OFT vs. Ecutek
 

What are the pros and cons of using these two tuning softwares? I've done a search and could not find a specific thread. I am on the fence between the two software programs. I understand, with Openflash, you can flash as many times as you want and there is no limit. Which software has more maps and which one seems to making more NA power on 93 octane? My car has an Injen itake, Perrin overpipe, Invidia catless front pipe, and Invidia SS catback...I am waiting on the FT86 SPEED FACTORY catted UEL header to come out.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

Not sure how you missed the literally dozens of threads on OFT and ecutek if you did a search. It's been discussed Ad Nauseam here but essentially they are both comparable to one another if you don't plan to run a FI kit and ignore the cost of either product. If you just want to run an off the self map OFT is a tad cheaper while also giving you the ability to data log. You can data log with ecutek as well if you buy the cable and have access to a laptop.

If you want a custom tune, find a local tuner that you trust and use what he/she recommends OR you can get etuning with either product.

TBH, this is a good idea, because they are very similar, but I'm sure there are key differences, such as Ecutek supporting custom maps such as Flex-Fuel and Speed Density tuning, which would be pretty important to DIY people who want to piece together a kit and have it tuned locally on a dyno. I'm not sure that OFT supports custom mapping.

Not yet. Maybe not ever. It's hard to tell. They keep adding features pretty rapidly.

Currently, the OFT does not offer fuel fuel sensor integration or speed density tuning. However, I yet to tune an application where speed density is needed or even desirable. Perhaps it is best left to high boost turbos. Flexfuel sensor compatibility is something that we will eventually work on but it's not a high priority at this time. Right now, we are more focused on adding more diagnostic enhanced functionality to take advantage of the OFT's handheld convenience.

What the OFT does offer is a complete package in terms of functionality. You do not need a laptop to flash your ECU, to read/clear codes, to datalog or to look at datalog graphics. You can keep the OFT plugged into your OBD2 port when you are driving an have access to engine data and digital bar gauges.

The other distinct advantage OFT offers is the ability to be removed and resold, with new-unit functionality, at little or no loss to the original buyer.

We've sold over 800 BRZ/FRS OFTs since launching it a few months back. Part of this has to do with the additional discounts (OFT Dollars) you get on other products when purchasing an OFT.

Cheers,
shiv

OFT does indeed support custom mapping and our own in-house dyno/e-tuning tuning service :)

If you're having someone else tune your car, talk to them about what software they're most comfortable using.

If you're tuning it yourself, have a look at the software yourself and see what you like.

One benefit to OFT is that there are free off the shelf maps for various setups to get you started, EcuTek doesn't include any maps unless you buy them from a tuner.

Ecutek is infinitely more powerful than the open source solutions (which I'll include openflash in, being that it uses open source software to handle the actual tuning). Whether or not you need that extra power depends on a few things, primarily how much air you plan to move and how much you're into tuning and tweaking things.

For the average user that won't tune themselves and is comfortable with an OTS map, OpenFlash is a great option. For the powerusers, or anyone who wants a custom e-tune, Ecutek is a no-brainer. It has a wide variety of tuners and robust logging capabilities that are necessary to develop a decent etune (if there is a such thing lol).

FWIW i've used every option available for this platform to tune a turbo car, so i'm pretty familiar with the advantages/drawbacks. it took about a day and a half with ecutek to solve problems i spent months hacking around without custom maps. if you'd like more detail on certain areas, pm me.

In fairness the newest update from ecutek allows flashing of off the shelf maps but you will need to buy the cable to do so yourself.

If all you need is off the shelf maps then OFT is the cheaper of the two options with the added benefit of data logging through the device without the need of a laptop.

EDIT: not sure why the last poster said that ecutek is a no brainer for custom etunes since that option is also available to OFT users. The only thing that shiv doesn't current do is etunes for forced induction (which will change in the future since he's got at least two FI tunes coming out soon) There is nothing keeping a tuner from using open source tuning and flashing the map with the OFT.

