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Wideband controller
wonderfulweasel - 2/11/22 at 08:50 PM

It’s been quite a few years since I last researched these. Is there a go-to manufacturer nowadays?

I’m looking at Spartan 2 or LD Performance as decent budget options. Does anyone have any recent experience with either? I’m aiming to connect it into Megasquirt 2.


40inches - 2/11/22 at 11:36 PM

quote:
Originally posted by wonderfulweasel
It’s been quite a few years since I last researched these. Is there a go-to manufacturer nowadays?

I’m looking at Spartan 2 or LD Performance as decent budget options. Does anyone have any recent experience with either? I’m aiming to connect it into Megasquirt 2.

I have the Spartan 2 with MS2xtra
After VVT adjustment
After VVT adjustment


Sanzomat - 3/11/22 at 09:12 AM

I bought the LD one, largely based on price but I also liked the big digital readout on the gauge. Not long after fitting it I had my BEC locost rolling road mapped and the the RR operator commented that the readout on my LD AFR gauge was way out compared to his (calibrated) sensors/gauges (one Innovate, one AEM). When I queried this with Ludmil from LD he just said he was confident his was right so theirs must be wrong. 6 months later the sensor (or possibly the controller itself) packed in and the gauge constantly shows 25.5 (max it can read). Ludmil isn't responding to my emails. My car is mapped open looped so the sensor is only effectively feeding the gauge so I haven't done anything with it yet.

Based on that experience I won't be using LD again but your choice.


Steef74 - 3/11/22 at 09:19 AM

Here also a spartan 2 controller with Microsquirt, working in closed loop


ttalps2000 - 3/11/22 at 10:39 AM

I have a Hybrid Tune wideband controller for sale if your interested. Used it for a few weeks with Speeduino before going over to Omex and then using their own inbuilt narrow band controller.

Needs a new sensor for it. They are supposed to be very good though and not kill the sensors!


Oddified - 3/11/22 at 09:30 PM

The AEM x series wideband gauge are very very good, includes a 0-5v output for direct ecu connection for trims/adaptives etc


mini-sprite - 8/11/22 at 12:54 PM

quote:
Originally posted by ttalps2000
I have a Hybrid Tune wideband controller for sale if your interested. Used it for a few weeks with Speeduino before going over to Omex and then using their own inbuilt narrow band controller.

Needs a new sensor for it. They are supposed to be very good though and not kill the sensors!


Slightly off the topic but what made you change from Speeduino to Omex?


ttalps2000 - 8/11/22 at 01:04 PM

There is no support for it in the UK unless its a mx5! Got constant electrical interference too and generally just didnt work well!

Swapped to omex, started and drive first time, never looked back, get full support, almost all rolling roads programme them! Struggled to find any rolling road who would touch Speeduino!


coyoteboy - 8/11/22 at 01:24 PM

Yes Speeduino isn't ideal for rolling road mapping from scratch because the setup is often a waste of time for commercial outfits, in fact even megasquirt isn't well supported (but there are folk who will do it).

The problem with all DIY style ECUs is that they're never properly protected or designed as well as they could be - they're OK, but they're not great because they don't account for the environment or the quality of user/installation. In a perfect situation, they work well, but in real systems they're not ideal. Case in point, I had a megasquirt running my 4 pot turbo, and no matter how many ways I found to protect the trigger wheel input, it would always false-trigger every few minutes. The signals were perfect, even at speed, and it was susceptible to noise generated by some part of the OEM hardware. In the end it smashed a ringland before I had time to find the source and fix it.

The other side of the likes of speeduino, is that one person creates a board. Another creates another board similar but not the same. Another makes a 3rd, while the first is in revision 2, then a 4th tries to add an extra feature, but that extra feature only works with some new firmware. How are tuners meant to keep up with that crap and identify any of it. Arduino/Speeduino should be for people who don't need support or tuning IMO, but it would be nice if we could rent rolling roads in the UK like you can in the US.