Link ecus discussion - split from bazdas thread

[matt dunn]

i think you'll find that baz's remark about the link was just a cheeky side remark,

Really? From my chats with him it seems not.

autotune feature is quite cool on them too, and a few company's are looking into also, i think wolf has it, and microtech are currently working on it.

The older links had a narrow band Input and I actually tuned two or three cars (inc my DX) entirely on narrow band self tune at the track.
It was only when I decided that I needed more power that I went and got a better tune, but in fact have never made as much on a dyno as I did before.

only what they heard from their brothers mate uncles daughters goat.

Hey, leave Mr Revheads girlfriend ou of it,

[mister2]

Part of the problem is that Link themselves are USELESS at spreading the word about their new products, and so they get tarred with the reputation of the older stuff. They actually are a pretty good bit of kit.

must say the 22psi limit was quite frustrating when trying to squeeze extra power out of a 1.6L engine and still retain good response.

Case in point, you can actually request a 55psi MAP sensor option for $135 with the LEM G3. But who knows that?? It's not on their bloody pricelist that they haven't updated in months. It's only because we do testing and development for them that we find this stuff out!

Cheers

Nick

[IH8TEC]

Case in point, you can actually request a 55psi MAP sensor option for $135 with the LEM G3. But who knows that?? It's not on their bloody pricelist that they haven't updated in months. It's only because we do testing and development for them that we find this stuff out!

Cheers

Nick

link are bloody useless. even when i called them they said this was not an option on the g3's...... now i'm seriously considering saving the extra coin to get the g3.

because i know running more boost than 22psi is not adviseable on the lem4, but i've been told (damian a1 turbos) you can turn the boost cut off, and tune the last zone of the map for that boost ie 25psi... can you shed soem light on that nick? would be much appreciated

feel free to pm me about it if you dont think it's beneficial to this thread.

thanks
brendon

[strx7]

a carb and a locked dizzy can make a car run 8's down the 1/4, doesn't mean its going to be even remotely drivable anywhere else.

Link cant really push their products all that hard because if you actually look at what they offer, they are, and always have been an ECU generation behind the rest of the people who play in their feild, motec, haltech, autronic etc etc etc.

WHat you have to remember is companies like that started making ecu's in the mid 80's so have years of development ahead of Link. yes Link is a kiwi company and ya should support them. Show me a link which offers everything a haltech E6K or E6X offers with a price tag of $1500 and I'll buy one. Also remember that Haltech's E6K has been around since 2000 and the E6X since 2003/4. Until then you wont ever find a Link in any of my cars.

People post their budgets of their engines, yet will only fork out $1K for the brains to run the thing, be a bit like taking a jousting stick to play wargames in iraq isn't it.

My 2 cents worth.

[big_boy]

i agree with that last comment im looking at spending $4000-$4500 on a ECU i looked at link brefely & looked away they just dont have the feachers i need to control every thing at the moment im thinking motec M800 for the reasons of it can control my oil cooler thermastat my 4 pision VVT-i ISC fuel pump & pressure`s air con 3 inderpendit fans each injector sequentaily 2 extra injectors if need ect were as the link only has 3 auxiliary`s or something small the motec has 8 plus another 7-9 i can use that are ment to be ignition & injector drivers as well as well as 6 of the injectors it is also better with RMP & load tables for the VVT-i if theres another ECU that can do this just as well by all means let me know as i would love to save some $$$ but im not intersted in saveing $800 for haveing less features & haveing things controled by other ways dew to my ECU not haveing anuf out puts this way i can up grade & still have heeps of head room

[4000GT]

i agree with that last comment im looking at spending $4000-$4500 on a ECU i looked at link brefely & looked away they just dont have the feachers i need to control every thing at the moment im thinking motec M800 for the reasons of it can control my oil cooler thermastat my 4 pision VVT-i ISC fuel pump & pressure`s air con 3 inderpendit fans each injector sequentaily 2 extra injectors if need ect were as the link only has 3 auxiliary`s or something small the motec has 8 plus another 7-9 i can use that are ment to be ignition & injector drivers as well as well as 6 of the injectors it is also better with RMP & load tables for the VVT-i if theres another ECU that can do this just as well by all means let me know as i would love to save some $$$ but im not intersted in saveing $800 for haveing less features & haveing things controled by other ways dew to my ECU not haveing anuf out puts this way i can up grade & still have heeps of head room

Thats fair enough, though you would not be saving $800, it would be more like $2500-3000+ Link vs. Motec. Make sure you cost up all the aux components your want for the Motec.

[Mr Revhead]

well, horses for courses.... comparing a link to a motec is a bit unfair... different applications.
its like comparing a sportivo camry to a M3.
they do similar things, just ones aimed and caters for a different market

[big_boy]

im not compering them im just saying link has nothing in that range i would pay $5000 for a link if it had what i want in not after price or brand name im after features witch link just cant provide the statment was more aimed to say that link is a lower end brand in features & price

[mister2]

i agree with that last comment im looking at spending $4000-$4500 on a ECU i looked at link brefely & looked away they just dont have the feachers i need to control every thing at the moment im thinking motec M800 for the reasons of it can control my oil cooler thermastat my 4 pision VVT-i ISC fuel pump & pressure`s air con 3 inderpendit fans each injector sequentaily 2 extra injectors if need ect were as the link only has 3 auxiliary`s or something small the motec has 8 plus another 7-9 i can use that are ment to be ignition & injector drivers as well as well as 6 of the injectors it is also better with RMP & load tables for the VVT-i if theres another ECU that can do this just as well by all means let me know as i would love to save some $$$ but im not intersted in saveing $800 for haveing less features & haveing things controled by other ways dew to my ECU not haveing anuf out puts this way i can up grade & still have heeps of head room

That is true, however you do have a lot of specific requirements that most people don't. As it stands however the LinkPlus *could* control your engine, it has:
8x injector
8x ignition
11x aux out
5x analog inputs
3x digital inputs
Closed loop knock, boost control, idle speed, launch control, 2m loom etc built in.
$2081 inc

But the only bit that lets it down is that it only has 2x dedicated temp inputs, the other analog inputs are 0-5v so you would have to wire pullups in to do that.

