Once a Calibration File is loaded into the software, there are nine drop down menus at the top of the T-Com™ WP interface.
Provides access to save or load files.
5.1.1 New Calibration File
Permits the retrieval of previously stored calibration data from a disc file. T-Com™ WP uses the .TCT file extension for calibration files. (The hot key for this operation is Ctrl+O).) Note: When working Off-Line, a calibration file must be loaded before any configuration tables can be viewed.
Permits storage of calibration data to a disc file. (The hot key for this operation is Ctrl+S.)
Allows the user to save the calibration file with a new name.
Prints all of the currently loaded Calibration tables, inputs and outputs.
Opens the standard Windows Calculator.
Exits the TCI Software.
Provides access to the various system Edit options.
Allows the user to Cut Selected Information from the current Table.
Enables the user to Copy Selected Information from the current Table.
Pastes currently cut or copied information to another table.
Undoes last operation.
Redoes last Undo.
There are two unique Shift Schedules for the controller. Shift Schedule A is the default schedule. Shift Schedule B can be accessed on the fly simply by grounding the Shift Schedule Selector wire. These two shift schedules can be used as Economy/Performance modes, or even Performance/Valet mode (which has lower WOT shift points than optimum.)
Each Shift Schedule has the following options.
5.3.1.1Load vs Line Pressure %
This function allows the user to increase or decrease the line pressure settings for his/her specific application. The line pressure solenoid is a bypass device.The greater the duty cycle applied to this solenoid, the lower the line pressure for most transmissions. Lower line pressure generally translates into slower and softer shifts and lower clutch/band holding force. Higher line pressure generally translates into quicker shift speeds and firmer shifts and higher clutch/band holding force. In most configurations you will want to use load (TPS or MAP) as an indicator of desired shift aggressiveness. At higher load you will want greater shift speed and firmness and at lower engine load you will want lower shift speed and firmness. In most configurations you will want the most aggressive shifting speed and firmness in higher gears and less aggressive shifting speed and firmness in lower gears (to reduce drivetrain shock and increase driver comfort). This is graphed as Load (TPS or MAP) vs. Duty Cycle.
Load vs. Accumulator Pressure. Many modern transmissions do not use an electronic accumulator and this form can be skipped unless your transmission uses an electronic accumulator.Typically accumulator pressure is a function of line pressure but offers additional control over shift speed and firmness. The accumulator can be thought of as a type of fluid damper. Without accumulators, shifting would feel much like “dropping” the clutch in a manual transmission. Many electronic transmissions do not offer electronic control of the accumulators. The greater the duty cycle applied to this solenoid, the lower accumulator pressure for most transmissions. Less accumulator pressure generally translates into quicker shift speeds and firmer shifts.In most configurations you will also want to use load (TPS or MAP) as an indicator of desired shift speed and firmness. At higher load you will want greater shift aggressiveness and at lower load you will want less shift aggressiveness.In most configurations you will want the most aggressive shifting speed and firmness in higher gears and less aggressive shifting speed and firmness in lower gears (to reduce drivetrain shock and increase driver comfort). This is graphed as Load (TPS or MAP) vs. Duty Cycle.
Upshift/Downshift Tables. The tables that control part throttle upshift and downshift parameters have been broken down by gear. We have chosen to group the upshift to the next gear and the downshift to the prior gear on the same form to prevent shift table overlapping which could inadvertently trap the transmission in the wrong gear or cause gear hunting and unnecessary shifts. For advanced users a table is available showing all upshifts and downshifts as well as current state in a single form. Keep in mind while editing this table that the WOT settings contain your full throttle upshift and downshift parameters and should be matched to these tables. Also keep in mind that your TPS input must be configured to determine what WOT throttle is.