To be fair James, some of the custom maps you are using now already existed in open source tuning software. Also, to even a power hungry FA20 owner who wants, say 300whp (almost twice stock), do you really believe that one tuning option will make more power or be more drivable than the other? Assuming competent tuning for both of course.

sure, at that level it can be done with anything, but it's a hell of a lot easier to do directly with custom maps. i'm not arguing that you can't make a excellent driving 300whp 86 with opensource tools (i've done it myself several times), just that it's a hell of a lot easier when you can alter params and set up routines directly with custom maps rather than hacking around the problems associated and trying to work within the parameters of stock routines.

not to mention that anyone with 300whp (presumably boosted) is going to want things like overboost protection, gear-based boost, etc which just can't be done properly without custom maps.

i only speak of what i've found in my own experience using all of the available solutions extensively. i hold no bias whatsoever, and think all of the solutions are great. we're drunk with options lol. it's just that i personally have found custom maps to be invaluable. i'm a huge supporter of (and contributor to) opensource but ecutek has a killer app with custom maps, at least for a small subset of the market.

without custom maps it's a wash, but they're just so damn nice to have that i couldn't go back to not having them.

Thanks, everyone....I wasn't trying to start a forum argument war, but to merely seek information between the two software programs. I went with OFT. Mainly because of the price and plug and play( no need for a laptop). I'll fun the off the shelf tunes, for a while. If I need a custom tune, I'll give their E-tuning a try.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

Good call, definitely sounds like the right solution for you.

I'd never argue OpenFlash isn't right for 90% of the market, just that Ecutek is way more right for the other 10%. no war here, just happy we have options to argue about ;)

Give it a year and I'll bet another pretty penny that OFT will suit the needs of that other 10% as well.

I surely hope so, but being in the software dev business i can assure you there's a whooooooole lotta work to be done to make it as flexible as RaceRom. Sure you may see SD and Boost Cut come into play, but I doubt you'll be able to define your own routines any time soon. It's really easy to accommodate one use case, it's extremely difficult to create a tool that allows any user to accommodate any use case.

Now please prove me wrong :).

Maybe speed density is not needed at the moment on this platform, but it for sure will be after all the "kit based" turbo hype is over. The only true way to make power on most efi imports is by eliminating the maf and using map and iat. Its relevant to custom kit builders because they are more than likely not looking for an off the shelf base map.

Btw, dont take this as a rant for one company or another. I am all for competition because it will bring the best options for the end user.

There's a thread in this very section discussing this with a differing opinion than yours. Could you explain why you think speed density is a requirement for turbo applications?

EDIT: I can't find that thread right now. I suspect it fell victim to a moderator delete during the great ecutek/visconti flame fest of '13.

Thanks op for asking the question I had rattling around in my head ;-)
Does the OFT offer flat foot shifting and launch control?
If so... I just might be a very near future customer.

Yes and yes

Is it easily adjustable?

Launch control adjustment requires you to modify a single field on the bin file, which is fairly easy. This current map release is on dev format which is not adjustable but the maps will be released in bin format once they are out of beta. Shiv noted that all future beta releases will follow this format so there will be a short delay period where the new maps will not be adjustable.

Yes, you can adjust it in the user tuning software (RomRaider):

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k4...4506/LCFFS.jpg

Because in an na to turbo conversion, you will most likely want blow through for driveability. This presents the problem of having the sensor prematurely failing from too much boost (usually over 15 psi). I know many nissan guys that have to deal with this (mafs physically blowing off or randomly failing). On the other hand, pull through setups (like factory turbo cars) generally lead to cars stalling out. I suppose a good tuner can fix these issues, but speed density becomes easier with big boost, especially for end users.

I really wish the thread that shiv participated in wasn't deleted because he put it way more eloquently than I can but his assertion was that MAF works just fine for boosted applications, it's just that tuners are used to tuning with MAP so that's what they do.

Almost every OEM turbo car (GTR, Porsche, Mazda, Subaru, Toyota, etc,.) uses a draw through MAF configuration. Compared to Speed Density approach, MAF just does the best job at actually measuring airflow. Most aftermarket "tuner" turbo kits suggest SD conversion because this allow them to simplify hardware and dump blow-off valve discharge to the atmosphere instead of re-routing it back to the intake tract (post MAF). Running a draw-through MAF configuration with BOV dumped to atmosphere will cause all sorts of drivability issues (stalling, partial throttle lumpiness, etc,.) But that is more a reflection of the turbo system hardware, not the tuning side of things. My suggestion is to have a turbo kit that is designed properly and then pick the best tuning approach from that point onwards. Not pick a turbo kit that isn't fully resolved and then pick the only tuning approach that has any chance of making it work well.

