ConSultan 1.0
ConSultan
Introduction:
ConSultan is Copyright © 2004-2005 Code 55 Racing and Eric Pooch.
ConSultan is a Mac OS X program designed to communicate with the Consult port of your pre-1999 Nissan vehicle. This document describes ConSultan version 1.01 released in August, 2007.
Requirements:
A PPC or Intel Macintosh.
Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
A Consult interface available through these vendors:
A USB/Serial adapter with an installed driver for Mac OS X
Nissan vehicle with a Consult I diagnostic port.
ConSultan Download available here:
Installation:
Typically, once you download the file, your web browser will extract the ConSultan disk image from its archive, mount, and display its contents in a new Finder window. Once that occurs, you can simply drag the ConSultan application to a folder where you would like to keep it, and double-click to run it.
The ConSultan application will automatically create a folder named "ConSultan-1.0" in the "Library" folder of your home folder and install its required files there. (See "Configuration" below for details on those files).
Quick Start:
If you have previously used an earlier version of ConSultan, you can move any files you generated to the new "ConSultan-1.0" folder.
When you run ConSultan for the first time, it automatically generates a 30 day license for you to try out all of the features. Once the license expires, you will be limited to checking and resetting ECU error codes.
After the license is created, ConSultan will search for an available serial port. Make sure your USB or PCI based serial port is installed correctly with the appropriate drivers. If there is more than one port, ConSultan will prompt you for the serial port that is connected to your vehicle.
Offline
If you are not connected to a vehicle with a Nissan Consult port, ConSultan will still allow you to test the interface and view previously downloaded maps. By default, you can examine the maps from a 3rd party tuner's R33 RB25DET Skyline ROM.
If you want to view another vehicle's ROM file that you already have, place the ROM image in the correct vehicle configuration folder in the "~/Library/ConSultan-1.0" folder (or create a new vehicle configuration folder and place the ROM and the correct map address file in there). Then open the ConSultan -> Preferences menu item in ConSultan and select that folder as the "Offline ECU Configuration folder."
Online
Once the serial port is selected, ConSultan will attempt to connect to the Consult port on your vehicle. If everything is working correctly, ConSultan will try to get your ECU ID to identify your vehicle. If you are having problems getting to this point, the problem is likely hardware related. Make sure that ConSultan is using the correct serial port and your Consult hardware is installed correctly. If you need help troubleshooting the problem, please feel free to contact the author with questions.
Once ConSultan obtains your ECU ID, it will cross reference a file to get more details on your vehicle. If the ID is not listed (typical for many non-american vehicles and cars with tuned ECUs), ConSultan will prompt you to select your vehicle chassis and engine. If it is not listed, enter it as: CHASSIS_CODE-ENGINE_CODE. For example, a Nissan Sentra SE-R is a B13-SR20DE. If you would like, you can then email your "~/Library/ConSultan-1.0/GENERIC/ΩPart_Numbers.adr" file to the author for future updates. ConSultan will then check if it has a vehicle configuration folder containing more information about your ECU. If not, it will use generic files to get started.
Once ConSultan has completed loading, go ahead and open the Sensors item in the drawer on the main window. Click on each of the sensors. ConSultan will remove sensors that the ECU does not have and create a more customized sensor configuration file for you.
Go ahead and click on the maps now too. If a loaded map appears jaggy, the default map address file is not correct for your vehicle. To correct this, quit ConSultan, and copy the correct map address file (with a .adr extension) from "~/Library/ConSultan-1.0/GENERIC/" to the folder for your vehicle. Then, restart ConSultan and check to see if the maps are loading correctly.
Examples:
Most early SR20DEs use the PS13_256_E.adr
Later 'ODBII' SR20DEs and KA24DEs use the S14_512_E.adr
Unfortunately, due to the large number of Nissan models that were built around the world, not all address files are available. However, you can create your own by using the "Unknown.adr" file and selecting maps until you see a smooth fuel or ignition map loaded. Save the addresses in a file consistent with the other .adr files. Many online message forums are available for help also.
Features:
ECU ID
Displays the part number of your ECU and a description of your vehicle.
