View Full Version : APR Official Announcement of DPP and ECU Explorer
KingDragon
14-07-2003, 08:13
APR officially announced their products on the APR Website
APR Directport programming
http://www.goapr.com/VW/products/directport.html
ECU Explorer
http://www.goapr.com/VW/products/ecuexplorer.html
My question has to do with the following:
"...with EMCS, program switching overwrites the entire data segment of the engine management code (unlike inferior systems that interpolate between high and low tables.) This translates to mean the selected profile is fully optimized throughout the operating range..."
What does this mean? Is it better as a code, or is better as a performance?
Cheers
LEO LION R
14-07-2003, 08:19
don't know, but i did notice there is no mention of any Seats on there lists. :confused:
:cheers:
Shock_Xe
14-07-2003, 09:50
hmmm, sounds good but it says you get a scret code after the demo to initialise it, They will be on the net SOON!!!!! :) hehehe
Shock - I'm sure they'll have thought about that and have made sure no two secret codes are the same.
I noticed this earlier, if you look at the press release on the home page, it says;
07/10/2003
More APR Revolutions!
The next generation of APR EMCS is almost here. APR DirectPort Programming gives you the ability to have multiple ECU programs just like the previous generation of EMCS, but without ANY hardware. APR is also releasing ECU Explorer, a high-resolution engine datalogging software.
Notice the word ALMOST!!! Seems like you lot have heard that before.
From an IT perspective (True IT, not ECU chipping) it would certainly be possible to do what they're talking about with web pages and Active X controls (in practice they're might be problems with a web based application trying to use the serial port on your PC - not sure depends how they've written it).
What it suggests is that you can go on the web, install some code and download the trial version, then later you can get an unlock code that covers the trial to a "full version".
Two issues with this;
- you'll need to get the code into the car via a lead of some type (unless the ODBII port is USB :p )
- these unlock codes sound dubious to me, same concept as the CD keys that you get with software/games at the moment - too easy to copy... unless they've been really clever and written it so that the active x running on your PC effectively connects the cars ODBII port with them in the states/head office and the code is written straight from there, whilst checking the ECU's serial no. against a database to find out how many times that ECU has been burned (more than once or twice and that ECU serial no. has been cloned and is being used to rip them off). If they've done it this way, transmission errors might be a problem. They could have written additional checksums into the download program to make sure that the ECU is correctly burned, but this would mean that it would take longer, although this would be ofset by not necessarily having to drive to the dealer.
Sounds a bit like overkill to me, espically when the customer is used to taking a trip to a dealer (and why upset the dealers - they would no onger be required to do the ECU upgrade if you could do it at home).
I suspect that you'd still have to go to the dealer and get him to do the ECU burn, he will probably have the demo software on his PC but get an activation code "live" over the internet, perhaps after the ECU serial number is checked with APR.
Apologies for the flood of thoughts, but this is what I do for a living!
Feel,
One of us has misunderstood... I thought that they do it in exactly the same way as Revo do, ie. with a laptop with a VAGCOM type lead. I thought they were just saying that instead of using a traditional Win32 application, they are using a web style interface... but this is of no interest to the car owner as only the dealer will use the interface.
I could be wrong though.
So, this ECU Explorer looks pretty good. A couple of questions though:
1) Any idea on the price?
2) Will it work with a VAGCOM lead?
3) Will it work with a car chipped by someone other than APR (Eg. Revo, Jabba, Oetinger etc)?
Cheers
Ben
LEO LION R
14-07-2003, 12:59
I think (and dont shoot me if i'm wrong) that the point of this software interface is that you can buy a lead from them and upload upgrades yourself instead of taking to the supplier. You would go to their website, log in, and download what you have either purchased or free upgrade, and then upload to your car via the PC lead you have purchased.
I dont know about your 3 questions.
We do need a pricing list for all individual packages.
:cheers:
LEO - No, I think (and it's only an opinion) that you'll still have to go to a dealer, exactly as Ben says (I told you I waffled in my post!! :p).