My 2c,
Shiv

you will run out of maf around 350ish whp, or atleast the cars i've tuned ran out around there (one actually a bit lower). so, if you're on pump gas you probably won't need it. if you're running a larger turbo or e85, you will. the alternative is to install a larger maf housing, but that may not work well depending on your hardware configuration, and won't get you around the load limit anyway (which may matter at that level). so theoretically you could keep installing larger maf tubes until you hit 4g/rev, then you're done.

i generally prefer to run a hybrid setup, with maf on the low end and sd up top. it's the best-of-both-worlds way to go, imho.

Exactly what I do with my flex/e85/Big turbo cars. Cars drive great, and can deliver power until you max out the fuel system, engine, trans ect.


IMO OFT is basically free software that comes with a tablet, " no lab-top needed" but you are paying for free software, because you have to buy the tablet from them... Why not just use the free stuff on your existing labtop?
You can buy the ECUTEK end user Cable/License and do the same thing, but have software that has been evolving for 2yrs and comes backed by guys who have pioneered the tuning side of the FA platform for just as long. That alone makes it worth while.

As an tuner yourself, you should talk with customers who have owned both tuning options and get a better handle on what most people find valuable, necessary and unimportant. As tuners, many of us tend to put excessive value in things that most people either don't care about or will never benefit from (SD conversion for instance). Likewise, we also tend to devalue things that many typical customers truly appreciate on a day to day basis (handheld convenience, not having to muck with comm ports or software licenses, stability, diagnostic simplicity, free tunes, a large open community and the ability to resell without losing $$ etc,.). At the end of the day, everyone has different priorities. And it's probably not a good idea to project one's own needs to that of others/your customers. After 15yrs of being in the tuning business, I finally learned this lesson. Just recently, in fact :)

Why I decided on OFT -other people may be different

1. Small Stand alone device - no laptop required once loaded with tunes, easily stored in car - no battery to go flat - stable device for flashing ie not a laptop which will be used for other things than flashing

2. Access to updated tunes for current set-up or future mods including E85 option and supercharger (doubt I will do it though) - things always evolve and change so its nice not to have to continually "pay" for re-tunes/updates as tuners find better ways of doing things ect

3. User can flash back to stock ROM for dealer servicing no fingerprint left in ROM (very important)

4. Good support

5. User Can de-marry from vehicle and sell unit or mates(friends) can try out tune on their car before they buy their own OFT unit (good sales feature)

6. logging/diagnostics available on unit

7. Custom E-tuning available if you ever needed it.

8. Ability to make changes to tune if you so desire

9. Reasonable price considering access to tunes .


Yes I could have bought a Tactrix Box for half the price and used the tunes, but I would rarther pay a bit extra for the support. If I was an experienced Tuner or lots of previous experience maybe I would have gone that way

The EcuTek suite is continuously developed, highly refined, and developed for professionals to be efficient and effective. This allows a multitude of both e-tuners and countless local tuners now that support it and use the hardware/software. Because of how efficient the software is the tuning time goes a long way. At 150/hr that's an important facet.

If you can't afford it then stick to open source. Tablets are nice for portability and watching datalogs, but we're tuning a 28k car with often times 10k+ in work. Portability is not a concern, it's not a cell phone. If you're having to constantly tweak it you're doing it wrong. And now that the base ecutek software package allows DIY editing, it is no less open than anything else for those who want to share.

Mike,

Pretty aggressive response mate :thumbdown:
"If you can't afford it then stick to open source."

Maybe I can afford it but I choose to spend my money elsewhere :) and maybe not on cars

Not everyone is going to drop "times 10k+ on mods". Agreed if someone is going that far then it probably does not matter to them and its their choice.

"If you're having to constantly tweak it you're doing it wrong."

Most thing's I find are continuous improvement (maybe all the Formula 1 teams get it wrong as they are continually tweaking their cars) as you learn more you find better ways of doing things or other options become available.

As stated everyone is different and has different priorities and some people like to learn and do a bit more themselves rather than pay someone else to do it. We might not get it right or do it as well as as so called "professional" but its the satisfaction from learning as you go. :):)

OFT vs. Ecutek
 

And what are the thoughts on BRZ Edit in the middle of these two?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

OFT vs ECUTEK

The mac vs pc argument of the ft86 world

Pick a tuner, use what they are comfortable with.
Likewise, research the features and discuss them with your tuner.

