Reading MLV Data Logs

Tuning concepts, methods, tips etc.

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whittlebeast
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Re: Reading MLV Data Logs

Post by whittlebeast »

Here is a list of the Status code available in MS3

Status1 Need Burn
Status1 Lost Data
Status1 Config Error
Status1 RPM Synced
Status1 Synclatch
Status1 Fuel Table Sw
Status1 Spark Table Sw
Status1 Full RPM Synced
Status2 N20 Stage 1
Status2 N20 stage 2
Status2 Launch In
Status2 Launch
Status2 Flat Shift
Status2 Spark Cut
Status2 Over Boost
Status2 Closed Loop Idle
Status3 Fuel Cut
Status3 T Log
Status3 3-Step
Status3 Test Mode
Status3 3-Step In
Status3 Soft Limit
Status3 Seq Shift
Status3 Launch On
Status6 Egt Warn
Status6 EGT Shutdown
Status6 AFR Warn
Status6 AFR Shutdown
Status6 Idle VE
Status6 Idle Advance
Status6 Fan
Status6 MAP Sample Error
Status7 VVT1 Error
Status7 VVT2 Error
Status7 VVT3 Error
Status7 VVT4 Error
Status7 Knock
Status7 AC
Status7 CEL
Status7 Limp Mode
Status8 Injectors Disable Mode
Status8 Spark Disable Mode
Status8 Water Injection Low
Status8 PW4X Mode
Status8 VSS Launch Lock-Out
Status8 VSS Launch

The MLV and MLVHD settings files are available for downloading and importing from

http://www.nbs-stl.com/mlvhd/EngineAndS ... s.settings

You will need to include the appropriate field, stutus1 thru status8 to get the thing you may be looking for. For example, if you want to know when your soft cut rev limiter is setting in, you would need to include the field Status3 in your log and you need to import my settings file into MLV.

Have fun tuning

Andy
Last edited by whittlebeast on Sun May 07, 2017 5:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
whittlebeast
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Re: Reading MLV Data Logs

Post by whittlebeast »

This is what a typical drag race pass looks like as these status codes come on and off line.

http://www.nbs-stl.com/mlvhd/Status%20C ... 20Pass.png

Andy
ArttuH
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Re: Reading MLV Data Logs

Post by ArttuH »

Nice idea indeed! Only problem that I see is it consumes plenty of viewed parameters. So in practice you need to switch parameters on and off all the time when analyzing a log. Tabbed views on MLV would help a lot for this. I mean that you could have status code views on one one tab all the time and other parameters on other tabs and switching between views would be easy. I recall this kind feature has been requested a couple of times?
Arttu
whittlebeast
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Re: Reading MLV Data Logs

Post by whittlebeast »

When in a <Log View> there is a button named <Quick Views> Under there is a <Save Current As>

Andy
Rick Finsta
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Re: Reading MLV Data Logs

Post by Rick Finsta »

Andy, how do you think one would figure out if their MAPxRPM vs DC plot is "thin" enough? I've got a nice linear relationship but it seems broad relative to others I've seen.

BTW, MLV HD is the finest piece of datalog viewing software in the world. There, I said it.
whittlebeast
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Re: Reading MLV Data Logs

Post by whittlebeast »

Personally, I tend to use MAPxRPM as a hint for locating tuning issues more then a gospel source of info.

Andy
ArttuH
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Re: Reading MLV Data Logs

Post by ArttuH »

whittlebeast wrote:When in a <Log View> there is a button named <Quick Views> Under there is a <Save Current As>
Thanks for reminding. Yes, that does pretty much what I was looking for.
Arttu
panel
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Re: Reading MLV Data Logs

Post by panel »

Andy , I noticed that you don't show the AFR in the 'Log Viewer'. Just curious .
'65 VW Bus with a Subaru EJ20 Turbo conversion , Air to water I/C , LS coils , 14Point7 Spartan 2 & Solid Air Fuel Ratio 52mm gauge.
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whittlebeast
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Re: Reading MLV Data Logs

Post by whittlebeast »

I just when depends what I am trying to show. AFR tends to be delayed when there are big changes in airflow like on throttle stabs and gear shifts. In those situations, I prefer to use RPM/Sec to judge engine responsiveness to a sudden throttle change.

Have fun tuning

Andy
whittlebeast
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Re: Reading MLV Data Logs

Post by whittlebeast »

I was looking at the data off my autocross car.

http://www.nbs-stl.com/CrxTypeR/3%20Sec ... ocross.png

At the top is the three most basic things MAP, RPM and TPS.

Next is Duty Cycle and Duty Cycle Base. The difference between the two is the AE. Base Duty Cycle Base is done with the formula

100*[Duty Cycle1]/[Fuel: Accel enrich]

Geez GB is done with accelerators mounted at the base of the windshield feeding data into the MSs Ultimate. This feature can be done with about $10 worth of parts.

Between the time I start to stab the throttle till the accelerator registers acceleration is about .25 sec

At the bottom is a spike registered every time cylinder comes to top dead center. AE works out to about 16 total revolutions of the crank.

Have fun tuning.

