Flashing the MK60 with ZCP software

[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]

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?

[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]

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.

[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.

[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.


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[Pklauser]

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

[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]

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 ?

[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.

[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.