I am working closely with an engineer to design a diy tuning solution for cobalt owners. We currently need someone to donate a stock or modified .bin file (copy of what is written to your ecu) so it can be reverse engineered. We are looking for any cobalt binary file but are more specifically wanting to start with the lsj. If you are willing to donate a copy of this file please contact me for an email adress to send it to. If you donate this file and we get this software up and running we will allow you to be one of the first to test it out if you so desire. Thanks in advance and have a great day!

Sorry to double post the section below but I thought it was necessary to move it up to the top of the page, you will see it posted in its original location further down the thread also.

The .bin file I am looking for is a stock binary file. HPT encrypts their files in the form of a file extension .hpt and I’m sure it’s similar with trifecta. I am not asking for these files. If someone has the knowledge and a spare ecu they could pull the stock .bin file to donate, this would be ideal. This is an unlikely scenario but I am currently unable to provide the extra funds to purchase an ecu for testing purposes. If I have to get out and pull one from my friends cobalt I will do so but this will only slow down the process. The only other option is hoping that someone has a .bin file from a previous tuning project (once again, not one that is encrypted from .hpt or trifecta) on their computer their willing to share. Once again this is also highly unlikely but we must start somewhere/ I am not trying to put anyone out of business nor do I think I could. HPT and Trifecta are very knowledgeable in what they are doing. I am simply trying to offer another option for those interested. I am also not looking to make money on the final product, as discussed, if it’s up to me it will be FREE and OPENSOURCE. I am just looking for some support with the project as it will not be a simple one to tackle, but I feel with the right people and some time we can pull this off. Thanks for all of those of you interested and those of you who have sub'd to this thread...I am still pushing forward with the project and will continue to do so unless support drops off. Keep up the questions as they only help with informing others and could open new doors of opportunity.

Edit:
Additional Info on me: I am a certified automotive technician, shop owner/ operator, and am currently attending computer engineering and electrical engineering and computer science courses. I know several engineers, all who have expertise in different fields and am working closely with at least one at this current time to hopefully help move this project forward. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I would also prefer that if you have any negative comments you keep them to a minimum unless you truly believe they will be productive pertaining to the project which is being discussed. This comment is not directed to anyone one person, just an attempt to help everyone interested get to know more about me and let those who would like to bash me know that I am simply here for the love of cars and hope that we can join together to give everyone more knowledge and opportunity of the vehicles they love.

Also, if you have any information pertaining to this project please post it here where we can hopefully begin to compile as much info to help the project move forward. Any info may be helpful so don't hold back. Feel free to ask "noob" questions as you are most likely not the only one out there with that question. The more information we can compile on this topic the more likely it is that this project will succeed.

 

OooOoOoOoOoOoOoOo I wish I could

 

check out the hp tuners forums you should be able to find some stock tune files on there. Is this going to be a free fully open source thing like ecu flash is for evos? That's what this community really needs.

 

If you dont find one, i have mine on my computer at home

 

At this point pricing has not been discussed nor has it been discussed whether or not the source code will be released.
I personally would like to release it free of charge and make it open source because this allows for endless possibilities in future development. I'm sure a lot of the final decisions will factor in the amount of help we are able to obtain from the cobalt owners. So far there seems to be a decent response to the development of this and there seems to be a few that would be interested in helping out. The more of you that we can rally together to aid in putting this thing together, the more likely hood that we will succeed. I think we can get this done but we will need just as much if not more support from the community as the mitsubishi owner's have.

 

sub'd this sounds interesting

 

So let me get this straight. You want to take someone else's intellectual property and reverse engineer it to build a software package and resell it as your own.

Yeah, I am going to jump right on that and send you my binaries.

Why don't you do this the right way and build a software to scan a ECU that you purchased and develop an application to manipulate that data with a user friendly GUI?

If this were going to be completely open source and you gave your URL / location and defined it in the open source software community, I might be willing to go along with it. But reverse engineering someone else's code is just wrong.

