns extra install problems

[zero]

I have a couple of questions and problems with my ms install. First, I am curious about the fidle relay mod and whether it is necessary with msns extra The only reason I question is because looking at prolaxmus's relay board, all three relays seem to be unmodified. Second, I dont know which relay is the fidle relay. Third, I ordered my megasquirt from diyautotune and he told me he installed msns e on it but I dont know what version. Since 24s9 seemed to be the preferred version I started to install that but in the process of doing it, when I clicked in the downloadfirmware.bat I get a message that the system cannot find the path specified, and i really dont know what that means. Can someone help me out here.

[zero]

aiight well i got the megatune running, and I can get it to hook up with the ms unit. Now I basically only have questions about settings. I saw moby's sticky about msnse but that was for a setup with a different dizzy and hei. I read on the msefi forum that you can use the optical dizzy and 4 pin hei with extra, I just dont know what to do for the settings on the comp, as there is no option for the 4 pin hei. Basically I want an overview of what the settings should be to get me started with a bone stock l28et in msns-e.

[envmyz]

Using the FIDLE is NOT a must, you can use LED17 as spark output also. The reason that most do this is because using the FIDLE as a spark output requires no hardware modification. If you are good with soldering and have a somewhat ok understanding of PCBs and electronic components then you could use the LED17 spark output and free up your FIDLE. I'm not to sure on the relay board, never had one, nor do I want one.

 

Ok, now in order to install MS'n'Spark-Extra.

You will need to jumper the "BOOT" header on the PCB itself. Best way is to install a two pins (like on computer motherboards) and use a shunt (plastic piece that goes over the two pins) or... just solder in two ends of a resistor wire and twist them together when you need to upload firmware.

Ok, so now that is done.

On your computer there is going to be a program called HyperTerminal, under start, programs, accessories, communications, hyperterminal ?? I think. The screen will ask for a name and connection type, call it whatever you like, just make sure the big red phone, little yellow phone is selected (it's the default anyways) Hit ok. The next window you will need to set the following

Connect using COM X (what ever com port you are using) Hit OK

Next window,

Bits per second 9600

Data Bits 8

Parity NONE

stop bits 1

Flow Control NONE

 

before you hit OK, power up the MS.

Hit OK

You'll see a flashing black block.

 

Type H for a list of commands

you should get W (wipe) P (program) U (upgrade) X (Exit)

Go ahead a type W

should say complete

Now type P

should say waiting....

At the top select transfer>send text file

At the bottom, change the TXT to All files

Now open the folder with the Extra files

You should see a file named msns-extra.s19

Double click this file.

It stay on waiting.... for around 40-50 seconds, this is normal.

Once it say complete, type x.

Turn power off to MS and exit program

 

Ok, programming of the MS is now complete.

 

Using MT

In order to get the Extra going in MT, you will need to open a file,

it's located under C:Program FilesMegaSquirtcar1mtCfgsettings.ini

once open you will see this

#group CODE_VARIANT "Code Variant"

#unset DFI "David Hooke's Ducati FI "

#unset DUAL_TABLE "Guy Hill and Eric Fahlgren's Dual Table variant"

#unset MSNEDIS "James Murray and Dave Hayne's MSnEDIS ignition variant"

#unset MSNEDISmod "Roger Enns's MSnEDIS variant with staged injection"

#unset MSNS "Magnus Bjelk's MSnS ignition variant"

#unset MSNS_EXTRA "James Murray and Phil Ringwood's MSnS extensions"

#unset MS_ECU "Robert Hiebert's EEC-IV replacement code"

# set MS_I "Bowling and Grippo MegaSquirt"

#unset MS_II "Bowling and Grippo MegaSquirt-II"

#unset MSpark "Tom Hafner's MegaSpark variant"

#unset PIC_SQUIRT "PIC squirt"

#endgroup

 

change it to

#group CODE_VARIANT "Code Variant"

#unset DFI "David Hooke's Ducati FI "

#unset DUAL_TABLE "Guy Hill and Eric Fahlgren's Dual Table variant"

#unset MSNEDIS "James Murray and Dave Hayne's MSnEDIS ignition variant"

#unset MSNEDISmod "Roger Enns's MSnEDIS variant with staged injection"

#unset MSNS "Magnus Bjelk's MSnS ignition variant"

# set MSNS_EXTRA "James Murray and Phil Ringwood's MSnS extensions"

#unset MS_ECU "Robert Hiebert's EEC-IV replacement code"

#unset MS_I "Bowling and Grippo MegaSquirt"

#unset MS_II "Bowling and Grippo MegaSquirt-II"

#unset MSpark "Tom Hafner's MegaSpark variant"

#unset PIC_SQUIRT "PIC squirt"

#endgroup

 

Now in the Extra folder (zip you downloaded, where you selected the msns-extra.s19 file)

There should be a file called copyini.bat

run this program

 

Power on MS and open MT

 

Under communication, select what COM you are using.

 

If you are using an USB to serial cord

 

change the following in the msns-extra.ini file located in

C:Program FilesMegaSquirtMegaTune2.25XXXXmtCfg

 

change

writeBlocks = on ; Default is on.

interWriteDelay = 0 ; Becomes "interCommandDelay" if writeBlocks is "on"

to

writeBlocks = off ; Default is on.

interWriteDelay = 1 ; Becomes "interCommandDelay" if writeBlocks is "on"

 

What that will do is enable you to burn values to the controller.

 

Hopefully if you did it all correctly you wont get any errors

 

I know its a little vague, but hopefully this helps.

