EEC-V bin file and SAD

[ATPCR]

I'm very new to working with Ford PCMs and my major interest at this time is EEC-V. I may at some point, help my brother tune his '88 5.0 that has had some minor changes.
I understand that it takes many years to develop a definition file for a particular bin. I want to start out just being able to identify PATS (American Ford term for the security system) and also be able to turn off the rear o2 sensors. At work, we are installing later model EFI powertrains in antique, classic, 1965 through 1970 Mustangs. None of the will have catalytic converters or the PATS system.
I have a bit of a clue as to how to find PATS within the bin file. This is from a guy south of me here in the US. He has helped me a lot. Also, DWS (Cory) has helped me too, figuring out and getting use to the Scanmatik 2 Pro that I'm using with PCMFlash module #29.
Here is the clue to PATS but I'm not sure where to look in a bin file that has been processed through SAD. Any pointers would be appreciated.
ADDED: 45 minutes later. VID block parameters are located in the same place in all binaries. If I understand correctly, I'm going to have to go through the steps to create the beginning of a definition file. For me this will be an exercise within itself. Also, should I start with a 256k bin "read" that is in the correct bank order before running it through SAD? Also, I'm only working with 1998 to 2003 bin files.

PATS code 3XFF13.PNG (2.24 KiB) Viewed 6523 times

In my toolbox, I have a Moates Quarterhorse to use with TunerPro RT software for real time tuning. I have access to Cory's bin swapping software.
I have a Scanmatik 2 Pro for OBD2 port access and to use with PCMFlash software. I recenty used Tvrfan's SAD program.
I'm very new at this and it takes me a while sometimes for things to sink in, but once I understand it then I'm good to go.
ADDED: Monday 1:45 p.m. central time USA Also forgot to mention, I purchased a budget priced small DELL laptop with Windows 10/11 that all of the hardware and software works with, flawlessly so far. If I were to purchase another laptop, I would get one with a CD/R built in.

[darkman5001]

Very interesting topic. I will be following progress as I am interested in learning more about Ford PCMs myself.

[DWS]

Not 100% sure what that source is for 3XFF13, but that should mean the 4th bank (starts counting at zero) at address FF13, assuming bank order 0-1-8-9, 4th would be bank 9. Within SAD that would be 9FF13, in a hex editor it would be 03FF13.

In the lst file from SAD, you should see a byte defined at that location, if you search the address enough, you should find all references to that byte in memory.

I just noticed it says pats code, not sure if that's for the key code. I've been referencing the byte that enables/disables pats at PATS_Disabled since true (01) makes the pats system be disabled.

I loaded up a few files and even ones with pats enabled that address is just 00 and located between the strategy file name (strategy.hex) and the part number text.

9ff06: 46,48,41,46,39,4e,34,2e,48,45,58,2a text "FHAF9N4.HEX*"

9ff12: ff,00 ???

9ff14: 33,46,31,41,42,44,20,2a text "3F1ABD *"

I don't see any references in the code for that area, but it might be referenced elsewhere, just not 100% sure what that address is in reference to.

I'm still learning myself, so far from any kind of expert.


@darkman5001

In my sig is a handy tool for swapping the bank orders in the file. Using the 256k bank ordered 0-1-8-9 for manual editing is probably the easiest when using SAD as a reference point (the addresses line up then in the raw bin file). If you have any issues with the site, let me know. It should work with 98+ EEC-V bins. The older ones (1 and 2 bank) it's not designed for, but plan to update it later. Working out a file from scratch is the "hardmode" way of doing things. Normally tuner pro + XDF file for the strategy your computer uses is the go to route, if the XDF isn't around free, then there's generally someone willing to sell you access to one. There's also other software, but since it's paid software, they don't like to give you access to the bin file after editing so not the greatest learning tool, but they get the job done.

I'm no where near ready for release or anything, but very slowly working on my website where in a perfect world you'll be able to upload your bin file and edit the tune/settings online, then download the updated file in the raw bin format and write it back to the computer. Planning to have a subscription model but once you start editing a certain type of computer file, you can edit it even when the subscription runs out so it's competitive with the pay once per computer model the other tuning software uses. Mine probably won't ever be quite as "complete" as the others, but I'm going to do the best I can. I'm using a different logic to how I'm working them out, I'm identifying the functions then cross matching across other strategies, so ideally common code I have to work out once and it works for several files. That's my theory at least, so far it has worked well. I know some people just need really basic functionality like disabling pats so that's my main focus right away. I'm still working how to tier the subscription model so just a simple pats off edit is cheap, while doing a full blown tune is more "normal priced" somewhat in line with the other software options, and if it gets popular enough and I make it well enough, maybe some sort of commercial type of subscription for people that tune for a living. Anyway, the sub stuff isn't a big deal, first have to make the website and work out the bin files lol.

[darkman5001]

@darkman5001

In my sig is a handy tool for swapping the bank orders in the file. Using the 256k bank ordered 0-1-8-9 for manual editing is probably the easiest when using SAD as a reference point (the addresses line up then in the raw bin file). If you have any issues with the site, let me know. It should work with 98+ EEC-V bins. The older ones (1 and 2 bank) it's not designed for, but plan to update it later. Working out a file from scratch is the "hardmode" way of doing things. Normally tuner pro + XDF file for the strategy your computer uses is the go to route, if the XDF isn't around free, then there's generally someone willing to sell you access to one. There's also other software, but since it's paid software, they don't like to give you access to the bin file after editing so not the greatest learning tool, but they get the job done.

