A "Must Read" for all APR ECU Explorer users....

[Mark P]

Below is a basic cut/paste from my website since I know clicking a hyperlink is waaaaay too much effort for many But if you're really interested in this, just go directly to my site and see all the info better formated, and also where I will be making slight additions/updates/etc:

Click here ---> ECUx templates, macros, usage, etc

Basically it's my set of group files, macros, Excel templates, etc. DAP and I have modified these such that we feel it best covers the variables we most often want to use. Others can also share in these templates to help themselves, and if others are using the same templates (at least same group file), it makes it much easier for us to help them (by using the graphing templates that are already set up, etc). Anyway, take a peek and enjoy!


**************************Begin Copy/Paste from Website***********************




APR ECU Explorer

Here are some files that I commonly use when logging and graphing
data. I've put them here in case other ECUx users would like to
use them as well. This will allow each other to share their data easier,
as well as allow for a quick and simple method to graph the data. I have
tested and regardless if I log 1 variable or 36 variables, I still record ~14
samples/second. So, better to use a group file such as below that records
more variables, as others might want to see items you hadn't planned on
logging. That is, better to get more data and not need it than to not get
it in the first place. Each file is zip'd, so unzip to use as I
describe...

Click on any of the screen captures below to view larger image.

Click here for my FATS calculator that uses ECUx data

LOGGING SESSION

In order to log in ECUx, you utilize a Group File which contains the
variables that you want to log.
FILE: typical8.egp

I have set this up to log the following variables:

TIME
RPM
EngineLoad
BoostPressureDesired
BoostPressureActual
BoostFrequencyValveDutyCycle
IntakeAirTemperature
ThrottlePlateAngle
IgnitionRetardCyl1
IgnitionRetardCyl2
IgnitionRetardCyl3
IgnitionRetardCyl4
IgnitionTimingCyl1
IgnitionTimingCyl2
IgnitionTimingCyl3
IgnitionTimingCyl4
IgnitionTimingAngleOverall
MassAirFlow
AirFuelRatioDesired
VehicleSpeed
Gear
IgnitionRetardCyl5
IgnitionRetardCyl6
IgnitionTimingCyl5
IgnitionTimingCyl6
EngineLoadSpecified
EngineLoadCorrectedSpecified
FuelInjectorOnTime
BaroPressure
EGTbank1
EGTbank2
KnockVoltCyl1
KnockVoltCyl2
KnockVoltCyl3
KnockVoltCyl4
KnockVoltCyl5
KnockVoltCyl6

DATA PREP

FILE: grab_data_template8.xls
After you are done logging, use ECUx to Export your log to CSV. [see
Figure 1]



Figure 1 - Sample ECUx output after being exported to CSV
I have created an Excel macro which will take this CSV file and pull out
only the "good" data, as well as color-coding some of the data. I
have defined "good" data to be when Throttle is >90%. Assuming
you don't have any throttle cut issues, this should be applicable for
WOT runs. In order to use this macro, a minor amount of setup is
required...

Setup -
(You just need to do this once to personalize the macro for your computer...) The macro is
coded with a name and location to find this CSV file. Therefore,
you need to choose a location and a name to always save your CSV file
as. Please create a dataprep/ directory, which you will then later make
copies of your CSV file and put them in here, and name them dataprep.csv.

This way the macro will always work on whatever the current dataprep/dataprep.csv
is located there. To edit the macro in
grab_data_template8.xls, first open it, then:
Tools -> Macro -> Macros -> Edit
Then find the path that ends with ..../dataprep/dataprep.csv and change
the path to the location on your PC. [see Figure 2]



Figure 2 - Illustrates path to change to your location for this file


Now, to use this grab_data_template8.xls file,
1.) Take your ECUx CSV file and make a copy into your
dataprep/ directory.
2.) Rename the file to dataprep.csv. (first remove a previous dataprep.csv if you had run this before)
3.) Now open up grab_data_template8.xls (Click "Enable Macros" if/when prompted) and click on the "Macros" tab at
the bottom. Then click on the "Run Me!" button. [see Figure 3]



Figure 3 - Shows Macros tab and "Run Me!" button

At some point it will say there is data on the clipboard and ask if you
want to use it later. Click NO.
When the macro finishes, you will be on the "Final Data" tab. The
data you now see is just the "good" data, and some parts of that data
have been color-coded to aid in understanding what you are
seeing. Please see the "Notes" tab to see what each column's
color code refers to. [see Figures 4 & 5]



Figure 4 - Shows Final Data tab with filtered, color-coded output



Figure 5 - Another example of the Final Data tab. Here you can easily see
how the color coding shows that these are two 3rd gear runs, and both go from
low to high RPMs. This is due to:
Column U (Gear) being all green (green = 3rd gear)
Column B (RPM) goes green to white to orange (green= <4000 RPMs, orange=
>6000 RPMs)
Also note the red box in Column A. This denotes where two different Time
sections meet up. The areas that is all white means that those timestamps
are all in order, thus all from one continuous logging pull. There was
likely many minutes of "junk" cruising data between those two pulls,
and thus this grab_data macro pulled out only the good stuff.