If you need more help, just ask.

 

Chris

[envmyz]

Booo..... typed all that for no reason..lol Um about your question. As long as you have FIDLE as spark output and have installed the pullup resistor, your HEI will work fine. Follow the Diagram and you'll be good to go.

[zero]

ahh that process you typed out makes me worry. I followed a much shorter guide on the msefi forum. Everything hooks up and seems to be ok but the fact that i didnt have to do anything to the circuit board makes me worry. The software was installed on the pcb by diy autotune so maybe they did the hard part for me. As far as using the 4 pin hei, what should I have the codebase and output function settings at. and any other settings people might have I will be glad to learn

[zero]

ahhhh i think my megasquirt is broken, the relay clicks, but the lights dont come on in the megasquirt. The fuses are fine, and it shows now connection with the laptop. The board looks fine to the naked eye but i don't know how to tell if its ok as I dont have a stimulator board. At this point im bugging out. Someone please help.

[mobythevan]

I would talk to diyautotune and see what they think.

[randy 77zt]

get the stim board-it checks the megasquirt when it is hooked up to your computor.if you got your megasquirt from diy it is preloaded with mss&E.you just have to download megatune to tune it.the fidle is your spark out put.i drove my z/zxt for years with no idle control(throttle body stop screw set for 1000 rpm idle)with no problem.the reason for fast idle is my car has ac.the fidle relay has to be removed from the relay board and a jumper installed.i probably have about 20 hours on my install and 100 hours reading online websites learning about megasquirt.iif you really want a professional looking install(car looks new oem) it takes time and much more than just the megasquirt ecm.my opinion about megasquirt is that there is so much info online that the info is hard to digest because its in many different places.i have notes on wiring in a binder-subjects like pull-up resistors.i am still working on my car but it runs smooth at least.i had lots of problems figuring out how to set the megatune up for mss&e because i am a professional auto technician-not a computor geek.changing those lines with the set/unset thing frustrated me and it took about 4 or 5 hours to figure it out.between my my 2 years of college electronics in early 80's and my automotive background it still took lots of time to get megasquirt going and i am still learning more.most of my problems come from having 10 thumbs on a computor.

[zero]

well i found a stupid little problem. What happened was before when I was trying to get the stock ecu to work I must have nearly drained the battery, as I was cranking it to test pretty often. It still had enough juice to run the megasquirt but not enough to crank the engine. After a while though, the megasquirt quit. I had my friend charge a spare battery while I worked with the megasquirt, and when my battery died I just swapped them out. Despite making 12 volts and a healthy spark the new battery did not have enough juice to run the megasquirt, but it did have enough power to switch the relay so I was confused. On a hunch I had my original battery charged and swapped it in and sure enough it worked. So im happy that i can start working on my car again.

[zero]

ok now everything works but i have no spark. I am sure this is a wiring or settings problem so I will describe what i have and hopefully someone can tell me what I am doing wrong. I have the 4 pin hei wired up as described in moby's guide. And I have what I think is a condenser connected to the coil negative terminal. I am not 100% sure it is a condenser. Its a 1 inch long cylinder with one wire out and a little bracket to be bolted to the coil mount. I have not connected anything the the 280zxt ignitor (two terminal plug thing mounted to the base of the coil with a wire that would go to the coil. I have the ms set to the 7 pin hei mode because there was no 4 pin option.

[envmyz]

default is 4 PIN, just switch it back. Don't select 7pin, select the other one (can't remember right now, I'm at work..lol)

[zero]

there are only two options under hei ignition, off and 7 pin. The only other obvious option seems to be under distributor and selecting msns. Neither of these seem to work though.

[randy 77zt]

do you have the jumper in the fidle relay?i have my mega squirt firing the power transistor on the stock 280zxt coil.but i need to change the settings because the transistor runs hot.its set for %50 dwell not inverted and there is a 2.2k resistor in the fidle relay sockit for pull up.

[zero]

i do have the relay jumpered, but i hacve no resistor in the jumper, The only resistors other than the dropping resistors for the injectors I have are the one pullup resistor on one of the cas wires going to 12v, and one coming from the hei going to the 5v vref

[zero]

Still no dice, does anyone have any other ideas. I am getting really frustrated.

[envmyz]

are you sure that if you set HEI to OFF (not HEI7) it still doesn't work?

[zero]

at this point the ms unit is sending out the signal but i am just not getting any voltage to the coil, which is troubling. I believe that I have everything wired correctly, is there anything i should be checking in particular.

[mario_82_ZXT]

The coil is a switched power source. It should always have power as soon as the key is on start or ON.

 

This is how the output should look:

Black White (BW) wire connected to coil +

HEI module connected to coil + (as in the schematic)

coil (+) is connected to a condenser

condenser black wire then connects to the base of the distributor

coil (-) is only conected to the HEI module as in the schematic

"G" is FIDLE

 

The BW wire provides 12 volts to the coil when the ignition switch is turned on.

 

Mario

[zero]

i dont think i have a condenser, could someone post a pic, its not the thing that comes attached to the zxt coil with the two wires is it. the only other things i have that are associated with the coil is a small cylindrical thing with one wire that bolts to the coil ground and connects to the coil, but as it has only one wire i dont see how it could be the condenser. i am not using the bw wire but i do have a switched 12v goin to the positive terminal so i should be ok there.

[zero]

out of curiosity i hooked up a wire from the base of the dizzy to the negative terminal of the coil, with the switched power on i got a spark while trying to hook it up, and once i got it i had 12 across the coil terminals but still no spark.