I'm looking at a piggyback computer for my Subaru WRX's ECU. You use a notebook or Palm running Hyperterminal (or similar program if you prefer) to interface with it. It's how you tune the computer for performance, but you can also use hyperterminal to do a "digial dashboard" which shows you tons of data on your car.

They say this UTEC interface is opensource because they'd like someone to come around and make a pretty interface to replace the Hyperterminal. How realistic would it be to have the empeg display some of this info like Exhaust Gas Temperature, Air Fuel Temperature, etc etc?

Would be nice to use that little serial connector hanging off the back of my sled . I can get more information if it would help answer this question.

What sort of engine management are you talking about?

I have gone full Apex - including the AVC-R, S-AFC and the new RSM. Looks wicked - matches the factory blue lense of the empeg *perfectly*. The attached pic is pretty crummy, but gives the idea.

The whole thing depends a lot on what management you have, and how it returns the data.

Give us some more details.

The UTEC is offered by TurboXS.com (and maybe others, I'm not sure) and is a very powerful tool. It's not as pretty as the Apex setups, but it is a lot more powerful. Has great knock correction and very high resolution. It can control boost (open or closed loop), timing and fuel mixtures. Maps are easy to tune by adjusting each cell or by downloading new maps and loading them yourselves. Since the stock ECU is still in place, it is still very safe and good for daily driving.

You interface with the computer by connecting via a serial cable. Doing the tuning via an empeg would be hard to do, but displaying info from the "Digital Dash" would allow you to use your empeg as a full out gauge replacement.

I believe it can store up to 7 maps within the computer itself. So you can have one for race gas, one for pump gas, one for valet parking, one for a stock setup, etc etc.

Here is a link to the WRX Hackers forum for the UTEC: http://www.wrxhackers.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewforum&f=1

And info on the product itself: http://www.turboxs.com/UTEC.htm

I'm still learning about this myself, but I know several people that are using this so I can get info pretty easy.

Is there any sort of data on this that I could dig up that would let anyone comment more on this?

Dont underestimate the Apex PowerFC, which is what I have "underneath" the other piggyback ones. It is very, very powerful, and doesnt focus on "prettiness" It also has a serial link, so it isnt pretty at all.

It is powerful enough to be used in many of the world's top modified cars, and my friends (who own a custom tuning place) use it in their Evo 6.5 and a '02 Porsche 911 turbo.

The most useful thing is an exact breakdown of the data it sends, so it can be seen what needs ot be parsed and how.

I wrote a GUI for a telnet-operated router/firewall for a comapny here not oo long ago. It was in ANSI C, so shouldnt be too hard to port if we had more detail on the exact format of things.

Perhaps you might like to take you laptop on a run with you and record all the output - that would be very very useful.