We are passionate about vehicle performance, and work harder than any competing chip companies to provide our customers with the best possible increases in performance and driveability. Every upgrade we provide is put through our extensive research and development proceedure prior to its release onto market. This ensures the world-class quality of all of our performance software upgrades.

If you would like more detailed information about this process, please feel free to contact us.

1. Hardware Reverse Engineering

The Powerchip technical team is one of the few in the world that has the hardware resources and skills to REALLY reverse engineer the code used in modern automotive control units.

Initial development starts with using cutting edge technology surface mount soldering rework stations to remove key components from the circuit board. In most late model applications this will normally comprise a set of flash memory chips, and possibly a few fundamental discrete components. Various adaptors are soldered in place of the original chips to allow usage of an emulation device for real time tuning. Final assembly is now completed on the development ecu, usually with the fabrication of a new ecu circuit board enclosure to allow space for the adaptors that have been added in.

The next level of the hardware reverse engineering step is to use a test bench to allow complete control over the ECU. The control unit is supplied with simulated inputs, examples of which include mass airflow meter, coolant temperature, absolute pressure, crank and cam position sensors and lambda (O2) to name just a few. Outputs from the ECU are monitored with appropriate test equipment to ensure that any changes made are not detrimental to the entire system’s operation as a whole. For the development process we are able, for example, to vary only load or only rpm on one axis, which is impossible to do on a functioning vehicle. An OBDII diagnosis machine is used to study the stream of diagnostic data flowing from the proprietary factory serial data port, which is logged and cataloged for further analysis. This allows us to obtain a superior overview on the operation of the ECU and tune and counter for any possible scenario, regardless of the likelihood of it developing.

2. Software Reverse Engineering

Next is reverse engineering the computer code that actually controls the engine. To liken this to a home PC, the ‘CHIP’ is simply a program that is loaded by cars computer. Much like a word processor or graphics program is loaded by your PC, the only difference being that the cars computer is single purpose and the ‘CHIP’ is the only program that it needs to load. With the use of flexible data transfer devices, this software is obtained by reading the various chips contained within the ECU. It is then converted from binary to machine language code suiting the processor that is used in the computer. This allows us to identify key subroutines that control tuning functions in the programs flow of operation. Once these subroutines have been identified, we are able to pinpoint the data references or lookup tables that are utilized and referenced to in these routines. These lookup tables now directly refer to tuning ‘MAPS’ or ‘DIAGRAMS’ which are obtained during this process and used to continue the development process. A tuning ‘map’ has a structure similar to an excel workbook. However, rows and columns now take on real world values. An example of this would be rows relate to engine RPM (from say 500 to 7000 every 250 rpm), and the columns relate to physical engine loading (from 0 to 100 percent in steps of 5 percent). This allows there to be a load and rpm lookup cell for quite a few data points (26 X 20 allows 520 unique cells). Speed and RPM limits are located and adjusted to allow for a natural vehicle top speed during this process. The final stage of the initial development is to find and recalculate the checksums used for data integrity and protection. With flash and rewritable memory devices in use today it is possible for data corruption to occur, much like the data on a home PCs hard drive is prone to corruption from time to time. In its most pure form the checksum simply does what the name implies, it adds all the bytes in the program together and totals them. This total (sum) is then referenced against a predetermined sum to ensure that none of the data has been corrupted, and is a relatively easy form of protection to manipulate. An advanced form of checksum involves overlapping areas that are checked against each other, or manipulation protection as it is called, to ensure that corner shop hackers are not able to butcher the code. These ‘advanced’ protection techniques are neither quick nor simple to manipulate, requiring elite knowledge and skills to overcome the problem. In many older Ecus the vehicle will still be operational with an incorrect checksum, but it simply will not communicate with any factory diagnostic tools used to service the vehicle. This means that the software is totally detectable and hinders servicing of the vehicle.

