I'm going dizzy with the amount of different read and write standalone units.

I was curious are the maps files and loaders/tools dependent or independent of each other?

That is, let's say I have 4 maps, 1 made from a bytetronik, autologic, RMW and JCW. Can all the various standalone tools read and upload maps from different vendors?

Is their a usb cable to laptop less expensive flash loader available? I just can't imagine the flash tools being more complicated or powerful than a modern day netbook.

 

You sound really confused....
Most mini tuning is donr by flashing the oem computer....
it is encrypted....and must be unencrypted to be read, then modified, then reencrypted then reuploaded....
a standalone is a computer that REPLACES the cars ecu...
common on some makes, kinda rare on the mini since many features are lost...abs, dsc, etc....
Systems to diy it are starting to pop up, but it is really a great way to granade a motor unless you know EXACTLY what you are doing.
Some of the above mentioned places do sell an extra tool to upload/download tunes to the ecu...so you could have a few different ones and switch...

 

To be more specfic, the tools are about protecting the propietery software....they do not give you tge ability to decode it....it is not about power, but licensing....easy to crack on a computer, but almost impossible, or at least very $$ to do on a purpose made handheld.....when you must buy a handheld, you cannot pirate the software.....
Ps the tunes are mostly car specfic...so downloading a tune from a buddys car to put on yours will not work...so having tunes from multiple vendors is pretty $$$. Mini tuning is not like import tuning....

 

hi zippy thanks for the clarification.

all those points you made are completely valid, however, I was curious more in principle of whether or not I need to purchase my own loader.

In terms of decoding the ecu and cracking, I perfectly understand that ecu is encrypted. I neither want to reinvent the wheel by attempting to re-crack it nor do I wish to even do my own tuning, just too many parameters for me to assume that I would do it right on my own car. Likewise, I understand a tune is car specific and using another mini's tune would not be a good idea.

However, could I use a friends read/write device tool to download my current map file then send it off to say RMW or another tuner and then when the tuner is down tinkering with my map file, have it written back to the ecu with a different friends read/write device tool?

Also, couldn't we all share some of the generic maps? IE stock maps from different years or stock JCW maps files.

I'm not sure if you are familiar with Power Commanders, but they are a piggyback a/f controller that modifies ecu readouts to either increase fuel, air or both. ignoring the fact that it is a piggy back, power commander had a database of map files for generic mods or exhaust/mod combinations that you could download and upload to your motorcycle via a usb cable to the power commander unit. I'm wondering if our maps could be similarly written into the ecu.

 

Piggyback is a different story.....mostly an epic fail on the MINI's...some folks had OK success with them, but they were never really more than just a bit of a gain...a few folks had fried ecu's, or wiring harness issues with where the prongs connected to the ecu...hard-wiring them with splices were an option for some, but to permanently modify a cars wiring harness was a step too far for most...piggybacks are commonly avalable for sale....most are on their 4th or 5th car...
As to sharing the loaders,,,I know the RMW one is tied to the ecu/vin...
on gen2 the tool for the earlier cars from alta (it still does not work on the newer gen2 due to changed made to the computer) is a bit different, but on a gen1, the tools are matched to the car...different computer, different tool.....if ONE tool was good for a whole club, very few tools would be sold, and they would not have been made....
Also you cannot really swap tunes from car to car...there is actually a few different ECU revisions...the most notable/major change was in 2005....so the software is not the same...just similar...the ecu is also pretty picky about uploading different software...the "tools" are more of a hack using trick to work...full control over the ecu is simply not there..things like version number of the file you are using is still important. Wish it was as easy as sharing tunes, but even with the CANNED tunes, YOUR factory tune is uploaded to a computer, modified, then downloaded back onto the ECU. It is not a true file, but a modification of YOUR tune.
Many folks coming to the MINI from Honda tuning or American muscle think 90% of the stuff is the same..but the fact the ecu is flashed, and updated makes things a bit different.
Typical custom tunes on a gen1 car is about $350, plus about $100 for a dyno, no tool needed unless the dealer overwrites your tune, and you need one to reflash a tune from the tuner. Simply put, why swap multi tunes...a few folks do run a couple tunes....a street pump gas tune, and a e-85/race gas tune, but beyond that, why bother...gets $$$ in a hurry. I guess sharing tunes is one way to try to save a few $$, but I have not heard of anybody making that work....

 

Basicly you need to think of each tune as being VIN specific. There is no reason you would want all those tunes. I've got Autologic, GIAC,Shark Injector,MTH,Evotech,JCW, and a few others. I've looked at their maps, seen the timing, fuel, and torque maps they each use. Some are unsafe, some are perfectly safe, some are really weak, many don't give you what they say. So don't waste your money on all that marketing. Pick a tuner, and stick with them then get it done with either a basic canned tune or a complete dyno tune. It's amazing what a proper canned tune will give you for the money, and be safe.

 

I may have to start an "ECU 101" thread here to help clear this type of stuff up... the Mini's ECU is not really encrypted (however if you use Bytetronic all bets are off on that one, as they don't want anyone to see what they did so once you load their software you're done with using any other tools). Even though stock is not really encrypted, you have to have the proper keys to open (unlock) the ECU to read the BIN data. Writing "tune" files back to the ECU gets tougher as you also need to be able to calculate the proper checksum for all your new data or your car won't run. As Wayland mentioned, you also want VIN specific tunes for your car if at all possible, as all cars aren't the same.