 

I am looking for a "STOCK" binary file from the ecu so we can reverse engineer it "Disassemble it" to create a definition file for a "User Friendly GUI" which we are in the process of developing. I am not looking to reverse engineer a .hpt file or use anyone else's intellectual property. Maybe this is a communication error or bad wording on my part. We are starting from scratch here and looking for a little bit of support from the potential future users, the support would sure help in the deciding factor of whether or not we are going to charge for the final product or release it free and open source. I am simply asking for a donation of a stock .bin file so we can get this project started. If I have to get out and pull one from my friends cobalt I will do so but this will only slow down the process...Please if you are here to bash me or my project kindly understand the project and our intentions before you choose to do so. I came to this community in hopes of bringing to you guys the freedom that we have with mitsubishi's. If you have any questions or "Constructive Critisizm" feel free to chime in, but please don't start drama when we are all just here for the love of cars in the long run. Thanks and have a wonderful day!

 

*Bump*
Ne one with a .bin file that would be interested in donating it for the project?

 

Not to ask a stupid question here, but how exactly would someone go about pulling a binary file from the ecm if you don't mind me asking?

I'm very familiar with hptuners as far as the tuning side goes, but I'm personally flat out retarded when it comes to understanding any sort of the code writing process.. lol

 

This is step one, and sadly enough this is where it already begins to get complicated... Pretty much to keep it short, if you do not have previously developed software to pull the rom image from your ecu then you most likely will have to pull the ecu from the vehicle and bench it. I do not have a cobalt ecu to bench at this current time as I am also in the midst of trying to help develop support for the lancer and since I own a lancer and can beta test on the platform and there is MUCH more support I cannot justify getting a cobalt ecu that I cannot even beta test myself. This is why we are looking for some support from the potential future users and asking for any donation of binary files that may have already been pulled from their ecu's for reprogramming by one of the smaller company's that do not encrypt the stock .bin image before they tune it. I hope this helps clear things up. If you have any other questions feel free to ask as it may help in the development process and may also help others understand so we can gain more support.

 

Im surprised the cobalt community hasn't dipped into this, like LS1 and honda guys. This was done years ago in the thirdgen camaro community, a lot of smart guys over there and its all GM.. but the ecms back then were dinosaurs once obdII came out things changed, a lot more proprietary stuff which is $$$. HPT keeps that stuff locked down rightfully so though. $$

AFAIK every time you flash the pcm with your file you send a request to the pcm which includes some sort of pin # if its right the pcm accepts and allows data to be written to the flash memory. There were guys trying to do this to late 90's vortex truck pcms. I think they wound up de-soldering the flash chip and trying to read it directly.

In the pcm theres the settings which you change with hp tuners but theres also the instruction set which use the values in those tables and run the engine. He needs a compile program to figure out how the cpu follows the instructions and "hack" it. It uses logic, for example if rpm is > 1500 throttle position < 3% and mph > 20 do DFCO.

You may have to get one to crack it open and see what model chips are in there. I think thats why no one has really done it. You can buy it and all that work is done already, but theres thousands? of lines of code in the pcm they created a roadmap so you can change things but how complete is it? There could be things they missed we don't know what gm engineers put in.

You may not need to make a GUI, guys have done this stuff open source.
heres some info. Its for older stuff though but the basics are there.

http://diy-efi.org/gmecm/
DynamicEFI
TunerPro and TunerPro RT - Professional Automobile Tuning Software

I have an older firebird I use that program to tune it and I flash a chip and switch them out when I change settings. For around $100 I bought a pcm, soldered a socket to it, got some flash memory, bought a chip burner and got the software for free.. I hope one day the newer cars will be like this. Sorry but over $500 for some software to change something thats already in our cars and we dont need chips since its in the pcm already is a little crazy to me.

sorry for the long tech post, I wanted to get people on the same page and help if I can.