Fault Codes
Displays the fault codes currently stored in your ECU. These can be cleared from the ECU by clicking the "Clear Faults" button. Note: Code "55" means there are no faults.
Sensor Streaming
ConSultan supports live sensor an bit register streams from your ECU: up 12 at a time. You can drag and drop sensors to organize them to suit your needs, or drag them to the trash to remove them from the sensor view. Bit registers also appear in the sensor list.
Sensor warnings, names and formats are fully configurable based on your vehicle's features or to suit your preferences (See "Configuration" below for examples).
Sensor Logging/Replay
ConSultan can log and replay sensor values from your vehicle for later analysis. Click the 'Sensors' item in the features drawer to open the logging control panel. You can then Record, Pause, and Play log files. The files can also be opened in a spread sheet program for graphing. The log format is a tab-delimited file.
Activations
The activations are a very powerful tool for testing and troubleshooting your engine. See your vehicle's Factory Service Manual for details. If you are unsure about your current settings, turn your vehicle, quit ConSultan, and start over. Adjusting these settings could potentially damage your vehicle.
Map Display
Click on a map name to download and view it. Once it is displayed, you can click and drag on the map to rotate it. You can also save or reload a map by holding down the option key while clicking ("option-clicking") on the map's 3D view. Maps are saved in a binary format compatible with other Windows based Nissan ROM analysis programs. If you save a map in your vehicle configuration folder, it will automatically get displayed for evaluation when your vehicle is offline. Just select the folder as the "Offline ECU Configuration folder" in ConSultan's preferences.
ConSultan can also download, save and view complete ROM files. Just add an address range in your vehicle's address file that represents your ECU's entire ROM. Downloading the ROM will likely take a while. Remember to save any maps that you downloaded by holding down the option key while clicking ("option-clicking") on the map's 3d view and selecting the appropriate menu item.
Configuration
A complete vehicle configuration will consist of an entry in the "GENERIC/ΩPart_Numbers.adr" file for your vehicle, and a corresponding vehicle configuration folder with; a map address file with a ".adr" file extension and a sensor configuration file with a ".plist" extension. Additionally, you can save an ECU ROM image with a ".bin" extension in your vehicle's configuration folder for off-line viewing. If any of these items are missing, ConSultan will use the first file in the GENERIC folder with the correct extension as a default starting point.
Engine/Chassis
ConSultan is fully configurable based on your vehicle and ECU type. If Consultan cannot identify your vehicle, it will create a generic configuration that can be fully edited and updated later. The necessary files are stored in the "~/Library/ConSultan-1.0" folder. Each folder in there represents an engine and/or chassis type. Due to the vast numbers of Nissan models with differing ECUs, you will need to experiment with some of the configuration files in there and add your own from the GENERIC folder for a more customized fit.
If your engine is not known by ConSultan, a dialog will appear that will allow you to enter some data to get started. You will need to use generic sensors until they can be configured.
Maps
Inside of each of the engine/chassis folders are .adr files that tell ConSultan where to look for map values on you ECU. These files are compatible with files used by the Windows ROM Edit Tool. If there is no .adr file, ConSultan uses the first file with a '.adr' extension ("!ECR33_256_E.adr" by default) in the "~/Library/ConSultan-1.0/GENERIC" folder. If you are having trouble loading maps, copy the appropriate file for your vehicle from the GENERIC folder into the appropriate vehicle configuration folder.
Sensors
The .plist file holds xml data for configuring the look and properties of the sensors. You can configure the warning and red-lines for all of the sensors and bit registers in your ECU. See the SR20DE folder for examples. The first time you run ConSultan, you should select each of the sensors listed, then restart the program. ConSultan will automatically remove sensors not available on your vehicle for the next time you run Consultan.
Preferences
In its preferences, ConSultan provides settings for determining the look of the main window, setting the vehicle configuration folder for offline use (useful for viewing maps off-line), and a setting for the sensor logging frequency.
To Do:
A horsepower calculator is in the works!!
Ability to use LiveEdit style configuration files.
Please contact me if you are interested in undertaking any of these tasks:
Maps need axies.
Translation into foreign languages.
Port to GNUStep to run on Linux.
More engine support. Please email me with new engine IDs so I can compile a list.