Also I'm not sure anyone is clear on what you mean by "all the different units" are making you dizzy... but there are NO cheap "flashloaders" I know of (for the Mini) that allow you to put your own custom tune in it, and as mentioned above, you really shouldn't "borrow" (or steal other tuners files) maps from other peoples tunes. Unless you had the exact same setup & condition car that wouldn't be the best way to go. I tune my Mini personally as I have a radical cam & stroker motor that wouldn't run right on other folks tunes, and I can tell you the maps in this ECU are not simple for amateurs to crack. Even most pro tuners "tune files" I've seen don't change the proper fields. I have figured out over 115 maps in our R53's ECU, and it works in strange ways compared to many other cars, so unless you're a computer programmer & willing to put a ton of your own time & money into learning this particular ECU, you're better off taking it to a good tuner that warranties their work.

 

ok let me clarify my purpose, because everyone's responses seems to be tailored to protecting the tuners. I'm not trying to steal anyone's work. I'm more curious conceptually about the flow of data from ECU > OBDII Port > PROTOCOL CABLE > PC/FLASH LOADER TOOL > MAP FILE and the reverse MAP FILE > PC/FLASH LOADER TOOL > PROTOCOL CABLE > OBDII PORT > ECU

So let's work with the constraints of my case:
My R53 15% pulley, ALTA CAI, m7 exhaust - I don't have a tune
I plan on getting the following maps built:
Stock (download prior to tuning)
Pump gas daily driving map
Race Gas/e85 Track map

So now I have 3 maps. I will now need to flash my ecu to move from map to map. I have also purchased Tuner A's flash loader tool, which I already have at home. So here's the scenario:
I head to thunderhill on my PUMP map. I get to the track and I see oh cool they have e85 available. I have all my map files available because I backed all them up on my laptop and usb flash drive, however, I forgot my stupid flash tool.

So I guess my questions are the following:
Can another r53 owners flash tool flash my car with my maps? ( sounds like no since the tools seemed to be bonded to the vin number)
Does an obd2 cable to (usb/iphone) + software (for pc/iphone/android) exist to emulate what a flash tool/box can do?

 

No your flash tool be it bytronic or Rmw or whatever else likely binds to the vin.
so you cannot swap out flash tools unless you uninstall, this question would be best addressed to your tuner.
and nothing from a phone to the car.

 

+1
Sorry, but at this point, the flash tools are the only real way to switch maps.....if you spent some $$$$ bucks it is possible to go from a laptop to obd2 port....but think liscencing the programs tuners use.....and the providers keep it so $$$$, that the tune tools were made to do it for less....
to do it like you are saying (like many asian cars), you would need to replace the mini ecu, get a standalone....but then you endup with a track only race car....a few reviews of preproduction standalone units have come and gone ...none seem to have really made it.
The old unichip piggyback units could have two tunes....actually the switch just adjusted the timing....but similar effect...but nowhere near the effect of a good tune.

 

Just pay the $$ to play....but fist drive the stock or slightly modified setup...you might be superprised...the mini is a car made for turns, and can out perform most drivers abilites in the twisties....it will NEVER (due to aerodynamics) be a strightline monster....but a good tune can make use of the extra octane in race fuel....ethanol is a bit of an issue for mini's....to use much moe than 10% you need bigger injectors...even at 10% folks have issues.....so e85 is only an option for a fulley tuned, modified mini with injectors swapped out to 550's to allow the extra volume needed to get the btu's.....
Since mini/bmw is a bit of a different ecosystem, sometimes we do have some drawbacks compared to some, but some advantages.....it is all about making use of the plusses .....

 

One more thing to complicate stuff...
Do you have a GP?
the gp used a different computer than other cars....and different tunes....so swapping from non gp's is impossible.

 

Not trying to shoot you down here, but to me it sounds like you're making yourself a whole bunch of extra work for little return... as Colin mentioned most consumer tools are licensed to a particular VIN. Other tools exist, whether mega $$ pro tools (that still don't show proper maps for the Mini) or home built that can read & write any VIN Mini. For example my personal tool (not for sale) that can read & write any VIN R53, I have a security code that's entered at time of uploading/flashing that password locks the tune to the VIN of the car. Most tools do something similar. There's many ways to skin the cat here... you can have dumb tools that are serial com cables & a laptop program that does all the work, or a smart tool & simpler laptop program, or a tool that's limited & can only read write.

So let's say you had one of these special unrestricted tools that lets you upload any BIN file with proper checksum & data fields to your car... now what? You can't properly edit them yourself, so you're still relying on a tuner to send you a canned tune for your car. With your basic mods, this is lot of hassle for very limited "extra" potential gains. Your mods are basic, so for "real" power gains you're limited to optimizing AFR & timing maps. You're not going to get 50HP more from a track tune even on race gas. Optimizing your car will take some datalogging on your car to get it right. Other than AFR & timing, you've got maps that can help the car feel better but do nothing for power (preprogrammed engine torque curve, driver wish, torque losses, throttle delay), emissions (CAT efficiency, O2 heater, misfire detection), LAM correction, etc., but from your mods I don't see you need those changed. Go with one good tune for your car & save yourself the hassle of crack flashing (yes I crack flash, but I'm also doing the full editing & programming myself). When all done you'll have a smoother running car with a few more ponies & better response, that hopefully doesn't throw any check engine lights.

If you get to the point where you have a serious cam, head work, header w/cat, 550cc inj, etc., then you'll need more help as the Mini starts to complain about serious mods...

 

The Gp did not use a different Ecu.
think about how impractical that would be for them to get 2000 special ecus made for a car they were discontinuing.
it just used a slightly different tune and subset of software parts.
as far as the stand alone i know plenty of people running them quite sucessfully
myself included.
mostly the problem that keeps everyone from having one is people are unwilling to pay the price of entry.