Flashing the MK60 with ZCP software

[Bry5on]

So I’ve got an M3-underneath wagon here with M3 MK60 but I’d really like to use a separate button to turn on m-track mode, like I’m sure many of you here desire.

I have the non-m MK60 on the shelf, has anyone cracked one open to see if there are programming headers brought out to external pins for reading and writing to the EEPROMs? I’m planning to cut mine open to validate this but don’t want to destroy a perfectly good one.

If we can trace the pins, it should be pretty easy to pull a read from a ZCP e46 with an adapter harness and flash any old MK60. Then run an extra wire, assuming internal hardware is the same, to see if we can get that m-track button to work.

If that fails then it’s on to building some simple circuits to imitate short/long presses.

[thegenius46m]

Interested as well. Would save me having to pickup a ZCP module for my M3 and I'd love to also port the software dump to my ZHP MK60 as well. Some people have run an external wire from the DSC button harness in the console and jumped into that terminal then routed it to a steering wheel button but its not true ZCP M track mode where its a single press on the wheel for m track and dsc on/off from the console is also a single press. Been trying to source a ZCP Mk60 on and off for years and they are very hard to find separately.

[Pklauser]

Perhaps I'm being naive, but isn't the only difference between a ZCP MK60 and a non-ZCP MK60 the configuration? Is what you're describing going to achieve anything different from what's described here: https://nam3forum.com/forums/forum/m...3-m-track-mode ?

[Bry5on]

There are 3 MK60 configurations, two with different internal settings you can tweak:
1) non-M, with non-M specific settings and no setting for m-track
2) M3 with specific M settings (including CSL) and settings for enabling m-track
3) ZCP pre-set with m-track

Number 3 also has a separate input pin to enable m-track mode with a button push. The real feature is that this version preserves the traction control OFF mode with a single button push, like all stock M3s. On a Number 2 MK60, the DSC button is repurposed for both m-track (short press) and OFF (long press).

The theory is that the hardware is the same for all three and a software reflash may be possible

[Pklauser]

Ah gotcha. So the big thing you're going for is the dedicated button.

[thegenius46m]

There are 3 MK60 configurations, two with different internal settings you can tweak:
1) non-M, with non-M specific settings and no setting for m-track
2) M3 with specific M settings (including CSL) and settings for enabling m-track
3) ZCP pre-set with m-track

Number 3 also has a separate input pin to enable m-track mode with a button push. The real feature is that this version preserves the traction control OFF mode with a single button push, like all stock M3s. On a Number 2 MK60, the DSC button is repurposed for both m-track (short press) and OFF (long press).

The theory is that the hardware is the same for all three and a software reflash may be possible

Correct. With my non-m mk60 on my ZHP, I added new parameters into a bunch of different fields in the mk60 trace file for the non-m c12 unit to mimic that of a csl model because non-m in this case never had mdm. The result is unbelievably awesome. The system almost never kicks in with an experienced driver unless you REALLY overdrive the car unlike stock.

Takeaway here is that you can get really granular and modify the stock parameters quite a bit on any of these units to allow more wheelspin and drift angle as well as turn off interventions a seasoned driver does not want. Something that I’m working on with the M3 slowly when time allows. Another big one in the DME is torque intervention which is that fuel cut effect when you get too much wheelspin. Looking to turn that down considerably.

Project is still open but something else I’ve been working is get the m track mode indicator working on my non-m cluster. The circuitry between both cars is almost identical for the cluster, dsc button panel, and pins to the mk60 from what I recall when I looked up the wiring diagram, but one thing I am thoroughly convinced of with all three units, it is solely the FIRMWARE that dictates the dsc button press (on a non m car) but also the track mode button on the wheel.

So if someone can rip the firmware off a zcp mk60 unit and figure out how to bench flash these mk60 modules a lot of people could upgrade to zcp without paying for a module that is almost non existent supply.

My shop told me a company by the name of module master may be able to do it but I haven’t had the time to reach out and inquire.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[NZ_M3]

Pin 38 which triggers the M track mode is only populated in the CSL/ZCP MK60 modules

back in the m3forum days someone cut both versions open and only the CSL one has the resistor soldered in. Technically retrofit-able if you cut it open. No firmware flash required.

[Bry5on]

Pin 38 which triggers the M track mode is only populated in the CSL/ZCP MK60 modules

back in the m3forum days someone cut both versions open and only the CSL one has the resistor soldered in. Technically retrofit-able if you cut it open. No firmware flash required.

That is great to know, thank you! Now the question of flashing a non-M with M firmware would let me use my spare as the test bed.

[thegenius46m]

That is great to know, thank you! Now the question of flashing a non-M with M firmware would let me use my spare as the test bed.