Andy
whittlebeast
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Re: Reading MLV Data Logs

Post by whittlebeast »

Check out how well my acceleration is "Tied" to my throttle position. This is one of the primary things that makes a race car easy to drive.

http://www.nbs-stl.com/CrxTypeR/Throttl ... ration.png

I define throttling in MLV as

[Field.TP]<0?0:10*(sqrt([Field.TP]))

Andy
whittlebeast
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Re: Reading MLV Data Logs

Post by whittlebeast »

Check out the detail you can get now when you are running the MS3 Ultimate. This is a throttle stab of my Honda ITB motor. From the time that I stab the throttle till the time the motor is pulling close to 9000 rpm/sec is just over .21 sec. Notice the motor rotates thru 6 engine cycles to reach max crank acceleration. This data was captured at 200 samples per sec.

http://www.nbs-stl.com/tuning/MS3%20Ult ... Detail.png

Andy
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Re: Reading MLV Data Logs

Post by whittlebeast »

This is a log I got from a friend tuning a 500 CI, 10500 RPM drag race motor making about 1500 hp. At the bottom of the trace, you will see how MAPxRPM runs right with the Fuel Flow (essentially Duty Cycle)

http://www.nbs-stl.com/tuning/ProStockDragCar.png

Notice that the tuner is pulling timing with each gear change. The log did not include AFR. Apparently that is handled with some other black box on the car watching 8 widebands. The tuner was trimming each individual injector.

Cool stuff.

Andy
BigBlockMopar
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Re: Reading MLV Data Logs

Post by BigBlockMopar »

Indeed interesting to see the timing advance step down after every shift during the run and isn't climbing even when the RPMs are.

Regarding tuning a regular car engine on the streets during daily driving;
Would there be a way to optimise ignition timing or look for timing issues, or finding out if an engine would like more or less timing in certain areas of the rpm- and load-ranges?
Perhaps by combining a good number of logs and then averaging/make comparisons between RPM, advance and MAP-values?
Daily driver: 1973 Dodge Dart - 360ci engine - 11.3:1cr - MS3x - ignition only. 42RH/A500 OD+LU transmission / 3.23 gears
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Yves
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Re: Reading MLV Data Logs

Post by Yves »

BigBlockMopar wrote:Indeed interesting to see the timing advance step down after every shift during the run and isn't climbing even when the RPMs are.

Regarding tuning a regular car engine on the streets during daily driving;
Would there be a way to optimise ignition timing or look for timing issues, or finding out if an engine would like more or less timing in certain areas of the rpm- and load-ranges?
Perhaps by combining a good number of logs and then averaging/make comparisons between RPM, advance and MAP-values?
Good question
whittlebeast
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Re: Reading MLV Data Logs

Post by whittlebeast »

Setting WOT timing is tough on the street. I tend to test on the same section and sweep the same gear watching the time to pull from say 1500 RPM to redline. I use a filtered RPM per sec to see there you have issues. I start by taking a base pull and then retest with 2 degrees less timing to see if the motor wants less timing at some point in the sweep. If the motor looses pull, I try increasing timing 1 degree at a time looking for lesser increase in torque based on RPM per sec with each change in timing.

Hope this helps

Andy
BigBlockMopar
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Re: Reading MLV Data Logs

Post by BigBlockMopar »

I think I've got the max. advance number of my setup in the ballpark for the type of fuel Im running on (propane), which should be around 30-34 degrees.

It's mainly tackling the large range of lighter engine loads below WOT that I've been constantly trying to improve. Trying to get engine load as low as possible in about all situations, which makes for a more efficient running engine.
Improvements come from daily driving and seat of the pants during (very)light, mild and heavy accelerations, at various RPM-ranges and engine loads.

I don't have TPS on my car yet, nor do I control fuel. But I also know that leaner mixtures can require more advance so that would always add a variable to the timing map at some point.
I do have an AFR-gauge, but it usually goes into an error-mode after a some driving time or some firm acceleration. I tihnk the O2-sensor might be overheating which I probably need to move further down the exhaust.

I have been eyeballing the logs and trying to come up with a combination of data to find out when the engine load is lowest at which RPM and ign. advance numbers.
I also think if I could combine a great bunch of logs, some better and more clear data could be distilled from that.
Daily driver: 1973 Dodge Dart - 360ci engine - 11.3:1cr - MS3x - ignition only. 42RH/A500 OD+LU transmission / 3.23 gears
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Website: https://www.bigblockmopar.nl/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/BigBlockMopar
whittlebeast
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Re: Reading MLV Data Logs

Post by whittlebeast »

Did you know that in MLV, you can open the SW and then <File><Open> and pick several log files and open all of then at the same time?

Andy
BigBlockMopar
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Re: Reading MLV Data Logs

Post by BigBlockMopar »

I had just done that and was able to combine-load the last 4 logs. That was about 18MB of data.
But I'm afraid there isn't enough information, the right variables or sensor data in the logs to extract meaningful info yet.

If interested, I've uploaded the combined 4-log file (2MB) to my website;
https://bigblockmopar.nl/msextra/CombinedLogs.zip
Daily driver: 1973 Dodge Dart - 360ci engine - 11.3:1cr - MS3x - ignition only. 42RH/A500 OD+LU transmission / 3.23 gears
--------------
Website: https://www.bigblockmopar.nl/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/BigBlockMopar
whittlebeast
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Re: Reading MLV Data Logs

Post by whittlebeast »

BigBlock

I opened all four logs in scatter plot view. Your motor is way leaner than I am willing to run. I am not convinced the wideband is behaving correctly.

Added, something is wrong with your TPS

Andy
Last edited by whittlebeast on Fri Jun 09, 2017 3:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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