NefMoto

Hi everyone,

I would like to introduce a project I have been working on for some time: ME7 XCP Tool for ETAS INCA.

https://github.com/Waldie186/Tool-for-ETAS-INCA-ME7-Realtime-Emulation-with-CobraRTP-and-XCP/releases/tag/Release

I use ETAS INCA regularly in my professional work and personally like working with it a lot. INCA is a very powerful calibration and measurement environment and offers much more than the typical map editing tools commonly used for older Bosch ME7 ECUs.

The problem is that proper INCA use on ME7 normally requires development hardware such as an ETK7 or 7.1.

The idea behind this project is therefore to use ETAS INCA as the calibration frontend for a normal Bosch ME7 ECU together with CobraRTP FlashOnline.

The current version has been tested with ETAS INCA 7.2.

Current development target:

Stable V1.0

HOW IT WORKS

The basic workflow is:

ETAS INCA
↓ XCP
ME7 XCP Tool
↓
Working BIN
↓
CobraRTP Utility
↓
CobraRTP FlashOnline Emulator
↓
Bosch ME7

Changes made in INCA are sent via XCP to the ME7 XCP Tool.

The tool writes these changes into the working BIN and performs the required ME7 checksum correction.

The CobraRTP Utility monitors the same working file and uploads the changes into the FlashOnline emulator.

This makes it possible to use INCA as the actual calibration interface while CobraRTP takes care of transferring the modified calibration data to the ECU emulator.

CURRENT FEATURES

XCP server for ETAS INCA
Tested with INCA 7.2
ME7 512 kB support
ME7 1 MB support
Automatic checksum correction
ME7Sum by nyet included
DAM to A2L converter
A2L to XCP A2L converter
BIN to Intel HEX converter
HEX to BIN converter
CobraRTP working-file integration
XCP DAQ / dummy tracing for testing
English and German GUI

PREPARING THE FILES

Most ME7 projects do not start with a ready-made A2L.

Normally you have something like a DAMOS file together with the matching BIN.

INCA expects an A2L description and a matching HEX file for the ECU hardware configuration.

Additionally, for this XCP implementation the normal A2L has to be converted into an XCP-compatible A2L.

This is the reason why the required converters are included directly in the tool.

The normal preparation process is:

DAMOS
↓
A2L
↓
XCP A2L

and

BIN
↓
HEX

1. CONVERT DAMOS TO A2L

Open the Converter section in the ME7 XCP Tool.

Select DAM to A2L and choose the matching DAMOS file.

Example:

F19W201t.dam
↓
F19W201t.a2l

2. CONVERT A2L TO XCP A2L

The generated A2L must then be converted into an XCP-compatible A2L.

Select A2L to XCP A2L.

Example:

F19W201t.a2l
↓
F19W201t_xcp.a2l

The generated XCP A2L is the description file that must be used for the XCP hardware in INCA.

3. CONVERT BIN TO HEX

INCA also expects the matching HEX file for the hardware configuration.

Use the included BIN to HEX converter.

Example:

F19W201o.bin
↓
F19W201o.hex

You should now have at least:

F19W201t_xcp.a2l
F19W201o.hex
F19W201o.bin

All files must belong to the same ECU software version.

4. CREATE THE INCA HARDWARE

Start INCA and create a new workspace.

Open the Hardware Configuration Editor and create a new XCP device.

Use the generated XCP A2L as the ECU description and the matching HEX file as the memory image.

After that create an INCA experiment using this hardware configuration.

5. CONFIGURE THE ME7 XCP TOOL

Open ME7 XCP Tool for ETAS INCA.

Select the same XCP A2L.

Then select the matching BIN as the working file.

Start the XCP server.

6. CONNECT INCA

Open the experiment in INCA and connect the XCP device.

The calibration objects from the A2L should now be available inside the experiment.

Maps such as KFMIRL, KFMIOP, KFZW, LDRXN, LAMFA and many others can then be opened and calibrated directly from INCA.

Every calibration change is sent through XCP to the ME7 XCP Tool and written into the working BIN.

7. COBRARTP

Open the CobraRTP Utility and configure it to monitor the same working BIN.

The complete workflow is then:

Change calibration in INCA
↓
XCP
↓
ME7 XCP Tool
↓
Working BIN updated
↓
Checksum corrected
↓
CobraRTP Utility detects the change
↓
Data uploaded into the FlashOnline emulator
↓
ME7 runs with the changed calibration

That is the main purpose of the project.

CHECKSUMS

The tool currently contains separate checksum handling for ME7 512 kB and ME7 1 MB software.

ME7Sum by nyet is also included in the project.

Checksum correction is handled automatically as part of the calibration workflow.

More different software versions still need to be tested before I consider the project Stable V1.0.

LIVE MEASUREMENT AND TRACING

The next major development step will be real live measurement inside INCA.

Currently planned are three possible measurement backends:

Live tracing via a custom CAN RAM patch
ME7Logger
Vehical

The goal is to make real ME7 RAM variables available as INCA measurement channels and later also use them for real operating-point tracing.

Typical variables would include nmot_w, rl_w, rlsol_w, zwout, zwist, ldtvm, wdkba_w, lamsoni_w, lamsbg_w, fr_w, tmot and others.

The goal is not to provide hundreds of variables with poor refresh rates.

I would prefer around 40 to 50 useful variables running smoothly and reliably.

WHY INCA MEASUREMENT IS INTERESTING

One major advantage of using INCA for measurement is that the ECU does not have to be the only data source.

Later it should be possible to have ME7 RAM variables together with data from other measurement hardware in the same INCA experiment and recording.

For example:

ME7 ECU RAM variables
Reference wideband lambda meter
External analog pressure sensors
Additional temperature sensors
Thermocouples
Other analog measurement devices

This means ECU data, reference lambda, pressures, temperatures and other external signals can all be recorded together in one measurement.

For dyno work and engine development this is a major advantage compared with running several separate logging programs and trying to synchronize the logs afterwards.

This is one of the main reasons why I want to continue developing the measurement side of this project.

PLANNED

The first target is Stable V1.0.

After that the main planned features are live tracing via CAN patch or alternatively ME7Logger / Vehical, real ME7 RAM measurements in INCA, operating-point tracing and support for additional ME7 platforms including 2.7 Biturbo and R32.

TESTING

I know that not many people in the ME7 community own or use ETAS INCA.

Nevertheless, if you have access to INCA and a suitable ME7 setup, I would really appreciate testing and feedback.

The more different ECU software versions we can test, the better the chance of getting this project to a genuinely stable V1.0.

If you test it, please report your ECU type, part number, Bosch number, software version, whether it is 512 kB or 1 MB, your INCA version, checksum result and XCP connection result.

Success reports are just as useful as bug reports.