jim_in_dorris

Just finished formatting the first 20,000 lines of the $0D hack I got from Dimented. I spent 3 months last winter making it match my starting bin, and adding the mods for my truck as well as the electric fan code. This year I decided to format the source to my liking. I am in total awe of the work done on these hacks. If you don't know what I mean, go download a hack for your bin off Moates.net and take a look at it. The $0D hack is running +48,000 lines with comments. Just formatting the first 20,000 lines has taken me almost 2 months. How long did it take to actually figure out the code and comment it? The people that did that for the various hacks were seriously committed to the project for a long period of time. Every one of you deserves all the praise you get. I have been a profession programmer since 1976 and know the hours that go into something like this and to do it and put it out there for others to use is just awesome. THANK YOU!!!!!

305sbc

iTrader: (3)

+1

EagleMark

X2

The guys who were pioneers in this new technoligy sure have TONS of time into it and have brought about a lot of enjoyment to us nowadays!

But I'm even more thankful for software like TunerPro so I don't have to do hex!

Still looking for a LT1 $EE Hack if anyone knows where I can find one?

The_Punisher454

x3
I do some embedded programming from time to time, but I just cant get my head around how they do these huge hacks. Almost makes me dizzy thinking about it.

RFmaster

x4 I do occasional Microchip programing (PIC18 family), but this is child's play compared to reverse commenting RTOS code found in these PCM's.

//RF

pound

iTrader: (7)

x5 I spend my time way up in user land (java, perl, ruby, bash, etc) and I looked at some of the PCM code once for about 2 minutes before it was way over my head. Many people have become the beneficiaries of the great work that these guys have done.

Tuned Performance

iTrader: (92)

rip bruce plecan

elesone

As a newbie I cannot comprehend the level of knowledge and dedication of some of the senior members have. But at the entry level I'm at, I sure appreciate their input and patience they provide. So I have to agree that all involved in these hacks, equipment and free software deserve a major bow. I bow and salute you, with a big, no, large, no, humongous thanks is in order.

gregs78cam

Wow, 99 views and only 8 replies. I am learning this stuff, and have been using these hacs to add more functionality to my ADXs, and I can't even imagine taking on a task like one of these PCM .bins. Definitely a huge THANKS to all that have contributed. These people have made the impossible possible for so many.

Dr.E

Regardless of your motivation...I truly thank you all!

JP86SS

iTrader: (1)

Speaking from my experience (with even now, a nominal amount of Assembly language code understanding)
Without the starting points and docs that were made available by others hard work, Its definatly more work than any one human should do!
It takes the efforts of many to really be sucessful.
Making the AUJP hac using the ANHT (ECM Guy, RIP) as a reference still took over a year to go through and match up known routines with comments and unknowns from the original files. Afterwards with a lot more time to fix errors in naming that made things easier to follow is very daunting and takes dedication (more like insanity) to arrive at an end.
(see the timeline in the first release of that hac)
During that time I had much help from Z69' and others adding tidbits to make it better. Then came the next year of work to get it so it could be modified easily (making it re-locatable code)
Without Z69's help it never would have happened.

Even after all of that, just trying to remember all the parts of the code you did understand are overshadowed by the rest of the unknown code that you are able to put a lable on an address but the sequence of operation still makes you scratch your head on how it really operates.
I can't even imagine what Dimented24x7 is going through with the newer PCM code. I'd love to use one of the 411's someday with E-Trans, sequential, etc but right now that code hurts my head.

My life doesn't give me the opportunity to be as dedicated to it anymore, I encuorage anyone who would like to help/learn to do what you can with the newer stuff.
Your own tuning abilities will be better just by having more understanding and will help to bring it out sooner.

To all past, current and future motorheads who are willing to put forth effort and share so we all can benefit, I certainly give a big thanks.
Jp

Base91

iTrader: (1)

Truly thankful. I'm just getting started on this too which is only practical based on what's already been done. I'm a programmer and know how difficult and time consuming it can be to reverse engineer code. And to do it without knowing the exact language and design is amazing. Has GM ever shown any inclination to make the 'older' source code and specs available?

The_Punisher454

I dont think you'll ever get any official support from them. I seriously doubt they thought the OBD1 code would ever he hacked. why do you think that the OBD2 stuff is so much harder? Not because it HAS to be, but its to discourage tinkering.

dimented24x7

iTrader: (2)

Glad the hacs helped!

Writing these is time consuming. Its been a while since Ive done anything since Im just starting a new job, and havent had much time to work with it. Theres work still going on at some other forms like delcohacking. With the later cals, tho, it takes a lot of time to get through them.

The '411 I did have some help with as I had some info from GM, but I did my '279 from scratch first using a logic probe to trace it out to find out where the hardware was in the PCMs memory map, and then using the SAE J1979 to reverse the OBD routines that handled the scantool data. Thats the hard part. Once you have the basics its a lot easier, but initially when all you have is a blank sheet, then its really hard.

As for why theyre more complicated, thats just the nature of things. In order to meet increasingly strict emissions as well as provide the speed and functionality needed to operate things like a fully digital dash over the CAN bus, the e-trans, e-throttle, e-steering, and all the other stuff, it takes a lot of coding to make all that work. GM has also transitioned to using more model based logic instead of just standard tables and PID to control things. This means that the code is much more intensive. It also means that its much harder to understand as form no longer really follows function.

dimented24x7

iTrader: (2)

As for how long it actually takes, I think the following graph is a good representation. Just like our PCs and other gadgets, the PCMs have gotten exponentially more complex, and take exponentially more time to figure out.

jim_in_dorris

Well, I'm through all the tables and definition stuff at the beginning of the Hack, so formatting is going much faster, I have done almost 7000 lines in the last 3 days, most of it yesterday. I know what I am doing is just window dressing, but I like how it looks and that is what i was after. I am printing it out in landscape mode, and it is going to be about 700 pages double sided when all is said and done. Then I will have a reference to look at, and draw on (and study). Hopefully I gain enough understanding to be able to make a few mods of my own.

jim_in_dorris

I'm hoping to progress to a 411 PCM for my street rod project, so I have a long ways to go yet, but with the help of great people like Dimented, hopefully I will get there.

bl85c

iTrader: (2)

This is truly wonderful what everyone has done. I would be nowhere without the work everyone has done over the years and it shows that hotrodders can adapt to anything. We can keep the man in check.