Can't see Realtime Display - working on MS assembly

[merz450sl]

Hi - I'm new here, sorry if I'm asking a dumb old question. I'm building a MS board and I've gotten to step 55 in the assembly. At this step, I need to test my work by hooking up the Stim and the computer to the MS assembly, running Tuner Studio and checking the effect of the Stim pot inputs to the gauges in the "Realtime Display" window.

Everything is hooked up, but the "Realtime Display" line under the "Tuning" heading is grayed out so I can't open that window... therefore I can't conduct the test. Up to this point, everything has gone fine and every test has passed as described in the assembly guide.

Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong and how to activate the "Realtime Display" so I can see what the board is doing in Tuner Studio?

Thanks very much!

rick

[LT401Vette]

What Project / ini are you using?
The enabling of that is defined in the firmwares ini file. So we need to know what firmware signature ini you are using.

[merz450sl]

Well, I'm going to sound pretty stupid, but it won't be the first time. In the EFIAnalytics/TunerStudioMS/config/ecuDef folder there are about 50 .ini files... I don't have any idea which one, if any, I'm using. Basically if it doesn't look like a carburetor I don't understand it, and this stuff doesn't look very much like a carburetor. I'm sorry for being so ignorant, but there it is. What do I need to look for, and what do I do with it when I find it?

rick

[slow_hemi6]

What type of MS processor are you using. MS1, 2 or 3? What is the firmware? Here is how to find these out if unknown. http://www.msextra.com/doc/general/whatmegasquirt.html

[LT401Vette]

There is no need for you to ever look in that folder, that is just there for TunerStudio's reference while creating a new project when it doesn't have internet access. There are hundreds more ini files on the server.

The ini TS will be using is the on in the project you opened

So look in:
/Documents/TunerStudioProjects/[TheProjectYouOpened]/projectCfg/mainController.ini

Once you open a project, TS always uses the mainController.ini ini in that projectCfg sub folder of your project.

[merz450sl]

Thanks!

The processor is the MS-!!, the one with its own PCB subassembly that plugs into the socket on the main board. In the project folder I'm in, I clicked on the mainController.ini file and it says "signature - MSII Rev 2.92000"

The code I downloaded is Monitor_v.2.920.abs.19

Any clues there?

Thanks

rick

[LT401Vette]

Yes...
On the B&G code, the 1st thing you need to do is set the ECU type, then Real Time Display will become active.

Select:
Fuel Set-Up --> General

and set ECU Type to 1 for a standard MS2

That should be about the only setting that is enabled, until you set it.

So are you connecting to the ECU otherwise? The RPM gauge should be going back and forth from 0 to 8000 and there should be an Indicator that says "Set ECU!!"

[merz450sl]

Thank you! Just what I needed!

The ECU hooks up OK, I have the clock gauge ticking off seconds from the timing circuit. The RPM gauge needle swings back & forth. It may have the "Set ECU" message coming up, I'm not sure. It wouldn't mean a lot to me, but now thanks to you I know what to do with it. As I said, I understand the metal parts pretty well but software really has to hold my hand.

Thanks again! I'm sure I'll be back at my next dumb move.

rick

[jsmcortina]

Also, unless you have a very good reason to run the MS2/BG code, I would suggest using MS2/Extra instead as that is the most commonly used firmware. See the Downloads and Manuals pages above.

James

[merz450sl]

Thanks for the directions! I got it done, the screen came up.

Everything checks out EXCEPT I am getting no RPM signal from the Stim. The assembly instructions give the impression that this might not be real unusual but don't say a lot about what you need to do if it happens. Any tips on where I need to look? (the ECU is not finished, I'm at Step 55 in the assembly manual).

Thanks again!

rick

[slow_hemi6]

Have you set up the board for VR input? Basic stim does not put out a VR type signal.

[merz450sl]

Hi Luke: No - in fact, I did not install the VR circuit (step 51) on the board, as I figured there was no possibility of ever wanting to use it.

Thanks ~

[slow_hemi6]

Ok so what input option did you build?

[merz450sl]

I built the "coil negative terminal" circuit, as directed in step 50(b) of the assembly manual. Not using a Hall sensor, I did not do the assembly indicated in 50(a)... do I need to do that in addition to the steps in 50(b)? I got the impression that 50(a) and 50(b) were an either/or choice, but maybe I misunderstood the instructions.

I also did not do the VR circuit assembly in step 51. At step 52, I installed the jumpers in the right hand column as indicated for the hall/coil/points circuit option: jumped XG1 to XG2; OPTOIN to TACHSELECT; and TSEL to OPTOOUT.

rick

[Matt Cramer]

If it's set up for triggering off a coil negative, the circuit uses a zener diode (D2) to only trigger on the high voltage flyback spikes. So to test it on a Stim (which doesn't generate such high voltage), you need to bypass D2 with a jumper.

[merz450sl]

I jumped over the Zener with a patch cord... it didn't help.

[slow_hemi6]

Maybe get an led test light and check to see if you get variable flashing at Tach Select either with or without jumper. Would norrow down whether the stim is not working or your input circuit is not working.

[merz450sl]

Thanks, I'll try that....

[merz450sl]

OK, back again .... finally got a chance to look at it again. The Stim is not producing a tach signal. It had passed the blinky-LED test back when I built it a month or so ago, but it isn't passing it now. Haven't figured out why, but I'll go back through that assembly and find out. I think once I have the stim doing what it's supposed to do, I'll find the MS is working OK.

If anyone has any suggestions of what to look for, other than what's in the Stim troubleshooting guide .... all of the signals are working except for the tach, so I don't think I have a short or a blown processor.

rick

[Matt Cramer]

What Stim version do you have?