Million dollar question right now as well. Who has the bench setup and the modules to pull all three firmware variants and give it a go? I would totally be willing to donate a spare MK60 non-m module. Can be had at a junkyard for cheap while the M3 ones go for money because think there's a huge difference.

[Bry5on]

Well folks,

If the m-track button is indeed pin 38, I can confirm that it does appear that the non-M MK60 has resistors populated to make this a functional circuit. The circuit is very similar to pin 39 for the regular DSC button with different values in the resistor network. I’ll try my hand at a PowerPoint schematic shortly.

in the mean time, can anybody ID this Motorola IC?

[Bry5on]

The main processing IC is made by Texas Instruments for ATE Teves so I reached out to a friend who used to be a senior electrical engineer at TI during the period. He doesn’t know of the chip and believes it’s unlikely that we’ll be able to get any sort of data sheet for it. Search continues, I should have known that wouldn’t be an easy win for figuring out how to flash.

Can anyone with a CSL/ZCP unit measure resistance between pins 37 (common ground, along with many other pins) and 38? I get 3.15k ohm from 37-38 and 8.83k ohm from 37-39

edit: hand schematic attached. I need to go re-measure pin 39 as the math doesn’t add up as sketched. I’m sure I messed up in my notes somewhere.

[Bry5on]

Thanks to TropicalM3 who had both a ZCP and M DSC available, we’ve got measurements for both, and the non-M looks to be similar to the M for pin 38.

With the ZCP Module and the positive cable on 37 I got on 38-14.1, on 39-8.7 and on 40-18.4. With the Negative set on 37 I got on 38-16.2, on 39-8.7 and 40-19.8.

With the Non-ZCP positive on 37 I got on 38-3.2, 0n 39-8.8 and on 40-19.5. With the negative set on 37, on 38 I got 3.2, on 39-8.8 and on 40 I got 22.5.

I noted that on my non-m module, pin 40 (the TPMS pin) is shorted directly to ground as that was the only other difference I knew of that might be hardware related.

In summary, measured to ground at pin 38 for m-track:
non-M: ~3.2k ohm
M3: ~3.2k ohm
ZCP: ~14.1k ohm

this may imply that there’s not enough resistance in the M and non-M units to pull down the IC pin when grounded. Fear not, this is measurable.

Next up I’ll power up my non-M unit on the bench, measure voltage at the IC pin associated with pin 38, then pull pin 38 down to ground and measure what happens at the IC pin. The IC likely has an internal pull up resistor of some value that can be calculated after this experiment.

[George Hill]

Following with interest...

Also, this group may have some knowledge for the project: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1056638784424876

[Bry5on]

Following with interest...

Also, this group may have some knowledge for the project: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1056638784424876

Thank you. Sadly, I do not have a Facebook account. If there’s anyone here that has good info, I’d appreciate it being shared here!

[thegenius46m]

Thanks to TropicalM3 who had both a ZCP and M DSC available, we’ve got measurements for both, and the non-M looks to be similar to the M for pin 38.



I noted that on my non-m module, pin 40 (the TPMS pin) is shorted directly to ground as that was the only other difference I knew of that might be hardware related.

In summary, measured to ground at pin 38 for m-track:
non-M: ~3.2k ohm
M3: ~3.2k ohm
ZCP: ~14.1k ohm

this may imply that there’s not enough resistance in the M and non-M units to pull down the IC pin when grounded. Fear not, this is measurable.

Next up I’ll power up my non-M unit on the bench, measure voltage at the IC pin associated with pin 38, then pull pin 38 down to ground and measure what happens at the IC pin. The IC likely has an internal pull up resistor of some value that can be calculated after this experiment.

So non-m cars, tpms was optional unlike m3 where it is standard so you probably got the donor non-m mk60 unit from a non tpms car? Just looked and that appears to be the case because the non-m tpms retrofit has you add in pin 40 to the module.

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?11072-OEM-TPMS-Retrofit-The-full-package-doityourself

Can you try swapping the resistor on pin 38 to a 14.1k ohm and see what that does? I'm curious if that is indeed the missing link for adding the M track functionality. Would confirm what NZ stated above too.

But... I believe non-m may have at least one other difference because I had the m track led added to my 05 zhp cluster and it is confirmed working via cluster test. After recoding the mk60 and cluster to illuminate the m track indictor when engaged on the non-m just like my M3 is using, the cluster does not see the button press to illuminate the m track indicator but m track does indeed get triggered. On the non-m I am using one touch dsc off indicator for m track and dsc off + yellow brake light for full dsc off. After comparing the circuitry there are no real differences that I could determine between the m3 and non-m leading up to the mk60 module itself so there may be a second pin on the non-m module that is different to m3 and zcp.