I have Ecutek and a SD hybrid tune and its fantastic.
Likewise there are OFT users with MAF tunes that will report as equally fantastic. I am going e85 and hopefully 350+ whp so I like the ability to run SD if the MAF isn't up to it. I also like flex fuel and the refined nature of the software and its abilities that are at the disposal of my tuner. Unless you run into limitations of the software you wouldn't know the difference between two cars with different tuning software IMO. Its all in the TUNER

Research, find a tuner, make your own educated choice.
People on either side of the argument will only tell you how what they picked was the best thing since cam phasing

i accomplished in a day with ecutek what took months to accomplish with open source tools. that's just fact. that's not saying oft isn't right for the 90% of the market that is more interested in having a tune than in tuning, but if you're into tuning and tweaking and want to save a lot of time an effort, my experience can only lead me to recommend ecutek. custom maps just make everything so much easier the price difference is really immaterial. not to mention the capabilities.... you can't even do a safe overboost fuel cut without it.

really these products don't compete directly. the target markets are entirely different, and neither has the capability of serving everyone. oft can't do what a lot of (especially boosted) people need it to do, and you can't get free ots maps with ecutek. it's two products for two distinctly different consumers.

brzedit is great software, with absolute garbage for support. not a single update in the entire time i've owned it, completely unresponsive to any sort of support request. having used it i can vouch that it'll work, but with oft and ecutek out there and so much better supported, i'd stay far far away. not to mention it's stolen open source code, which is just wrong to begin with and shouldn't be rewarded.

+ 100

I personally have both now, I have tested a lot of the options for the FT86 and I came from tuning vehicles running Megasquirt 1-3 systems (Tuner Studio) and Domestics Via HP Tuners (You haven't been spoiled by logging and such until you have to stop using VCM Scanner... lol).

In my personal opinion (Others have theirs and I respect it this is mine), OFT is really moving along. Yes you could do a Tatrix (SP?) and Rom Raiders etc but the support Shiv provides to all is really whats made the OFT not just its ease of use.
OFT is been out around 6 months I believe and look at the hard work and advancements it has seen. Its a solid and reliable product from someone who has been providing such products to the BMW community already.
I believe it will be around for a long time to come and continue to show us even more features as time goes on.

EcuTek is a good product to, right now its more mature and has a very large support base but unlike say Tuner Studio and HP Tuners its not as open. By this I mean you should already be comfortable with tuning because sharing of information or tunes is not nearly as common.
(HP Tuners has a Tune Repository where users share tunes and information including base files and Megasquirt/Tuner Studio provide a ton of end user support as well as forums directly with both company's and on most car forums)
Finding tune files with EcuTek is well... spars so if you're wanting to look at tunes and get a feel for where tuners generally look this is also not going to really help do so. Again making it clear you need to be familiar and confident or not care and just try.
However right now EcuTek does support some really nice custom features and better logging (I still would really like to see that side of EcuTek grow, it could have so much more I would love table outputs like in VCM Studio) and it really is well thought out. For the 600 Starting Price Tag without all of the Racerom features it is a good product and for I believe another 300 more you can get those really nice features found in the Racerom that you will not find elsewhere.
The Price is higher but the abilities are currently much greater.

Personally I would say that unless you are familiar with what tuning involves or have tuned before you might want to stick with the OFT and Rom Raider.Even if you are Familiar having Shiv there to help is a huge bonus. The price is excellent and the growth is amazing so far!

If you know what you are doing then you already know EcuTek is worth the look and has a lot more ready for you at this moment now. I have both because I needed more powerful logging for my SuperCharger build in progress. However I personally tend to recommend Shiv to most and the OFT.

until oft can do a boost cut, sd and raise the load limit, it pretty much comes down to boosted == ecutek, na == oft. at least that's how i see it. there's no reason anyone should buy a unichip or brzedit at this point, and open source isn't really useable in the real world yet.

that's an oversimplification, but it's the gist of it.

I've run boosted applications with OFT. 10psi vortech cars no issue. Currently running a SC in our shop car now. I agree that an overboost protection feature would be a good idea for those running turbos since overboost is always a possibility given a faulty wastegate line or a poorly ported wastegate housing. It is something I will work on when time permits.

But with any of the currently available supercharger kits, both overboost function and SD conversion is completely unnecessary.

At the end of the day, not everyone plans to go turbo and make 400+whp on their FRS/BRZ. And if they do, they are better left going to a local (and competent) tuner and letting him use whatever he is familiar with.

see.. we agree then :). you will definitely run into the maf limit tuning the JR supercharger on e85, though. maf tube is far too small. nels hit 5v on pump gas.

i don't think any competent tuner would suggest running a 400+whp turbo 86 without an overboost cut, regardless of what he's familiar with, but i could be wrong.