CSL MSS54HP software conversion

[Vanar]

Hey all, I've been hunting around for a clear explanation on getting the Csl tune onto my MSS54HP, but I've found a lot of stuff which has got me quite confused so I'm just asking directly. I know there's 2 options, flashing a full binary or a partial binary. For the full binary what I'm seeing is that I need to have a BDM tool or something? And for the partial I should use Terra's binary?. And also karter’s DS2 tool has a write tune, and write program which mentions full binaries. Am I able to use ds2 to write a full binary? Appreciate the help

[ac427]

If you are on standard cams i would go for the mullet tune.

[Vanar]

Right but before that I want to get the car running on map sensor to make sure it’s all good.

[Vanar]

Also for clarification, what’s the issue where flashing the DME after flashing the terra binary can brick the dme? What should I avoid?

[karter16]

The MSS54 DME is a two-processor design (generally referred to as master and slave). Each processor has its own memory.

The two parts of the memory that you need to know about are:

• The program (this is the actual software that the processor runs)
• The tune (this is configuration information that the program uses)

There's some other parts of memory as well that you don't need to worry about (bootloader, error memory, adaptions memory, etc.)

Program & Tune
So what does the Program contain?
The program consists of the base operating system that each processor runs, this operating system is the same across both processors. The program also consists of all the different functions each processor performs. For example the master processor looks after ignition, the slave processor looks after injection, etc...

And what does the Tune contain?
The tune consists of data, information that the program uses to operate the engine. Things like "how much fuel should I inject given these operating conditions?", "How long should I run the secondary air pump for after start up?", etc. When people talk about "tuning" they're generally referring to changing some of this tune data to effect a certain outcome. For example you can adjust the mapping of the throttle pedal to make response 'sportier', etc. You're not actually changing the program that the DME is running, you're just giving it different data to use.

CSL Conversion
When you're doing a CSL conversion you need to change both the program and the tune. The CSL runs a MAP sensor instead of a MAF sensor (plus a bunch of other stuff) that requires a different program. This program contains the functions that tell the DME how to use the information from the MAP sensor.

Likewise you need to use a tune specific to the CSL software, tunes are not compatible across different programs.


Binary Files
Now that we understand the difference between Programs and Tunes let's talk about how they're stored as files. The general terminology the community uses isn't particularly clear IMHO so I agree it's confusing.

Partial Binary
The "Partial Binary" is a file that contains the Tune represented in binary format (ones and zeros). Remember that the MSS54 has two processors, so the "Partial Binary" is generally actually a single file that contains the tune for both the Master and Slave processors.

Full Binary
Okay, this is where it gets a little bit confusing. The community generally refers to the "Full Binary" to mean the Program (the program code for both the Master and Slave represented in a single file). However what the Full Binary actually is is a copy of ALL memory (Program + tune + those other things I said not to worry about) for both the Master and Slave, represented in a single file. Most OBD2 programming tools like MSSFlasher, MSS54 DS2 Tool, etc. take that full binary, extract the Program part of it and flash it.


Programming Tools
There are two usual ways to program your DME.

• Via OBD2 cable using software like MSS54 DS2 Tool, MSSFlasher, etc.
• Using a BDM tool

For most people flashing via an OBD2 cable is easier and less intrusive. It is important to acknowledge it is not without risk and if something goes wrong you may end up needing to use a BDM tool to recover your DME. If the flashing process over OBD2 cable is interrupted or something goes wrong the DME can end up in a state where it will not respond to commands over the OBD cable and the only way to recover it is to use a BDM (soldering headers onto the DME circuit board and directly connecting to the flash memory to program it with a programmer). You cannot completely avoid this risk, you can minimise it by ensuring you've tested your OBD2 cable and found it to be reliable, ensuring you have continuous supply to your car battery, ensuring your PC is fully charged and won't be interrupted, etc.


What Steps do I need to follow

Prerequisites

• You'll need to make the necessary adjustments to your tune file to suit your car (e.g. SMG vs Manual, VANOS offsets, Snorkel Flap DTC suppression if you're not running an OE flap, etc.)
• You'll need an OBD2 cable and have proven it to work with your car/laptop
• You'll need to have done the physical install of the airbox and MAP sensor (given your original statement that you want to prove the MAP sensor is working)

Main Steps
Step 1: Obtain your CSL program (Full) and tune (Partial) binaries - I suggest using Community Patch (note that I'm the creator of Community Patch so of course I would say that)
Step 2: Obtain your flashing software of choice (MSS54 DS2 Tool, MSSFlasher, etc.)
Step 3: Take a full backup of your current program and tune - do not skip this!!!
Step 4: Flash your new Program binary to your DME
Step 5: Flash your new Tune binary to your DME


I appreciate some of this is reasonably high level, trying to give you an overview of the whole process - please ask as many questions as you need :-)

[Vanar]

Awesome, and to clarify, after I’ve flashed the program, do I need to read the partial from the newly flashed dme and make changes there, or do I need to download the partial from the GitHub as well and also flash that after flashing the main program?

[Vanar]

got an error, using community patch

[Vanar]

okay i think flashing the partial fixed it. now onto figuring out how to change vanos offset

[Vanar]

okay figured that out. By the way, does flashing this affect any of the changes i made to my modules through NCS expert? Like the gm5 opening windows with key etc.