Here is the latest on my progress with my stand alone:

I picked up a Perfect Power PRS8:


over the net, and have been researching, and getting various sensors for it for over a month. I have the 2.5 BAR MAP sensor that goes to it, and would like to have the Lamda Wideband Sensor to go with it. If not, I'll just get my TechEdge fixed. Anyway, here are the issues I am having now:

I'm finally making headway with my Stand Alone project too. The Perfect Power PRS8 Unit has 2 harnesses that plug into it. A 24-pin connector (for input/output), and a 18-pin connector (for power output). There is also a RS/232 Serial connector for a Laptop/Carputer. The 18-pin harness is just right. The issue I'm having is that the 24-way connecting harness...It's just ******* WRONG! None of the wires match up color-wise or location-wise the way they are supposed to, and there are even a few missing. I contacted Perfect Power USA about what it would cost to get new harnesses. Bob Ida said it would take 2-3 weeks just to order it (so they can include it with their big order from South Africa), and it would cost about $80....For this!:

For some damn wires!

 

Since I didn't get it from them directly, I have to pay for a new harness. After about a week and a half of knowing about this, I decided to do some investigating on the connector to find out why I got the wrong one. Upon studying the connector further, it seems that the connector used for the 24-way harness is the same as a Non-standard ATX EPS 24-pin connector used in rackmount servers to connect the EPS power supply to the mainboard. At first I thought it could be a standard ATX connector, but they only have 20 pins. Looking at the wires on the harness, it made more sense. There is also another connector hanging off 3 wires on the harness that is remeniscent of a CPU/Mainboard Fan connector? So my conclusion is that the harness I have could possibly be from a EPS power supply of some type. Knowing this, I may just fix the issue my self. If I could just get my hands on the special tool needed to unlock the wire crips from the connector
= $23
....Wait, I just did. I used two heavy-duty staples. Took a while, but all the wires are out of the connector.

These are the female mini-fit pins I had to pry loose:


From one of these:


After looking the price of these mini-fit pins up, I know why the harnesses are so expensive. These little pins cost $1.70 each! Get 24 of them, and you have spent over $40! Add the 18-way connector (which I'm glad I have the correct one) + Profit, and you are in the neighborhood of $80. Looks like I will be re-using some of the wires I pulled out. They just plug back in.

 

Here are some of the features of the PRS8:

The top of the range engine management system with the following features:


2 maps, each 765 sites.
In 4, 6, 8 cylinders applications
Up to 10 000 rpm at 8 cylinders
8 built-in injector drivers up to 6A
Idle control and driver for a 2 wire idle motor
CAM switching and driver
Fuel pump activation
Lambda close loop control
Throttle and rpm calibration: chose your own sites
Temperature and manifold pressure calibration to any external device
Retards and advances from a base point
Easy to tune
Wasted spark on normal ignition
2 trigger inputs, level settable, polarity adjustment
Boost control or fan control
RPM and boost fuel limit
Max boost and rpm recording
Alarm output
Turbo lag compensation option
Fuel pressure adjustment
Acoustic warning
DOS and Windows tuning

Assignable Functions:

Water pump activation and set point.
Extra boost injection activation.
Fan control output
Boost control output
2/3 wire idle motor output
Nitrous Activation
Camm switching output

 

Well, I ordered the terminals I need from Mouser Electronics (of Mansfield Tx.):

http://www.mouser.com/catalog/615/619.pdf

See picture C, and I ordered 24 of each of these part numbers:

538-43030-0007 - Molex Micro-Fit 3.0 Connectors
FEMALE TERM 20-24 gauge

538-43030-0010 - Molex Micro-Fit 3.0 Connectors
FEMALE TERM 26-30 gauge

Total cost: $5 and some change plus tax!.
The tool I need for getting the connectors out:

538-11-03-0043 - Molex Tools
EXTRACTION TOOL - $17.50 + tax

I'm not gonna buy the hand crimp tool. That sucker is expensive!!

538-63811-2800 - Molex Tools
CRIMP TOOL - $170.12 + tax! And they said that's one of the cheaper ones!

 

Interesting...When the VAFC first came out for the S2000, they didn't offer a harness for it (actually, still don't). So some of the guys I knew started to make them. Ended up costing about $125 if you bought them. Why? Again, as you said the liittle male plugs cost a bit, but the actual plastic connecter used for the ECU was not a standard connecter like you have. The guys contacted whoever makes the connecter, and if I remember right, there's only a few companies in the world that do. They said the connecter by itself would be something like ~$50. Then you have to crimp all the wires in there. Takes something like an hour once you get used to it...