GRAPHING

FILE: 2control_2variable_Compare_template_8.xls
FILE: 2control_2variable_Compare_template_8_timebased.xl s
Single Gear Pulls
Now you can easily cut and paste data from your "Final Data" tab on the
grab_data_template8.xls sheet into "2control_2variable_Compare_template_8.xls"
template I have
created. These files then instantly populate 22 graphs changing the raw
data numbers into easy-to-see graphs of what's taking place.

When cutting/pasting the data from the Final Data page, just
copy the data from a single run and paste it into one of the 4 tabs into the
cell that says "paste here" (Cell B2)

If you are just graphing a single gear pull, use the "2control_2variable_Compare_template_8.xls" template. This
template includes 4 tabs that you can paste 4 different runs on, and
then a "Compare" tab that overlays the data from all 4 runs. On
the Compare tab, Run1 & Run2 are graphed in Red and Run3 & Run4 are
graphed in Blue. This can be useful when you want to compare
changes you made to your car - just paste them in the corresponding pages so that
the Compare tab colors them accordingly. [see Figure 6]



Figure 6 - Once the data is pasted into the template the Compare tab shows them overlaid
and colored differently to easily distinguish each. This example log shows
two pulls of the same software, thus why the results of each are near identical.

Multi-Gear Pulls:

If you are interesting in graphing multiple gears in a row (such as at
a drag strip, or similar), you can use the "2control_2variable_Compare_template_8_timebased.xl s" template.

Unlike the above template that has RPM as the x-axis, this template has
Time as the x-axis. One application where I used this was when I
was graphing my Intake Air Temps at the drags. I wanted to see
how they compared with and without Aquamist active, over the course of
the entire run (through 4 gears). [see Figure 7]
Note: When using this template, do not use the grab_data macro
as that would remove datapoints during shifts (when throttle is <90%).
Therefore, copy/paste data into this template directly from the CSV file.
You'll just have to look at the VehicleSpeed column to grab the data that you
want.




Figure 7 - In the "timebased" template, the x-axis is Time, thus you
can graph a multi-gear run continuously. The above shows two separate
continual drag-race style 1st-4th gear logs. This is the Compare tab which
overlays the two, pointing out differences. In this example, I did it once
with Aquamist off and once with it on. The resulting difference in
IntakeAirTempurature is dramatic. There is also a noted difference in
Timing. This was hard to observe in single gear pulls, but much more
obvious in a multi-gear run as heat builds up, which this template allows to be
displayed.




Here are all of the 22 graphs that the templates graph:

[Jeff Vader - boscoj]

[Captain Matt, I be]

i just got motivated!

[ModifiedA4]

[Imolavirus@BuehnEngineering]

[NEPaNogaro]

[Mark P]

once you give it a shot. I may have missed something in the instructions that I take for granted doing, and thus forgot to mention, but I think it's all there.

[Mark P]

One thing I meant to add is the "Quick Reference Checklist". So, okay, you've read all of that stuff and basically understand it, now what is the quick checklist to look at when trying this stuff out? Here it is: (I'll add this to my site later)

0.) [just done once] Create a "dataprep" folder on your computer. Setup the Macro with the path to this folder including the "dataprep.csv" filename that you will be putting in this folder.

1.) Log w/ECUx utilizing template8.egp group file.
2.) Save log and then open it in ECUx and export it to CSV.
3.) Copy that CSV file to the "dataprep" directory and rename the file to "dataprep.csv".
4.) Open grab_data_template8.xls, say yes to enable macros, go to the Macros tab and click the Run Me! button. Click "No" to saving clipboard data when/if prompted.
5.) When the FinalData tab is brought up with your filtered data, copy/paste a single pull from this sheet into the 2control_2variable_Compare_template_8.xls template.
6.) Enjoy all of your nicely graphed data!

PS - Don't forget to save your nicely-graphed data with a new name so you don't overwrite the template



Or the Super Simple procedure:
1.) Log using the template8.egp group file.

Even if you don't want to use all of the Excel stuff, if you at least log using the template group file, that allows others to easily graph your data for you since you've gathered your data in an expected format.

[Mark P]

I had put it in there because it was designed for ECUx data, but then I added so that it works for VAG-COM data as well. Anyway, it interpolates the data points get an accurate elapsed time if you don't have datapoints at exactly 4200 and 6500 (which will always be the case).



*************Copy/Paste from Website linked below************


FATS Calculator

FILE: 4200-6500_fats_time.xls

S4 owners sometimes are interested in the time it takes their car to go from 4200 to 6500 RPMs in 3rd gear on a flat road. FATS is an acronym for "For the Advancement of The S4", and while that has broader meaning, "FATS" is most often used to refer to one's "FATS Time" as described here.

This Excel Calculator is setup to use APR's ECUx (or VAG-COM's) data output format. Simply cut and paste two groups of Timestamps & RPMs (one before and after 4200, and another before and after 6500) from the ECUx output into the calculator. It will display your elapsed time using interpolation to get exactly 4200 and 6500. It is often suggested to do 2 runs in opposite directions on the same section of road and average your results.

Enjoy!


Here's a screen capture after data has been pasted into the white cells:

• http://ctny.audiworld.com/mark/s4/ecux/fats/

[Hal_TT::CBP]

calculate or find wht you want.