5.3.1.3.1 Low gear to high gear shift (upshift).
A good example to walk through is pictured in the table below. The shift table below shows a 1st to 2nd gear shift with a blue line. In most configurations you will want to use load (TPS or MAP) as an indicator of desired shift speed. At low load you will want a low shift speed to keep the engine from revving too high. Maintaining a low shift speed will also lead to smoother shifting as line and accumulator pressure are typically programmed for softer operation at low load.At high load you will want a high shift speed to utilize full engine power before shifting. Your upshift points (blue line) should always be higher than your downshift points (red line). In each cell, the transmission will not upshift until reaching the speed value in the box for each load point.Be careful not to exceed your maximum RPM with any speed value. The speed input/output form has a speed calculator based on engine RPM, gearing, final drive ratio, and tire size which can help you match this chart to your WOT settings.
5.3.1.3.2 High gear to low gear shift (downshift).
The table above also provides a good example of a 2nd to 1st gearshift. Similar methodology applies to the downshift as did for the upshift in this form. In each cell, the transmission will not downshift until reaching the speed value in the box for each load value. Be careful not to exceed your maximum RPM with any speed value. The speed input/output form has a speed calculator based on engine RPM, gearing, final drive ratio, and tire size which can help you match this chart to your WOT settings. Always keep adequate room between the upshift table and downshift table. If you do not, your transmission may hunt for gears and shift too often or in inappropriate situations.
5.3.1.4 TCC Lock/Unlock TableThis table allows the user to define at what speed and load the torque converter will lock or unlock. One trick some users choose is to raise the lockup MPH at zero throttle. This is only useful when you need quick acceleration from a closed throttle condition. An example follows; if you are towing and coming down a hill, you may be at zero throttle. When you start going up the next hill, setting your lockup this way will keep the converter from locking up thereby providing quicker throttle response. An example graph can be seen in the second figure below. Many applications will want to use a normal TCC lockup curve as found in OEM applications. An example of a normal TCC lockup curve can be seen in first figure below. If TCC lockup per gear has been selected, the TCC lockup and unlock curves will be in the upshift/downshift tables and the TCC Lockup/Unlock table will disappear.
The default values are shown. Enter the first gear to begin locking up the torque converter clutch (TCC) in (some transmissions will not allow lockup in some gears, usually 1st gear). Preventing lockup when the engine and transmission is cold helps to warm your engine and transmission more rapidly in cold conditions. At high fluid temps the torque converter can be locked to prevent the thermal breakdown of your transmission fluid, seals and mechanical failure. TCC lockup may be selected per gear or for all gears (normal).TCC lockup per gear provides a different TCC lockup and unlock curve for each gear. Normal TCC lockup provides a single TCC lockup and unlock curve that is not gear related. Most users should select normal TCC lockup. TCC lockup per gear should only be used by advanced users and for installations requiring this complexity. The TCC can be unlocked during upshifts and downshifts to provide smoother shifting and alleviate drivetrain harshness.
PWM TCC Pressure Control. Torque converter lockup rate control is provided to allow for smooth lockup and unlocking of the torque converter. This sometimes needs to be changed if you have a high stall torque converter that features a small diameter lockup clutch. In this case, you will want to increase the Lockup Ending Duty Cycle to a higher %. You may also want to Increase the Lockup Rate (% per second) to some higher number as well. Be sure to set the lockup ending duty cycle at a value that is high enough to prevent TCC slippage when the converter is locked!
A Temperature vs. line pressure trim allows the user to raise or lower the line pressure in extreme climates.This trim can be based on the transmission fluid temperature sensor. The behavior of line pressure with respect to temperature should be based on the transmission fluid temperature.
These parameters determine where your vehicle will upshift and downshift when the Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) reaches a value high enough to trigger WOT mode. You can define what WOT is by changing the WOT voltage in the analog input for your TPS. To disable the WOT mode altogether, program 0% for the % of WOT throttle voltage to use WOT parameters in the TPS analog input form. This can be done in the case of no RPM input (ie. Some diesel applications.) The WOT upshift rpm values determine when your transmission will upshift with respect to engine RPM. This is programmable per gear, so the WOT upshift RPM for 1st gear controls the 1-2 upshift RPM. WOT downshifts are determined by speed and determine the minimum speed at which the next lower gear may be selected. For example if you are in 4th gear and go WOT at 95mph, you will only downshift to 3rd if you place a value greater than 95mph in the WOT downshift MPH 4th gear setting. When setting these parameters please keep your engine RPM in mind. You should never allow a WOT downshift near redline because you will be immediately upshifting or over-revving.Your WOT values should be matched to your part throttle upshift and downshift tables.