Blake

 

The crimping tool is what's expensive on this one. $170!

 

very cool patrick...


And if you think Electrical connectors are expensive, look into Fiber otic connectors. My job is to make all of those unique little plastic parts you're talking about.. The retail on specialty equipment like that is very suprising..

 

That would be cool, except for the fact that I would have to find a way to convert the signal to "light" to go thru the fiber medium. I remember one of my final projects at ITT Tech was a fiber optic voice link. Fun stuff.

 

Believe that!

 

I bet.

 

cool.

 

Well, I powered up the Stand Alone yesterday for the 1st time, and had communications errors with my Laptop. I will have to sort this out before going any further.

 

Here is the latest:

Yesterday I hooked up the standalone a desktop computer at work yesterday, and was able to follow the following advice to get it working:

The Play-by-play
2/02/2004 - 12:57 AM
I had an interesting break-thru! I was able to successfully load the DOS software up using a Desktop computer at here work. I used a 12 volt power supply (4-6 AMP) that I just bought from Fry's to power the unit. I accually see values changing. Now that I have a file loaded successfully, I will attempt the Window software connect. Fingers crossed folks!

02/06/2004 - 02:41 AM
Ok, I was successful in getting the PRS8 communicating with the Windows software. Looking at the menu, it looks like I have hardware version 36.

This is what the running conditions said:

Type: 8
Version: 36
Inj. Util.: 0

I wonder if this version will work with my ignition system?

02/06/2004 - 10:01 AM
02/06/2004 - 01:45 PM
I was accually successful in getting my PRS8 to connect with my laptop about 30 minutes ago. The DOS program still gave me the comm error. I must have an old version of the DOS PRS program. I will fix that! The only thing holding me back now is the 24-way harness. I don't have it. I have the 18-way harness. I need to go to sleep now.

02/06/2004 - 01:59 PM
Alright, I am in business! I just ordered the 24-wire connecting harness from Perfect Power USA. $58. I understand the price, and if you go back and read this thread at the part where I was sourcing parts to make my own harness, you'd understand as well.


I should be ready to start wiring this up to my car next week. Then the tuning starts.. FINALLY! I'm probably at 200 WHP now, 100 more HP will be in my grasp! I was getting ready to shell out $1500 for a Haltech E6X with the RC Engineering injector kit, and now I won't have to.

 

The latest is that my unit has been shipped to South Africa to Perfect Power Headquarters to get the latest version reflash. They say that version 36 will not take my 36/1 crank setup without a new trigger wheel (which MPNick has developed). I could do the Standalone mode like this, but I decided to run Parallell instead, and after talking to Neil and Peter @ Perfect Power, Nick M. (http://www.modernperformanceinc.com , Bob Ida (http://www.idaautomotive.com) , we thought it best to go ahead and get the reflash. Since this is an older unit, it will have to be opened, and the chip changed. The good news is that I should have the latest version of the PRS8 hardware that should be flashable! They test all units before shipping them back out. Should have my unit back in about a week. $40 express shipping to South Africa. Not bad at all! I wish I can ship myself around the world like that!

 

Due to the fact that they couldn't upgrade it, they sent me a brand new unit. I powered it up yesterday to look at the primary fuel map, and it looks like I have version 53 as opposed to version 37. There have been some revisions. Now all I have to do is get my hands on a Bosch LSM-11 Lamda sensor so that my auto-tune feature will work. Anyone have any leads on these sensors for a good price?

 

this wont work for rotaries will it?

 

Yes it will. Go to http://www.perfectpower.com for more details.

 

Lesse...based in Africa
Unestablished user base for rotary engine
Very little information for rotary engine application - what's a "two stage rotary"?  Two rotor???

It sounds like you're spamming this list...


-Ted

 

No, I asure you that's not the case. I am just putting some info out about another option that not many know about. If you go look at the Nov. 2003 issue of Turbo Magazine, you will see this unit described. I am not in any way affiliated with Perfect Power. The only connection I have is that I chose the PRS8 as my stand alone. I'm just posting the info I found out while preparing to installing the unit. Ask the DFW crew who I am, and how long I've been on this board. I also Mod over on the http://www.mazdamp3.com/http://www.protege5.com boards. I love Mazdas! I won't take offense to what you said due to your legitimate concern.

 

I have been looking at the perfect power systems as well. I'm stuck between that and a microtech. I'm going to be using it on an mr2 though.

Adam

 

Any updates? I'm kindof interested to see how this turns out.