Freescale is planning an Open Source ECU

[MotoFab]

This looks interesting. Drive by wire, and designed for Stage V emissions.

Calling all petrolheads: Configurable aftermarket ECUs for sale!
http://blogs.freescale.com/2011/06/07/c ... -for-sale/

MPC5634 microcontroller based on Power Architecture technology drives one real car – and a “pretend” one
http://blogs.freescale.com/2010/10/05/m ... 80%9D-one/

[Fred]

That is certainly an interesting discussion! It's not open source, though, not with the current information available, the source of the software, the history of that supplier, and the lack of clarification provided on the licensing.

[jharvey]

Yeah Freescale has gotten B&G involved in that. They have a forum out there somewhere. I seem to recall it's good for a 4 cyl vehicle.

[MotoFab]

That is certainly an interesting discussion! It's not open source, though, not with the current information available, the source of the software, the history of that supplier, and the lack of clarification provided on the licensing.

Freescale has their own less-specialized code, call it a framework, and it's available. As well as the schematics. My experience with Freescale is that if they make an eval or demo board then the gerber images are also available. Regarding the Freescale code, look for eTPU Crank AN3769, eTPU Fuel AN3770, and eTPU Spark AN3771.

I understand there are 'open source' issues with B&G.

-Jim

[MotoFab]

The Freescale project is not Open Source even though it includes schematics.

Mike Garrard, a senior Powertrain Systems engineer from Freescale writes:

June 20, 2011
Yes, I will publish schematics and there will be an open source version of code for the [DIY] folks to work with. Target price is $500 and target availability is [the middle of] next year.

Mike Garrard profile:
http://en.gravatar.com/mikegarrardfsl

-Jim

[jharvey]

Ah there it is. http://www.msqorivva.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5

Also here you'll see some names you might recognize. http://blogs.freescale.com/2011/06/07/c ... -for-sale/

I'm a skeptic. The chips chosen require qty orders. So they will require several hundred grand of upfront investment. Also I seem to recall the MPC5634 is a 4 cyl chip, so it would compete with MS. I just don't think the business plan is sound. I expect it to fail on multiple levels. I don't think many developers will really want to jump in on it, as it's only 4 cyl, and you can't really make repairs. If you break about any chip on it, you can't currently buy a replacement chip. You'd have to buy another board, or qty 1k of the chip. Last I understood, it's likely to use that TLE direct injection chip, so it's got some nice injector drive capability. I expect that once the Obama bucks dry up, so will that project.

[Fred]

Thanks, Jared! A quote from that forum "If approved, the reference design hardware would be available in the latter part of 2012 or early 2013." in the same post it said "A simplified port of ms code" or similar. I guess that they may switch the license if it's simplified, as it wouldn't represent any actual competition. Though, I still doubt it.

Fred.

[Fred]

Yes, I will publish schematics

How about the gerbers? Is it "open source" at all? I don't think so. It's just marketing hype. Freescale and MegaSquirt are in each others back pockets anyway, and always were!

[MotoFab]

I don't think many developers will really want to jump in on it, as it's only 4 cyl, and you can't really make repairs. If you break about any chip on it, you can't currently buy a replacement chip. You'd have to buy another board, or qty 1k of the chip. Last I understood, it's likely to use that TLE direct injection chip, so it's got some nice injector drive capability.

Regarding any potential hardware problems, none that I saw suffered the concerns you listed enough to stop them from buying the Puma board.

This is a non Open Source project by Freescale. People on large and popular do-it-yourself ECU usergroups are obvious potential customers for the Freescale development kit. Freescale designs hundreds of pseudo Open Source and open source like software and hardware development kits for their integrated circuit products, however these typically have all rights reserved and do not use open source licenses. This non Open Source ECU development kit of theirs is no different.

The ECU board and software were developed while Freescale was working with a large automotive OEM supplier in China. B&G were not involved with this Freescale development board or the software that runs it.
http://blogs.freescale.com/2010/10/05/m ... 80%9D-one/

Cherif Assad and Mike Garrard from Freescale write:
Last week my colleagues in Shanghai drove the first vehicle I know of based on our 90nm technology, specifically MPC5634, which is based on Power Architecture technology. The Chinese OEM, Chery, developed their ECU with the assistance of software modules from Freescale for calibration over CAN, knock DSP processing and basic engine functions via the Time Processor Unit (TPU). In parallel, we put together a simulated engine demonstrator — the demo made its first appearance at FTF China in August 2010 and you might see the demo in the near future.

The source code for that demonstrator board is available from Freescale. I would bet that if you asked you could get the schematics pre-release. Either that or the schematics are already available in the datasheets of the peripheral Freescale components on that board.

Freescale has a working development board and framework software. It looks like B&G ported their MegaSquirt code to work on it, and so has Tuner Studio. Maybe FreeEMS code will someday be ported to run on it.

Or the folks on here making the Cinch board can use some of the free schematics.

-Jim


Edit: added the quote from jharvey
EDIT: Fixed misinformation, in bold.

[MotoFab]

Yes, I will publish schematics

How about the gerbers? Is it "open source" at all? I don't think so. It's just marketing hype. Freescale and MegaSquirt are in each others back pockets anyway, and always were!

Freescale puts gerber images of their development boards into datasheets. The actual gerber files are also available, I've downloaded several over the years. That is an everyday practice for Freescale, nee Motorola semiconductor division.

Getting onto familiar terms with a large chip foundry company in order to benefit seems like good common sense. And tapping potential do-it-yourself auto enthusiasts on large usergroups also seems like a good idea.

It is marketing hype, Freescale says that right from the top.

Mike Garrard, a senior Powertrain Systems engineer from Freescale writes:
You see, I have a problem: I have to convince my boss to stump up the cash for, say, 100 PCBs, hundreds of chips, build, test, engineering resource to hang it all together into a nice package that you might then purchase off the web. I’ve told him there’s a community of nuts like me who will take (in my case) a 1971 Mini Cooper, engineer a pressurized fuel system, weld up a manifold, add efi, slap a turbo on-top and zoom around the countryside and rally meets telling everyone what a great job Freescale does with powertrain chips. But to be convinced, he needs to hear it from you.

-Jim