3. Emulation

An emulator is a device that allows online or real time changes to be made to an ecus calibration. Accommodating hardware design principles allowa the interface that is used to communicate with the ECU, so that its software can be reconfigured to suit almost any memory storage chip used in the world. The ECU's memory component (normally EPROM or flash) is removed from the circuit board during the hardware phase and a special cable is used to interface to the address and data bus communicating with the processor. A unique chip called SRAM is used for memory emulation due to its extremely fast access time when updating. Program execution is identical to the original ECU, with the program data changes remaining transparent to the host ECU. Using a serial or USB cable from a laptop computer, data can be loaded into the emulator which behaves as a virtual PROM, fooling the ECU into thinking that the chip is still in place. With access and update times better than seventy nanoseconds, fast glitch free real time tuning can be realized. Once all the preliminary hardware and software issues have been dealt with and the test bench phase has been completed, it is time to install the modified ECU back in the vehicle. The in-car emulation stage is now ready to be initiated. Unique software allows us to quickly and efficiently identify the load and rpm axis of a map and see in real time the data cells that are accessed. From this we can calculate fuelling and ignition angle requirements, load and reload calibrations for on the spot back to back comparisons on fuel types, engine modifications and more. Complex data acquisition devices provide closed loop feedback and check on changes made to the calibration to ensure no parameters exceed safety margins, with all data logged for cross checking and analysis.

4. Dynomometer Testing

Full throttle power runs on a dynamometer are now possible, with each calibration tweaked and tested throughout the rpm range to maximize power and torque. Extensive adaption and durability tests are run during this phase, with varying temperature and humidity testing to guarantee power gains and reliability. Different fuel grades are tested to allow for the differences in combustion processes, maximizing both fuel quantity, ignition advance angle, camshaft timing control and boost pressure on turbo vehicles for best power and torque. All of the performance compromising tolerances built in to the original program are refined for each fuel octane level while still utilizing all of the essential engine safety strategies like knock retard and closed loop fuel calibration. Power gains and torque figures are recorded and averaged to generate the performance data for each new performance software calibration.

5. On Road Development

Where Powerchip really shines out over its competitors is the emphasis and time spent refining the program for drivability and enjoyment. Much more a ‘real world’ gain than full throttle horse power runs on a dyno, part throttle refinement is a gain everyone uses every time they drive the vehicle. Flat spots and poor off the line performance are smoothed out in this process, and transient throttle conditions are made razor sharp for the ultimate in response. Real time changes to tables like throttle response and power enrichment are done on road to fine tune the driving experience of the vehicle, with acceleration timing equipment used to ensure consistent and measurable gains in part throttle drivability. Hours of city traffic and hills driving are simulated on a closed road track to make certain that all driving styles are catered for from the most aggressive street racer to the easy freeway cruiser.

6. Customization

As the final part of the tuning process for any car, we account for all of the minor differences between vehicles. In a modern ECU it is very important to keep in mind that most vehicles are uniquely coded to allow for differences in fuel quality and operating conditions throughout the world, and allow the factory anti theft system to only function with a specially coded control unit. Differences in drive train are taken in to account, as the same engine can be used in a number of differing configurations, four wheel drive or rear wheel only, four five and six speed transmissions and differences between sedan and coupe models are all considered on their own merits. Hardware tuning upgrades like fitment of an aftermarket exhaust or air box system to eliminate intake and exhaust restrictions can also be catered for with special programming, to get the very best from a vehicles combination. The standard programming cannot cope with these modifications as it is unaware that changes have been made to the way the engine is allowed to operate, and full performance levels cannot be reached without the correct tuning to suit a particular combination. Available fuel quality is a major aspect of customization, as even the top models of each major vehicle manufacturer are only tuned to suit an octane level of 91 MON, meaning that they don’t have the capability to correctly adapt to a superior quality of fuel. This is standard practice throughout the world, with the end result that even high end models are tuned to a compromise to allow for these variations.

7. Quality Control and Assurance Programs

With Powerchip at the forefront of customer service and satisfaction, it is only fit that we ensure that every product we sell is as good as it can possibly be.

For the duration of the development process and at the end of the development process operational techniques are reviewed using a rigorous quality assurance program. Using the simple but effective input-process-measurement-control-adjustment closed loop system, changes and improvements to our products are continually monitored with preventative and corrective action strategies used when required. Data that was acquired during the development process with logging equipment is reevaluated and hand checked by engineers to ensure integrity. Throughout the calibration process our software engineers are required to continually check and recheck their work to maintain conformity to predefined standards for each different calibration configuration. All new software calibration files that are developed are screened by senior programmers upon their completion to ensure that the correct protocols have been followed during development, and that end users of our product are guaranteed factory quality reliability and functionality.