rusEFI firmware currently supports two protocols for ECU monitoring & control
-
human-readable native protocol - connect to the ECU using HyperTerminal. This used to be protocol rusEFI console was using but not any more, we are moving towards not having text protocol enabled by default.
-
binary protocol for integration with rusEFI console or TunerStudio tuning software See tunerstudio.cpp for a brief description of this binary protocol
For physical level rs232 is used ("serial port") - either via a FL232 chip or by emulating a USB device right within stm32f4. A bluetooth option is also available.
Q: Why two protocols? can you achieve the same results using both protocols? A: Not really. Our text-based protocol has support for human-readable messages and it handles our own build-in logic analyzer - it is better for troubleshooting. The protocol has better support for engine tuning in terms of editing individual cells on fuel maps etc.
Q: Is the binary protocol compatible with MegaSquirt? A: Kind of, but not really. The general protocol is the same, but the packet format is rusEFI specific. All this works based on TunerStudio packet definition flexibility.