14point7 SLC OEM - budget wb02 controller

[festy]

There's not much info on 14point7's wb02 controllers around here, so if anyone's thinking of purchasing one of their SLC OEM EvKs this might be of interest.
The SLC OEM module is intended for use by OEMs (funny enough) for integrating into other products.
It's a single small PCB about the size of a knock filter board, and supports I2C comms as well as linear output and simulated NB too.

The 'EvK' is 14point7's Eval kit for the SLC OEM - which includes everything you need for a wideband setup:
* pre-built SLC OEM module
* carrier board
* components for carrier board
* ABS case
* 6 core wire
* Bosch WB sensor and plug

There's no gauge included with this kit but if you really want one, 14point7 sell digital AFR gauges for an extra $50.

I ordered an eval kit on Jan 5, and it arrived from Canada 20 days later.

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The SLC OEM module and bare carrier board:

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All components are through-hole, nothing tricky to building it.

I was surprised to find that all the components were packaged and labelled to match the PCB's labels, I was expecting to have to sort through a bag of loose components but that wasn't the case:

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There were no instructions included with the kit, but they're available for download from 14point7.com so I'd had a chance to read through them before it arrived. There's actually not much to the instructions, just an errata note about some component value changes, and steps to test the carrier board before installing the module.

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Next was to wire up the sensor cable plug...
There's 6 terminals to crimp/solder onto the wires, and the inclusion of a spare terminal in the kit was a nice touch
I didn't need it, having the correct crimping tool meant no stuff-ups.
After that there's a couple of pieces of heatshrink and cable ties to hold the wires firmly to the plug.
Instead of using the supplied heatshrink and ties, I used 'special' heat shrink that is glue filled and has twice the shrink rate of normal stuff, which makes for a very secure cable.

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Then I triggered a hardware and free air calibration which both gave the correct voltages meaning everything is good, so the next step will be to wire it into the ECU and try to get some logs...

[The1]

Good stuff fest I've been using these kits there good value, ill have somewhere to point to now.

[Holden202T]

nice write up! you wont look back with the WB!

[festy]

I think I must have an exhaust leak somewhere - or my temporary tailpipe clamp was in a really bad position, because after 10 minutes warming up it was still reading a constant 19.8AFR at idle
I added extra fuel to see if I could get it to change and eventually got 15-17AFRs, but it was running so rich that my eyes were burning.

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I'll pull the exhaust off when I get a chance next and weld a bung in, and check for gasket leaks while I'm there.

After reading the warning in the instructions about not heating up the sensor before the engine is running to avoid condensation shock, I'm planning on powering it from the fuel pump pin via it's own relay and fuse.
That way it will turn on for a few seconds with the ignition, but won't start heating up until the engine is running. That just seems a little safer than powering it straight off the ignition...

[VX L67 Getrag]

Nice write up festy!

I'm surprised about not heating it up before engine is started as I was told the opposite when I bought the lm2!

I was told if car runs before wideband is up to temp the fuel will prematurely fail the sensor if not at temp?

[The1]

nothing about it in the bosch document, it just mentions contaminated fuel and oil deposits being attributed to failure page A12.

http://www.bosch.com.au/content/languag ... tion_A.pdf

[festy]

From the 14point7 docs:

While the Lambda sensor is in an active exhaust stream, it must be connected and operated with SLC at all times.
Carbon from an active exhaust can easily build up on an uncontrolled Lambda sensor and ruin it.

and then in the next paragraph:

Do not install SLC in such a manner that the unit is powered before your engine is running. An engine start can move
condensation in your exhaust system to the Lambda sensor, if the sensor is already heated this can cause thermal
shock and cause the ceramic internals inside the sensor to crack and deform.

So the only way to satisfy both of those conditions is to power it up as the engine starts - not before, and not after

[The1]

sounds about right, you need the heater on and the exhaust flow to blow the crap away

[Holden202T]

i think for a fec seconds before a start is not going to be an issue however if running for minutes before a start then you might see those issues.

[VL400]

Nice write up there festy No messing around building it!!

Yeah innovate certainly recommend only having the sensor powered when the engine is running for the same reason. They went further with the LM1 and said also to not switch it on during cranking as the starter motor voltage spikes could damage the power supply