ECU Connection
Working on tractive systems (which includes but is not limited to engine(s), motor(s),
inverter(s), high voltage battery packs and high voltage cables) requires special
experience and training.
Incorrect installation or use of GEMS Electronic Control units (ECUs) or software
may lead to electrical / mechanical damage, injury or even death.
As such, installation must only be performed by users with experience with electronic
control systems and a competence of Windows based computer software.
All accompanying documentation must be read thoroughly before installation is attempted.
If you are in any doubts regarding the fitting and use of this product, please contact
your reseller or GEMS directly at tech.support@gems.co.uk
General Engine Management Systems (GEMS) Ltd shall not be held responsible for any
mechanical or electrical damage or personal injury occurring whilst using this product.
Neither shall GEMS be held responsible for damage, injury or death caused by the misuse,
misunderstanding or miscalibration of this product.
Overview
Connecting the PC to the ECU using a communications link is referred to as ‘going online’. Once online, calibration data is automatically downloaded from the ECU if necessary and channel data can be viewed. Some GWv4 functions, such as PC logging and auto mapping, can only be used when online.
If you are connecting to an ECU for the first time then you will need to adjust your connection settings. USB and Ethernet ECUs may be automatically detected and a notification will pop up in the bottom-right of the application window. This notification will contain a link to connect to the product and will automatically configure your communications settings.
If your ECU uses a different connection port from the previous port used (e.g. you are connecting via a direct USB connection instead of a serial cable) then you will also need to adjust your connection settings.
If you are having connection problems not covered by this topic, see Connection Troubleshooting.
Establishing a Connection
- Connect the communications cable between the PC and the ECU.
- Check that the correct port is selected in Connection Settings.
- Click
on the tool bar or select from the main menu.
Alternatively you can choose to upload a calibration which will connect to the ECU then upload the calibration to it. To do this, select or from the main menu.
If you choose just to connect, the calibration that is stored in the ECU will be downloaded and displayed.
For ECUs using serial connections that support Telemetry Stream mode, generally it is best to click on before supplying power to the ECU to avoid connection failures due to the ECU entering telemetry mode.
If you are connecting to your ECU using a serial connection, GWv4 can detect the Baud Rate by clicking on the ‘Detect Rate’ button. If you know the baud rate for your ECU then you can use “Set Rate” to configure it manually.
When you are online this will be displayed in the status bar at the bottom right of the GWv4 application window.
You will notice that when GWv4 is connecting the ECU Status window will be shown. This will show information about communication operations that are being performed between the PC and the ECU. This can be useful for diagnosing connection problems.
Once connected, GWv4 will load the ECU definition file for the connected ECU.
If an GIN file has not yet been installed for your ECU then a search will be performed.
This will search the GWv4 definitions folder for any ECU Definition files shipped with GWv4.
If a suitable ECU Definition file cannot be found then you will be offered to walk through the process of installing one. ECU Definition files can be downloaded from the GEMS website.
Connection Problems
If you are having problems connecting to your ECU, see Connection Troubleshooting.