Nismotronic: Incompatible ECUs

Introduction

Lately, there have been several users having issues getting a Nissan ECU with a 20×2 header that looks like it should be compatible with Nismotronic to work.  There are some extremely subtle differences between the ECUs that do and do not work.

Identifying Problematic ECUs

All of the ECUs that we have seen so far which do not work are SR20DE ECUs that have the identification “B57-4” printed on their circuit board.

IMG_20151124_152659852

Not all of these ECUs are incompatible.  Most have a helper chip that says “260” on them.  These function normally without issue:

b57good_big

b57goodclose

However, a select few of these ECUs have a helper chip that says “280” on them.  These do not currently function with the Nismotronic board AT ALL:

b57incompat

Solutions

At this time, we have no solution for using Nismotronic with ECUs with “280” multi function chips.  The recommended solution is not to use ECUs with the “280” chip.

This is on our to-fix list but we have no ETA.  We are not yet sure whether hardware will need to be redesigned to accommodate this IC or whether a firmware update will suffice.  In any case, units would need to be returned to home base – this will not be a field upgrade.  This page will be updated as we have more information.