As mentioned before, shift calibration B can be used as a performance mode, or as a towing mode, or even valet mode. This can be programmed by the end user. If you don’t desire to use calibration B, then you can simply ignore these tables. Calibration B provides a completely different calibration which allows different accumulator pressure, line pressure, shift points, tcc lockup points, tcc pressure control, tcc lockup parameters, temperature trims, and WOT settings. To enable calibration B, a digital input must be set to trigger calibration B or test mode may be used to trigger calibration B. Some users link manual mode operation with calibration B so that when a manual mode input is triggered, a calibration B input is also triggered. This provides different line pressure, tcc lockup and trim parameters for manual mode shifting.
5.3.3 Copy CalibrationCopy Calibration.This form has been provided to speed tuning of calibration B. Choose which calibration to copy from and which to copy to. This will overwrite the previous calibration being copied to.
5.3.4 Dyno ModeDyno mode is provided to allow use on a chassis dynamometer without any upshifts or downshifts.Once the programmed gear and speed are reached, the TCC will remain engaged until the vehicle speed becomes low enough to trigger a downshift at the 0% load/throttle value in the part throttle upshift/downshift tables. It simply requires a digital input from the user.
The TCU setup includes the sensor configuration that was setup by the TCU Initial Setup Wizard. If you change your TPS or decide to use a MAP sensor to measure engine load instead of a TPS, then it can be setup using this tab.
5.4.1.1 Throttle Position
This sensor configuration is required for all applications. This is typically input during the initial configuration, but can be done later if you so desire. The voltage is typically from .4 to .5 volts at an idle and from 4.4-4.6 volts at WOT. If you are using the TCU in an application that does not have an RPM reference, then you may change the % of TPS for WOT to 0%. This will allow you to control WOT shift points with the Part Throttle Shift tables.
5.4.1.2 Manifold Pressure
You may elect to use engine manifold pressure instead of throttle position to determine engine load in certain applications. Typically turbocharged applications are better suited to using manifold pressure instead of TPS readings.Most applications will not require the use of a MAP sensor input. If you use this input, you must choose a calibration for your particular MAP sensor.
5.4.1.3 Engine RPM
The Engine RPM calibration will simply require you to enter the number of cylinders as well as the type of tachometer input that you have. Some late model COP (Coil On Plug) applications require the use of less than the actual number of cylinders to be input.(ie. The LS based V8 engines will require the number of cylinders to be 4 instead of 8.) This is because of the number of pulses per engine rev that this type of engine has. Concerning the type of tach, most late model vehicles should be standard tach. If you have an older points type ignition, you should select the high voltage tach. If you have a magnetic trigger, then choose that type tach.
5.4.1.4 Vehicle Speed
The next screen require you to input parameters such as tire diameter, rear gear ratio, output speed sensor Pulses Per Mile and for Ford E4OD applications, the 4WD Low Transfer Case Ratio.
This next screen will allow you to use the TPS or MAP to control Line Pressure, Accumulator Pressure and Torque Converter Lock Up functions. Most normally aspirated applications will use the TPS for these functions.
The Mode Input Setup screen will allow you to change the Function inputs for the different Modes that are featured in the TCU. You can utilize either a +12V source or a Ground source to activate these features. Most of these can be used with either momentary or toggle inputs. The reverse logic function allows you to activate the different modes when the input source is not applied.
If your vehicle is also equipped with a FAST XFI system, then you can share information for the TPS, MAP, and Engine RPM through the CAN wires. This is a Plug and Play procedure. Simply plug the TCU’s CAN input connector into the XFI’s CAN connector and check the Receive Inputs from XFI button. After that, the appropriate inputs must be checked.
