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MegaSquirt
confusing you? |
Which MegaSquirt ECU do I need?
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Overview: Most people like to have the latest and fastest stuff that's available. This is great, but there's nothing what-so-ever wrong with the MS1-Extra ECU when compared to the faster processors of MS2 and MS3. Indeed the MS1-Extra code was written in assembly language, this makes for a very efficient code when compared to the C language used in the standard B+G MS2. Certain time sensitive parts of the MS2 code were re-written in assembly for MS2-Extra to make it more efficient. But when you concider that at 8000rpm it takes 7.5mSec for a piston to do one complete stroke, this is very slow compared to the time it takes the MS1-Extra ECU to process the fueling calculations for the engine. The MS2-Extra and MS3 ECUs can control stepper motor idle valves, where as the MS1-Extra can only control 2 or 3 wired idle valves. But the MS2-Extra ECU has less outputs than the MS1 and MS3 so some of the features can't be used with the Stepper controller on an MS2 anyhow, as those outputs are needed for some features. See HERE for a chart of feature comparisons. MS1-Extra: The MS1 ECU has been used successfully
on everything from Ferrari's to 2CV's, 27Litre V12 Rolls Royce Merlin
engines with 24 spark plugs to one cylinder lawnmower engines, so
it has a proven track record. Indeed the MS2-Extra can run all those
too. The MS2-Extra is a little more expensive, around £50 more
than an equivalent MS1-Extra ECU, so that's also a consideration.
As far as backup is concerned there are probably the same amount of
people out there running MS1-Extra as MS2-Extra and backup on both
codes is easy from either my own help and support pages or the MSExtra.com forums. MS2-Extra: The main advantage of the MS2-Extra
ECU is that it can be used on a lot more vehicles without fitting
a different crank wheel (e.g. Renault RENIX, Rover K series, etc).
So MS2-Extra is more versatile if you want to go for a setup that's
a little more plug-n-play. It also has a faster processor and more
RAM, so that allows it to be more accurate, e.g. timing resolution
of 0.1deg with MS2-Extra, where as with MS1-Extra it is 0.3deg. The
fueling control in MS2-Extra also has improved resolution, in theory it is capable of 0.67uSecs
where as MS1 is 100uSecs. This means you can control large injectors
better at idle with MS2-Extra. As you can see, MS1-Extra is still very impressive
as far as accuracy is concerned, but MS2-Extra is clearly a step ahead
in the resolution steaks. MS3: This is the new boy on the block and due to that the code will be going under a lot of changes in the first few months, so it will really be suited more for the users who are familiar with MS ECU's and who arent worried about testing Beta codes, etc. DIYPnP: This is pretty specific to your vehicle, in that if your application doesn't have one of the available plugs you can't use it. So if you have a plug thats suitable then you can take advantage of the DIYPnP ECU. It has a MicroSquirt, running MS2-Extra, at the heart of it. With the ability to use 2 trigger inputs as standard, it can do sequential COP up to a 4cylinder, if you have the correct Cam and Crank signals. The DIYPnP also means you dont have to cut into your existing wiring loom to make it work. Most users will find that they will want to remove the AFM they're OEM used, this would mean some mods to the loom to add an air temperature sensor. This is not upgradeable to MS3. RV8PnP: Again, this is specific to your engine loom having the correct plug (in this case the Lucas 14CUX) and it means you don't have to cut into your loom to fit it. But unlike the DIYPnP, the RV8PnP has a normal (what I concider to be a normal ECU) MS2 running inside it, not the microsquirt module, built using a V3.0 board and is therefore upgradeable to MS3 like the general ECU's I sell. Conclusion: Most people find that an MS2 ECU is a bit smoother running than an MS1 as it has a few better tools for acceleration enrichment and has a finer control over the injectors, I have to agree here, the MS1 is a fantastic ECU for the money, but the MS2 is just a step or so further forward. I also believe the MS2 is easier to tune than MS1, as the lastest tuning software, Tuner Studio, has been written around it. So you see, there's no definitive
answer as to which one you should choose really. All have their own
merits, for the money the MS1-Extra ECU can't be beaten, it is simply
the best ECU you can buy for the money, it out rivals many ECU's that
cost several times as much, but then the same can be said for the
MS2-Extra ECU. All the ECU's also have excellent technical manuals that
I have helped to compile. Well I would think they are excellent :o) and a superb forum for help (www.msextra.com) |
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