I've just started to take an interest in PROM burning and now I'm trying to figure out how I'm gonna finance all this equipment I want/need. Anyway, I've got an old Snap-on scanner that I use to diagnose the TPI. But I've heard Diacom is much better for PROM burning. So I'm considering selling the Snap-on to pay for Diacom and other stuff. My question is: will diacom do everything the snap-on does and still be as user-friendly? Or should I keep the snap-on and save my pennies so I can have both? And what's this I read about how you're not supposed to use Diacom with the car running because it could be dangerous? I mean, what the heck is the point if the car's not running?

And a few really easy questions:
I've been told not to get the eprom eraser, but to get a flash type prom instead. If I don't get the eprom eraser, how do I erase the chip? What do I need instead?
Also I was looking at TunerCat. Is the only program I need the basic tuner with TDF? What's the rest of the stuff they sell?

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91 Z28
Come see The Vicious...

 

Welcome to the PROM board. All of the questions asked have been answered a few times but I can give some input. I use Diacom and it works well. I'm not very familiar with the snap on scan tool but Diacom does work and very well I might add. It doesn't have a GUI interface but if you can press a couple buttons its great, Craig Moates has a free scan tool that works like Diacom and is free, all you have to do is assemble a cable or buy one then download his software(much cheaper and it works for alot of people).

The eproms are the same style of chip that came in the type of ecm that you and I have. For a long time everybody used standard eproms, which "work", but they are very demanding in the sense that you have to wait the 15-30mintues for them to erase and they may not even erase properly. Another problem is that they are a little flakey, meaning they seem to fail and won't let you rewrite them as many times. The flash chips are basically interchangable and work very well, instead of erasing them with a UV light like the eproms, you simply write over the chips, no need to erase them first, they electronically overwrite all of the information.

Tunercat is a great peice of editing software also, I use it and it works great. The graphing function is great for tuning the VE Fuel tables on the 730 Speed Density ecms. The other softwares on tunercat's webpage aren't necassary unless you plan on defining your own definition files or doing anything else with the hex code in the chip.
The tuner should be all you'll need.

All you'll need to do tuning is the scanner(diacom or comparable), a prom burner(pocket programmer or comparable), and some type of editing software like Tunercat.


Brendan

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1987 IROC-Z, engine, tranny, and other "stuff"

 

I was under the impression that Craig Moates software was only for MAF cars, and mine's SD. Is this true?

 

The Snap-on that I've worked with didn't do any data logging. There are times when having the ability to log stuff is nice, nice doesn't mean necessary.
If you have something your already familiar with, no real big sense in having to changing.

EEPROM, stuff has been completely covered in detail several times in the archives.

 

Well, I really must suggest the use of a scantool that can log data. It is a great feature and extremely useful, unless you will have a co-pilot available all the time - as driving and observing data can get a little difficult...... Plus, if you record the data, you can save it as a file and reflect on it later.

As for what is needed, Traxion's article breaks it down nicely. You might need to read it a few times though. Here is what I have for equipment:

Laptop: Toshiba Satellite Pro Pentium 75 MHz
Scantool software: Craig Moates
MemCal(s): one GM one and one ADS one(No - I did not buy an ADS PROM - it came with the car) (both memcals are modified with AT29C256 EEPROMs)
EEPROMs: AT29C256ND 12PC
Burner: Intronix Pocket Programmer II
Bin Editor: TunerCat with $6E definition file

As others have stated, when flash PROMs are used, you do not need any other equipment to erase the PROM. The burner will 'erase' the PROM as well as program it. All you need to do to erase the PROM is to load it up with hex FF data and it will be ready to accept the custom bins that you make.

I soldered my AT29C256s right onto the memcals and I use an adapter that goes between the burner and the memcal to simplify the burning process. The adapter is listed in Traxion's article. I always keep the last successfully burned memcal assembly in the car as a bakcup when I install a freshly burned memcal and I suggest doing this to ensure you don't get stranded somewhere if/when a new PROM takes a $hit.

Hope that helps some
Good Luck!!
Laterzzzzzz

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1987 GTA L98 MD8
355, TFS Heads, LT4 Hot Cam
My GTA

The Minnesota F-body Club

 

There is a Windows based scan tool from Ease Diagnostics, that also works well. I started with Diacom, had some issues with it, then when I learned of the Windows scanner, I was hooked. It is a little pricey, but worth it, IMO. I can scan and record any GM car from 1982-1995. I can literally record thousands of hours of data. Very usuful to use the data playback mode, when programming your PROMs. Plus I can look at 6 graphs at the same time, comparing things when they happen.

I user Tunercat and the PP. But I am still using the UV erasable PROMs. I never bought an eraser, I just use the one at work. I scarfed 3 chips from work, and just rotate them thru burn cycles. I take them in and erase them on my lunch break. Someday I will figure out how to use the Flash chips, but for now the 27C128s are free!! I would have to buy some of those 29C256 chips.

Good luck, this is really cool stuff, so go for it!!!

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Best ET 14.413 @95.57 without
pulling valve covers or manifolds.
Also with stock 2.77 rear end!!!

 

My software has unlimited logging capabilities, and will work with all 86+ TPI setups, both MAF and SD.

Price is right. Not too 'pricey'.

Don't expect too much pretty graphing on-the-fly though, but once you get home you can load up in Excel and cross-correlate & plot your variables.

[This message has been edited by Craig Moates (edited December 07, 2001).]