Datalogging is one of the most powerful features offered by the TCU. It allows a user to see transmission behavior and engine behavior. The extra analog and digital inputs offered by the TCU also allows the TCU to be used as a general datalogging device for any other vehicle functions you may wish to record.
To begin a datalog, do the following:
1. The TCU power must be on and the TCU must be communicating/online with your computer.
2. Go to the datalog pull down/explorer folder. Double click the Start Logging button.
3. A window will appear with the option to “Start Logging” and several Datalogging rates will be offered.Choose your datalogging rate and click on the “Start Logging” button. When prompted, choose a file name and location for your datalog. As with calibration files you may want to choose a descriptive name including the time, date, and/or application of your datalog. Once you have chosen a name and location, click save or press enter.
4. The software and your computer will now begin datalogging.You may view the transmission behavior through the monitor screen while datalogging.
When you have completed your datalog, you may click on the “stop logging” button.This will complete your datalogging session and save your datalog file to the location you specified.
Click the Start Logging Button to begin the datalog.
To view a datalog, do the following:
Datalogs may be viewed with the Datalog Viewer software, Microsoft Excel or any other program that can handle the tab delimited values contained in the datalog. The Datalog Viewer software offers a much stronger set of capabilities and datalogging viewing options; however we understand that many users may wish to use other tools or analysis methods which do not fall within the scope of the TCU software.The datalog files use the file extension .tlg which is associated with the Datalog Viewer Software; however this does not prevent users from opening the same file in Microsoft Excel.
To use the Datalog Viewer software, go to the datalog pull down/explorer folder. Double click the view button. If you know the location of the datalog file, you may also open this file directly, which will automatically start the Datalog Viewer software.
If the Datalog Viewer software is not being opened with a file, a blank screen will appear. Click the “load” button or go to File-> Open.Choose the file location and name and click open or hit enter.
Initially, your datalog will appear in graph view. To begin viewing the data, click in the boxes next to the datafields you wish to see near the top of the screen. You may view this data in a tabular view by clicking the table view button on the icon menu.
Several zooming options are available by right clicking your mouse button. You may zoom in by clicking on a beginning time and an ending time for your graph selection. You may also choose to view all the data, zoom to a percentage, or zoom to a particular time period.
Please refer to the hotkeys list for a complete listing of key options for navigating the datalog menu.
You may load another datalog or continue tuning at any time.
The TCU has two modes of communication, CAN and RS-232. They have the following specifications.
Controller Area Network (CAN)
· Noise tolerant, high speed communication standard typical in automotive applications
· 1Mb/s maximum transfer rate
· Meets 2.0b specifications
· User definable configuration and messages
RS-232
· Noise tolerant, low speed PC compatible communication standard
· 38.4 Kbps maximum transfer rate
· Used for datalogging & PC communication
When in offline mode, the software background will be gray.Offline mode simply means that the TCU is not connected and is not currently communicating with the PC. Any changes made to a calibration while in offline mode must be saved in that calibration and will not affect the TCU unless that calibration is sent to the TCU when it is connected.
When in online mode, the software background will be blue.Online mode simply means that the TCU is connected and is currently communicating with the PC. Any changes made to the calibration will occur in real-time and will directly affect the programming of the TCU.
Verify Communication. The TCU software will attempt to auto-detect the TCU when it is plugged into your computer. If the TCU software is unable to auto detect the presence of the TCU, you should double check that your serial port is active or your USB to serial port adapter is properly installed and functioning. Check that no other software is running and that no other programs may be using the serial port. Often customers will have PDA software, GPS software or a second session of the TCU software running which will interfere with proper TCU communication. Once your hardware has been checked, use the Communications -> Go Online command or CTRL-G to attempt to connect to the TCU again. If you are still unable to connect to the TCU, please contact our technical support.
5.6.1 Go Online
If you are working in Offline Mode, simply press CTRL-G to connect and go on-line. Make sure that your ignition key is on and that you do have +12V to the TCU.