 

I'd personally be all about sending him a few different binary files from different ecm's, but I quite frankly have NO idea how to pull the file. There is no way (that I found) to do so with hptuners or any other software that I currently have.

 

Damn, I wish I could pull this for you. This is exactly what this community needs. not 600 dollar tuning software that also costs "credits"

 

That 600 dollar tuning software company gave me and a half dozen other people in the US jobs(not to mention the hundreds of indirect jobs we help to support in resellers, hardware manufacturing, supporting sites like this one) so we could support our families and I am very grateful for that.

 

free tuning!?

 

I respect that, doesn't mean I cant bitch about it haha

 

The reason my car isn't tuned has nothing to do with some stupid ass american pride concept.

There is no HP tuner within 500 miles of me, and its expensive - trifecta is a weak option and ultimately a headache to deal with as well.

So my car is stock until I feel im not getting absolutely ripped of or having my time wasted.

This is the first thread ive SUBD too!! Very interested. Hopefully not to many Americans starve to death over this..

 

not to smash OP, but getting started in this bis is going to cost you money.

Like Bill mentioned that bin file is accessed using a propriatary software (either HPT or Trifecta)
in addition you are asking someone to use a paid for program to send you a free file so you can make money on it

FYI PCMs go for about 200 on the net, you may try that route instead

 

The .bin file I am looking for is a stock binary file. HPT encrypts their files in the form of a file extension .hpt and I’m sure it’s similar with trifecta. I am not asking for these files. If someone has the knowledge and a spare ecu they could pull the stock .bin file to donate, this would be ideal. This is an unlikely scenario but I am currently unable to provide the extra funds to purchase an ecu for testing purposes. The only other option is hoping that someone has a .bin file from a previous tuning project (once again, not one that is encrypted from .hpt or trifecta) on their computer their willing to share. Once again this is also highly unlikely but we must start somewhere/ I am not trying to put anyone out of business nor do I think I could. HPT and Trifecta are very knowledgeable in what they are doing. I am simply trying to offer another option for those interested. I am also not looking to make money on the final product, as discussed, if it’s up to me it will be FREE and OPENSOURCE. Once again, I am just looking for some support with the project as it will not be a simple one to tackle, but I feel with the right people and some time we can pull this off. Thanks for all of those of you interested and those of you who have sub'd to this thread...I am still pushing forward with the project and will continue to do so unless support drops off. Keep up the questions as they only help with informing others and could open new doors of opportunity.

Edit:
Additional Info on me: I am a certified automotive technician, shop owner/ operator, and am currently attending computer engineering and electrical engineering and computer science courses. I know several engineers, all who have expertise in different fields and am working closely with at least one at this current time to hopefully help move this project forward. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I would also prefer that if you have any negative comments you keep them to a minimum unless you truly believe they will be productive pertaining to the project which is being discussed. This comment is not directed to anyone one person, just an attempt to help everyone interested get to know more about me and let those who would like to bash me know that I am simply here for the love of cars and hope that we can join together to give everyone more knowledge and opportunity of the vehicles they love.

Also, if you have any information pertaining to this project please post it here where we can hopefully begin to compile as much info to help the project move forward. Any info may be helpful so don't hold back. Feel free to ask "noob" questions as you are most likely not the only one out there with that question. The more information we can compile on this topic the more likely it is that this project will succeed.

 

Sub'd

 

 

I'm an engineer, too bad not in computer science or I would be all over helping you do this.

 

If you would like a quick rundown of the basics I found this online. This may help a few of you understand what the diy tune project entails.
http://www.defcon.org/images/defcon-...-15-higbee.pdf

 

That would be great, but in the long run you don't have to be an engineer to figure it all out, you just need ALOT of time and an internet connection. The world wide web is an amazing thing, but searching through and reading page after page after page and sifting through the false information can be a daunting task. But for those dedicated enough the information is right at your fingetips.