[s-cars] MTM issues, etc.

[Linus Toy]

At 05:51 PM 7/19/2002 -0400, FvAMI at aol.com wrote:
>In a message dated 7/19/02 12:08:44 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
>Keith.Maddock at trw.com writes:
>
> > Perhaps this is one reason IA does not like to install sockets?  More
> > possibility to have a failure?
>
>I disagree with this statement. It is probably to prevent nonprofessionals
>from copying it.

Yes, that is a reasonable assumption (of purpose)...except that Ned doesn't
(didn't) accomplish it by soldering the chip to the board.  At least when
he did my ECU upgrade many moons ago, he removed the original sockets ('91
200q) and replaced them with chip sockets of his own, which include some
type of scrambling device.  As you suggest, I have no idea on what it would
take to duplicate it.  That said, I suspect it would be possible for
someone with the right knowledge and equipment to figure out what Ned's
code looks like--but the investment in time is likely to make Ned's price
look really good!

>It seems if you plan on only doing one upgrade O.K., but if you plan on doing
>multiple upgrades I would insist on sockets in my ECU, else your are exposing
>your ECU to unnecessary ESD (use grounded soldering irons to reduce this).

At a later date, Ned upgraded the software in my ECU to the latest revision
by simply removing the chips, reprogramming, and reassembling.  No
soldering iron involved.

--Linus
*--------------------------------------------------------------------*
*  Linus Toy                      Insanity is doing the same thing   *
*  Mercer Island, WA              you've always done and expecting   *
*  linust at mindspring.com          different results                  *
*                                      - Roger Milliken              *
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