5.6.2 Go Offline
If you are working in Online Mode, simply press CTRL-H to disconnect and go off-line.
5.6.3 Retrieve Calibration from TCU
This feature allows you to retrieve the TCU calibration and save it to your computer or to an external disk.
5.6.4 Send Calibration to TCU
This overwrites the current TCU calibration.
5.6.5 Monitor
The monitor screen offers a wealth of information regarding the current status of the engine, transmission and TCU. To get to the monitor screen, go to the communications pull down/explorer folder and select monitor. Alternatively, the hotkey CTRL-M will also work. A large screen will appear with several gauges and a full listing of TCU input/output status. The gauge units and increments may be changed with the setup button available when the monitor screen is open.
5.6.6 Flash Upgrade
The flash upgrade procedure should not be used unless well understood. The flash upgrade procedure is not intended to change a calibration file or to tune the transmission controller. The flash upgrade procedure is only used for firmware upgrades. Firmware upgrades directly modify the code in the control systems of the transmission controller. The ability to flash upgrade the firmware allows the transmission controller to be upgraded in the field so that new features can be added and possible problems can be remedied.
5.6.6.1 Select Port Manually
This screen allows the user to manually choose which Comm port to use for Flash upgrades only.
5.6.6.2 Flash Upgrade TCU
To perform a flash upgrade, do the following:
1. The TCU power must be on and the TCU must be communicating and online with your computer.
2. To begin a flash upgrade, select Communications -> flash upgrade from the explorer menu or Communications -> flash upgrade -> flash upgrade TCU from the toolbar. Once this form opens, no other forms will be available. This is done to protect the TCU. At this form, the firmware major and minor revision will be displayed.The hardware revision will also be displayed.
3. To begin flashing the transmission controller, click the "Open Flash File to Begin" button. This will open a file selection menu. Only *.rom files can be opened and the correct file must be chosen for a proper upgrade. If you are unsure about which rom file you should use, contact technical support first. When using newer software with an older controller (or vice versa), the unit may not communicate or properly find the com port until it is flash upgraded.You may need to manually select the com port. Once the correct file has been selected, click open in the current menu.
4. A warning message will appear with a warning not to turn the power off until the upgrade is complete. Follow these instructions explicitly. Heed this warning! Click the yes button if you are prepared to flash the unit.
The initial flash upgrade screen will display a progress bar and provide some information about the flash procedure. Once complete, the last line of text will read “Flash upgrade complete!”
5. If you experience a box that appears saying “error writing to unit please check connection and try again.” You will need to turn the unit off and on again, check all your connections and start over with these directions. Your unit will not begin to function properly again until a successful flash has been completed.
5.6.7 Comm Port Settings
5.6.7.1 Auto Retrieve on Connect.
The software will auto-detect the presence of the transmission controller. It can automatically retrieve the configuration upon connection.
5.6.7.2 Continuously Scan for TCU
You can also choose to have the software continuously scan for the TCU.
5.6.7.3 When Software Starts
You have two options under this tab. The first is to autoscan at startup. This feature searches all ports. The second option is to attempt to use the last port that was used.
5.7.1 Monitor Setup
This screen allows the user to program the monitor screen to their specific requirements. On this screen you can program the tach, vehicle speed and MAP gauges on the monitor screen.
5.7.2 Toolbar Setup
This feature allows the user to customize the toolbar and include shortcuts to many of the TCU features.
5.7.3 Unit Selection
The user can choose units for temperature, MAP and vehicle speed, as well as overall Metric or Standard units.
5.7.4 Advanced
This screen allows the user to change the sampling rate and screen update rate. The defaults are shown below and are good for most applications.
The Window Tab allows the user to choose how they view the tables within the software. You can choose between Cascade, Tile and Explorer Views. You can also click the Close All Windows option to close all of the table windows.
5.8.1 Cascade
5.8.2 Tile
5.8.3 Explorer View
5.8.4 Close All Windows
5.9.1 About
The about option displays the version of the software. As you can see below, this particular example shows Version 2.0.0.