Compare and contrast that:
Motec M800
8x injector
6x ignition
8x aux out (but unused injector drives can be used as outputs)
6x analog temp inputs
8x analog voltage inputs
4x digital inputs
$4815

However then if you want a loom that costs:
$692

And if you want launch control and advanced functions:
$722

For a grand total of:
$6229

Now I am not suggesting that the Link is exactly equal with the Motec, hell we sell and recommend Motec too, but in terms of simply running the engine I personally would find it a little hard to cough up the extra $4k for something that will do the job the same (for most people we deal with). The advantages of the Motec are obviously in the extra amounts of inputs that can then be used for datalogging with their brilliant Interpreter program.

WHat you have to remember is companies like that started making ecu's in the mid 80's so have years of development ahead of Link. yes Link is a kiwi company and ya should support them. Show me a link which offers everything a haltech E6K or E6X offers with a price tag of $1500 and I'll buy one. Also remember that Haltech's E6K has been around since 2000 and the E6X since 2003/4. Until then you wont ever find a Link in any of my cars.

Link actually started making ECU's in the late 80's too (under the name Auto-Logic, one was used on the Britten, didn't go that well), and the original LEM was a pretty decent ECU when it originally came out. However they more or less sat on their thumbs for 10 years and have only really recently put out a decent successor to it in the form of the G2/G3 platform. You're right in that they have been playing catch up.

Link don't have a 4 cylinder ECU, which is annoying, but the LEM G3 would be the closest:

4x ignition
2x fuel (so batch fired fuel only)
8x auxiliary outputs (idle, boost control, fans etc)
1x digital input
2x temp inputs
2x analog inputs
Launch control, antilag, boost control, switchable maps built in.
$1350 inc
5 Bar MAP sensor option $135

How does this compare to the E6X? I'm having a little trouble decoding the datasheet. It looks like:

4x ignition
4x fuel
6x aux out (?)
2x temp
2x analog
1x gen purpose digital
$1500 (?)

But correct me if I'm wrong.

Cheers

Nick

[big_boy]

but is it as good with RPM & load tables for the VVT-i

& is it able to switch inputs at certin temputures from oil temp (oil cooler solinod engin temp (ovusley mixture according to tempture) air temp (just want to flick a relay at a certan temp) & supercharger temp (dont want it running flat out when its under 60`C) & also can it flick 3 different fans on depending on aircon temp,water temp & +100`c water temp (i want a big fan then)

[JamesM]

yah for megasquirt it has autotune
and all for only 400$ yah

[strx7]

megasplurt..........

[JamesM]

check ur spelling on that one.
cheers

[strx7]

check ur spelling on that one.
cheers

the spelling is correct

[JamesM]

cool. i never heard of it before.

[Adydas]

My biggest issue with Link was been able to order, i cant remember who i delt with about a G3? but at one stage i was on the phone practically begging for who to pay, how and get one under way.

This was days after i purchased vvegas ECU also from Link..

[strx7]

The E6X will do 29psi straight outta the box
7 auxillary outputs
2 digital outputs
8 low impendence injector drivers or 16 high impendance standard - no need for resistors.............
batch fire, sequential, multi point or staged injection std
twin dizzy, single dizzy, direct fire (upto 4 cyl) wasted spark (upto 8cyl) std
will accept basically any ignition trigger pattern under the sun and trigger signal type.
upto 16000rpm.

and that is just a slightly updated version of the E6K which has all the same functions. which is now 6 years old, when did the G3 come out?

[JamesM]

as this discussion was mainly regarding bazdas engine im curious as to the importance of having so many outputs.. and when you say outputs what does this mean? like is it a 0-5V or 12 V or soemthing? for controlling things like fans and sprayers etc?.. and why you would ever want 16 injector drivers.. lol. im not having a dig.. just curious. up to 16000rpm on a toyota... haha. its great having all these features.. but when will you use it in such an application. why not use a link that has all the features you require and not a gizzilion more?
btw megasplurt can do 4 bar outta the box (so to speak) if required. also there is a F150(or soem other american truck) that got dynoed at around the 1000hp mark using a crappy megasquirt. hehe.

[vvega]

as this discussion was mainly regarding bazdas engine im curious as to the importance of having so many outputs.. and when you say outputs what does this mean? like is it a 0-5V or 12 V or soemthing? for controlling things like fans and sprayers etc?.. and why you would ever want 16 injector drivers.. lol. im not having a dig.. just curious. up to 16000rpm on a toyota... haha. its great having all these features.. but when will you use it in such an application. why not use a link that has all the features you require and not a gizzilion more?
btw megasplurt can do 4 bar outta the box (so to speak) if required. also there is a F150(or soem other american truck) that got dynoed at around the 1000hp mark using a crappy megasquirt. hehe.

you pay me the money and ill build you a toyota that will pull 16000 rpm
btw 16000 would probably almost pay for half the crank

oh and that lem that cliff got me....$&#$% me that was a effort
and even them it still came with no ballests...somethign we ordered with it...we just took what we got and ran ..not worth 3 days of my time talkign to people to get a couple of ballists sent up

v

[JamesM]

i aint giving you any money.
granted customer support and shit is helpful.