Ben
Someone was talking about the security of using "unlock codes" for teh software. To be honest I was thinking out loud, I'm trying to figure out if I think the APR claim that the stuff is on it's way is genuine, or whether to go with Revo.
1. Don't know... But didn't one of the Awesome GTi guys say it would be the same price as now? Ģ449 +VAT
2. Ermmm, don't know.
3. Again, only really guessing, but it should work on a previously Revo'd car as it's only software, and it can be removed (might be a trip to a Revo dealer!). With the others that are physical chips, don't know, but it's likely to be more awkward...
Sorry, Ben, you mean the price of the ECU explorer, not the ECU software don't you...
that aint going to happen...
everyone would then be able to upload to otherpeoples ecu...
The software looks like It'll work with any chip all it will be doing is reading the values just like VAG-COM (only a lot quicker and with cool options like virtual dials :D - we like the sound of that :D :D
Real FATF style ;)
ibizacupra
14-07-2003, 13:39
Have a read of this........................ http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=931466
regards
Bill
Cheers Bill, loads of info on that thread. :)
Ben
I was expecting an 'update' like that from VAG-Com...
I'll wait then. :)
Originally posted by ibizacupra
Have a read of this........................ http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=931466
regards
Bill
There's another good thread, started by APR themselves
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=931273
Talks about the DPP software being available from "Waterfest" onwards, which is apparently next weekend - 19th July!
Price - $299!
KingDragon
14-07-2003, 19:31
Yep, i have already read the vwvortex forums, but i still waiting for an answer (perhaps from REVO guys) about the claim that APR's tuning code is superior against competition (...silly dungles they say...)
"...with EMCS, program switching overwrites the entire data segment of the engine management code (unlike inferior systems that interpolate between high and low tables.) This translates to mean the selected profile is fully optimized throughout the operating range..."
Originally posted by KingDragon
the claim that APR's tuning code is superior against competition
depends on who they see their competition as
otherwise one would expect them to demonstrate this 'superiority'
but i bet they a) can't b) wouldn't
Originally posted by Feel
There's another good thread, started by APR themselves
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=931273
Talks about the DPP software being available from "Waterfest" onwards, which is apparently next weekend - 19th July!
Price - $299!
Thatīs the price for the ECU Explorer, no their DPP.
Originally posted by LEO LION R
don't know, but i did notice there is no mention of any Seats on there lists. :confused:
:cheers:
they donīt sell Seats in the US, thatīs why you donīt see them, but to my belive ther eis only software for the Leon R, as they donīt have Seats there they canīt develope the software for other Seat Cars, To develop the Leonīs R software they had to take one from Mexico to Alabama. The software old software for Seats was developed by a person who now works with REVO. So i donīt think that they will ber realising any Seat software soon, except for the Leonīs R.
Regards
Note that *all* tuners will say their product is superior to others, regardless of its actually true or not.
I get the jist of what they are saying, when I have time I will read the posts on vortex to see if I have got the right idea.
I suspect that maps for 210/225 engines will be available soon, APR will want to crack their home market first I think (which they will probably do - APR is massively popular in the states).
here is a good US site, mainly Golf/Bora led : www.club18t.com no doubt there are some threads regarding the new products there.
It sounds like APR have evolved their multi-map/switchable system past the Revo product to a soft switching mechanism ? ( i.e. dont need a dongle, map its switch via some other method... ).
LEO LION R
30-07-2003, 13:47
they donīt sell Seats in the US, thatīs why you donīt see them, but to my belive ther eis only software for the Leon R, as they donīt have Seats there they canīt develope the software for other Seat Cars, To develop the Leonīs R software they had to take one from Mexico to Alabama. The software old software for Seats was developed by a person who now works with REVO. So i donīt think that they will ber realising any Seat software soon, except for the Leonīs R.
Regards
Thanks, i didn't realise they couldn't get them over there :redface:
The one they tuned has the same code as me apparently, hence very interested to hear what the verdict was of it.
:cheers:
Theodore
30-07-2003, 19:40
Hi,
They make FMICs and stage III conversions, but not for Leons.
Unfortunately.
Theodore.