Author Topic: improving the versatility of VEMS  (Read 7034 times)

Offline gunni

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1492
  • BHP: 37
improving the versatility of VEMS
« on: April 11, 2015, 02:49:23 pm »
Hi all.

I am interested in VEMS improving on the versatility of itself and user experience. The ECU has come along way from Megatune times and the software is often far better then much more expensive ECU's software. However while its still relatively young somethings should be addressed before we find ourselves gone to far down a branch of Vemstune/Firmware that something simply cannot be implemented due to complexity.

1. The secondary PWM table should be able to have selectable Axis, maybe I don´t want MAP but some other analog/input that I have configured and maybe not RPM but something else. Ideally as a start the axis should be selectable from any of the analog inputs configured and RPM and have represented values not 0-100 or 0-255. Vems is too rigid on what axis are where. Where is MAT / MAP ?

2. Analog inputs should only be selectable once, although they don´t have any actual input right now (oil temp for instance has no internal function) the channel names should reflect the actual oil temp sensor and not "Channel 0 calibrated view" and any name I want and thus being able to have 5 oil temp channels, which are not differentiatable.

3. Maybe in the future we can select internal math channels as the axis for secondary PWM / universal PWM output. As setups become more complicated and require more versatility so must VEMS do as well.

4. Going on from #3, There are millions of possible functions and strategies to make or setup, VEMS should have a universal function that users can use and develop new strategies with, those can later possibly be implemented into the main core of the system if so seen fit by VEMS. Let say intercooler spray based on road speed, IC temp out, boost and rpm and so on. I´m not sure how much more space there actually is in the VEMS firmware for added functions, but ultimately its better to have couple of good universal ones rather then fixed ones that are not usable but stuck in one single form that most users cannot use.

5. MAP A / B . I use Pectel and there we can swap between multiple maps, but of course while driving the car the trigger settings don´t change, nor does your IAT calibration, TPS calibration and so on, the VEMS map A / B setup is wasting alot of space that could be used for more differentiating tables, like PPS / TPS target tables for different driving behavior same with boost control or some other options. Somethings just don't need to change during a map switch changeover.

6. Relationship between VEMS round and V3 . When I change my boost target via knob I would like that shown on the gauge momentarily. Otherwise users are mostly blind to their boost target. There is alot that can be done to improve the usage of the round gauge to work with the V3 ECU. Adding the V3 protocol to the round would be a great start. The AIM protocol is not very good while the V3 protocol is considerably more impressive and can carry alot more specific information like implementing FLAGS states.
The best way to set this up is the Round tells the V3 which channels should be sent upon startup of comms, this way only the channels the round wants are sent over and nothing else making good use of serial bandwidth (not to say 115kbit can carry ALOT of information). The VEMS round has the ability to be very handy, it could display alarms (short scrolling text) and value, when MAP is changed in the ECU that could be shown, and so on.

7. Comparison of configs in Vemstune: as the configs grow more complicated its getting more and more difficult to compare configs between cars and versions on the same car, It would be absolutely ideal to be able to at least do a text comparision between two configs, usually the changes aren´t that great but still worth it. Second would be able to compare within Vemstune, certainly this is quite more involved in writing the software for Vemstune, but ultimately is the best solution.

8. I have noted this one quite often but its worth yet again. Vemstune should be setup like excel, the group-views are "sheets" that can be imported and exported, the current complete set of "sheets" should be exportable as a workbook and importable in another Vemstune. This way when a new Vemstune comes out I can just go back to any of my Workbooks where all MY views are.

I know there is alot of WANTS above, maybe I´m spoiled from using equipment many times over more expensive, but I think such experience can help pointing VEMS in the right direction.

Offline Denmark

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 542
  • BHP: 7
Re: improving the versatility of VEMS
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2015, 03:43:34 pm »
Agreed

Would also love to have nr2-3-4

Skassa
working on the boxer

Offline VEMS

  • Administrator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 487
  • BHP: 22
Re: improving the versatility of VEMS
« Reply #2 on: April 11, 2015, 03:55:09 pm »
Hi Gunni,

Thats a nice list of good ideas, i'll have to go over it in detail to see what ideas we can actually implement and what not but most (if not all) make sense to me; take care i am not making any promises here. As always we try to offer the most functionality as possible at an affordable price, unfortunately that also means sometimes we have to make compromises, we are limited on processing power and available memory when compared to the hardware Pectel for instance uses. That means we have to be smart to be able todo a lot of calculations fast.

Best regards, Dave

Offline gunni

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1492
  • BHP: 37
Re: improving the versatility of VEMS
« Reply #3 on: April 11, 2015, 06:00:47 pm »
I understand Dave and fully understand the VEMS's limitations, its abilities are good with the hardware it has. How much is left to utilize I don´t know.

As a side note how much of the code could work in a bigger processor with more memory and more I/O?
Although in my own opinion a larger more powerful VEMS should have a far more universal crank and cam trigger solution, so that an embedded solution is not required. Maybe its to late for V3.X to actually implement a new universal user configurable trigger decoding structure.

Offline Sprocket

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 867
  • BHP: 29
Re: improving the versatility of VEMS
« Reply #4 on: April 11, 2015, 10:45:25 pm »
Today I was looking for a simple hysteresis on the Misc output channels to prevent the water/meth injection output from flickering on and off............. We had the output enabled mainly on KPa, it would have been nice to have a hysteresis of say 10kpa to limit the 'flicker' we were seeing in and around the threshold