I'm just starting to take an interest in this whole PROM burning thing and I don't know a whole lot yet, so bear with me. What I have is a Snap-on Scanner, the MT-2500. It's pretty old, only goes up to 93. My questions are: #1 How many data points per second? Does it give enough to make it a valuable tool for PROM burning? #2 Is there some sort of way I can get the data onto my computer so I can see graphs or something? The booklet that came with the scanner is pretty vague about this. Also, I don't have a laptop, will this make transferring data to a computer more difficult/impossible?

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91 Z28
Come see The Vicious...

 

I have a MT2500, also. I find/found it inferior to the laptop software programs. Like rocks for wheels inferior.

Actually, the WINALDL free software started on this THIRDGEN is really nice. Gotta get a cheap laptop, though...

 

Vicious, I cannot answer on how to use the Snap-On. As just a scan tool to monitor things, it is useful (GMTech) does that with his Tech 1. You will be able to readily see if your BLM/INTs are too low or too high are normal cruise.

But capturing the data is definitely preferable as you really shouldn't be watching the scan tool while you are driving. Having someone with you to monitor and make notes definitely helps. I do this even though I can capture data as I can have the person make specific notes of what I was doing at the time when I noticed some anomoly. So you don't need a notebook, your desktop will be just fine.

If you do get a notebook, get an older 486 or a Pentium 100 (ish). With either DOS or W95. Some of the Prom Buring equipment (Pocket Programmer) works fine in DOS, W95 or W98 but not with ME (except in Safe Mode). I found an old W95 notebook (Pentium 50) that works just fine for all of my Prom Burning (Diacom, TunerCat and Pocket Programmer). Also, if it gets stolen, I am only out $50.00.

I just take the files off the older notebook and put them on my main computer after.

Another alternative is to look at Craig Moate's software. I don't know if Craig has a working version for the SD system (send him an e-mail). I have found another "freeware" program for the SD system written by some guy in the Netherlands. The source code is written in Pascal and he does have "ready to go" compiled code available to just "plug and play". You then just have to either make a cable or buy on (under $100) from AKM.

PS: The 7730 ECM (used by our SD cars) sends just over 6 frames/second. So some of the "finer information" changes quite quickly. Also, do a search for the "P730 - Part throttle tuning of VE Tables" post. It brought it "up" a couple of weeks ago and it is a definite "must read" for helping in learning how to modify the VE Tables...the tables that scare most people about SD cars. Once you read the post (it's now quite long), you will see that VE Tables are nothing to be frightened of.

 

The MT2500 can take "movies" of about 5 minutes of data length in a 7747 ECU, showing frames of all acquired data, including BLM and INT, of course. Rather helpful but just not as good as the Computer stuff...

 

We use a MT2500 at work all the time and I believe it can be useful for prom burning "if" you get newer cartridges. I don't believe the older ones have the ability to record movies. Kinda hard to evaluate data "on the fly". Also, the one we have only records ~75 frames which is about 30 seconds with 8192 BAUD and much more than that with 160 baud although you obviously get less updates/time. Now Snap On does have software that allows you to hook up the 2500 to a laptop and record the data for much longer than that. Minimum requirements are w3.1, 486, and a few MB of space. I don't have the particulars in front of me right now but they are available at the Snap On website. I was thinking of getting it as an upgrade for work and also for play, but for right now CM software seems to be just fine.