I'm no where near ready for release or anything, but very slowly working on my website where in a perfect world you'll be able to upload your bin file and edit the tune/settings online, then download the updated file in the raw bin format and write it back to the computer. Planning to have a subscription model but once you start editing a certain type of computer file, you can edit it even when the subscription runs out so it's competitive with the pay once per computer model the other tuning software uses. Mine probably won't ever be quite as "complete" as the others, but I'm going to do the best I can. I'm using a different logic to how I'm working them out, I'm identifying the functions then cross matching across other strategies, so ideally common code I have to work out once and it works for several files. That's my theory at least, so far it has worked well. I know some people just need really basic functionality like disabling pats so that's my main focus right away. I'm still working how to tier the subscription model so just a simple pats off edit is cheap, while doing a full blown tune is more "normal priced" somewhat in line with the other software options, and if it gets popular enough and I make it well enough, maybe some sort of commercial type of subscription for people that tune for a living. Anyway, the sub stuff isn't a big deal, first have to make the website and work out the bin files lol.

Wow that is quite the plan you have. Sounds very interesting especially with being a completely online web based tuner program.

[DWS]

Yea, it's at least an idea at this point. I have some of the back end built, just building the masks to work with as many strategies as possible. I'm thinking of launching a real simple site to test the waters to see how much interest there is in something like this.

In my mind, I want to make the interface super intuitive and ideally make it so you don't need to be a programmer to understand how the tune stuff works (granted under the hood it still works the same way).

Like my latest idea is to get it so I can automatically disable pats for effectively any EEC-V bin, pop the option on a domain and let the user upload their file to validate the system detects it correctly and it detects that pats is enabled, charge some small fee for the edit, then let them download the file in whatever format they want (default is to match the format they uploaded). Basically just a "Disable Security/PATS" type of button, save and write to your computer. If there's 5 settings in the computer that needs to change to make it work, then in the back end it does that for you.

The Security Disable would be fine for a daily driver, I suspect there's people that would want to disable EGR, Rear 02's, Front 02s (in special cases I suspect), maybe a MAF disable (runs off the TPS, so probably won't run the greatest, but good for sports like demo derby). Having a section dedicated to just simple enable or disable I think would make sense. If I get the other related settings worked out for the strategies, then in my mind, if something is disabled, it should either be hidden or grayed out (with a link to where to enable it).

Of course I have to start off simple and if there's interest expand on the concept.

I like the concept of online based since you don't have any hardware licensing stuff to deal with, the software doesn't need to be installed or made to work with your exact system (mobile, desktop, mac, linux, etc). Websites are universal for the most part. I'm not sure if I can make the experience of tuning a vehicle as good as a real install style program, but there's a lot of nice features I could do with the web/server based, like auto versioning (aka auto backup), undo even after you've closed out the window seems like a good one. If/when I do the tuning side, I think being able to pull settings from another stock bin could be handy, like say you're using a P71 police car MAF on a crown vic (non-police car), you could pull the MAF calibration settings over. I'm trying to collect as many stock bins as possible so those types of features could be possible. I'm sure some strategies would conflict with their design, so I'd have to work out any issues like that and give the user the control on how to solve the conflict (like average values so they fit in the existing table structure).

Anyway, I'm sure I'm far from having something that's flawless, but I think there's potential for a website like I'm thinking. The other nice thing is there's no updating required, you're always on the latest version when on the website. I want to try to not change things, since I hate that when I learn a program, then it suddenly updates and everything changes and things get "hidden". Not sure what something like this would be worth, at first kind of thinking of charging per file and later doing some sort of subscription based system.

On the pats disable stuff, I've been thinking about making it so if the file is already in the system, there's the small fee to disable it, but if it's a new one and the site doesn't auto detect it (needs my manual review), I'd offer the pats disable for free in exchange for the stock bin (unmodified) and confirmation that the pats disable functions. I think that would be a solid win/win, I get stock bins, and validation my methods work, and of course the end user gets what they want, pats disabled. I mostly do pattern matching, so possible I might run into a variation that I haven't seen before, but I think most of the code I can find by now, I have 3 major pats versions I've coverd (Type A, B & C, and E). Type D is like one vehicle only and F and newer looks to be newer than what EEC-V computers were offered. There should be no running issues at all with the pats disable, if there is I'd say it's not done right. I have found some people flip a flag that looks like it's the way to disable pats, but there's code that runs before the flag that messes things up. From what I can tell Ford didn't intend for those computers to be able to have pats disabled, but I have worked out a patch to skip that code and on 2 computers now I've validated it works (two different strategies, same pats design).

My first goal is to get the pats able to be disabled on any ford EEC-V computer (mainly targeting 98+ but 96-97 shouldn't be too hard to add).

Anyway, probably shouldn't hijack this thread any more since it's kind of off topic lol. I think this should be a solid side project though for me =).