Thats it for orders before I go away now!
Everyone up to order #140 will be built this weekend and shipped Monday. I will be on vacation but available for email / support until Aug 18th. That morning will probably be the last I will be able to send or receive email until Sept 7th.
If you need documents they are available in the downloads section of my website. Most of the tuning shops know my controllers or are authorized resellers and if they can assist you with installations I’m sure they will be happy to speak with you about your needs.
Please be patient while I’m away, I’ll be back to assist you and returning emails as soon as I can.
Thanks,
-Jeff Reid
DCCDPro.com
Vacation time is almost here for me…this year I will be going away from Aug 17-Sept 7.
After Aug 18 I will have no cell, email or internet and will be far away from home overseas.
No controllers can be built or shipped during that time.
We are coming down to the last week to order a controller if you need one before I return.
If you haven’t ordered on or before Aug 15th you won’t get your controller until I return.
I’m going to try to make a bit of stock, so that when I return I won’t be overloaded….that never works though, I’m always overwhelmed when I come back.
I appreciate everyone’s patience during this period.
You will still be able to purchase during this time, and as some form of compensation for your patience I will be extending the current “Summer10″ discount sale code until I get back.
Kind regards,
-Jeff Reid
DCCDPro.com
USB Functionality added 7/12/10
There will be a new option added to the DCCDPro UNI controller product page in the next day or so.
USB connectivity! Finally!
I’ll also be adding the USB driver download link, and the VB6 app I wrote to adjust the dccd settings to the downloads area. The new features will allow you to re-proportion the DCCD auto mode scalings, calibrate the G-Sensor, turn off the handbrake function, and reverse the TPS for older GC8 style throttles. Settings are from 0-200% for the major parameters, TPS, Accel, Decel, Turning, as well as a new feature “Max” and “Min” that will allow you to set a reduced overall maximum output or an overall minimum output.
All parameters are written to the non-volatile eeprom, so they are retained until changed by the app.
I may also release the source for the VB6 app so people can change it to their will, I’m just investigating a proper GNU GPL that allows everyone the freedom to do what they want with it while retaining some link to the product.
I’m also going to be updating some of the pictures due to recent requests. (The main picture in the DCCDPro UNI shows a fully optioned unit…)
Hopefully people are excited about this new (and purely optional) feature. I know I am. It opens the door to sooo much future development and functionality. Good things to come in the future!
-Jeff
Hey Everybody!
Well, there have been a few updates this month worth mentioning.
The VSSPro prototype (Serial #1) is off to a brave beta tester in Michigan. Hopefully all will go well once he has a chance to test it. Currently he’s busily rebuilding his engine and getting the car back together, as soon as I have some good news I’ll post it here. I know there are a few people anxiously waiting for news.
The FuelPro is also off to a beta tester that will try it in his daily driver for a bit to see how it goes. After those tests I will be adding complications such as dual fuel pump control in parallel or sequential mode. The system will support fuel pumps up to 10 amps in the beginning, and up to 30-40 amps later on once we get rolling with this.
The UNI has had a some internal updates to firmware, nothing significant….just a bit of “efficiency” programming and cleaning up code. No noticeable operational changes, but I’m able to use a little less ram and rom memory.
I’m working on a carpc project involving usb connectivity to the dccd controller. We have a lot of details to work out in terms of operation and communication but it looks like a great opportunity to advance my knowledge in these areas. It may bring better things for every project in the future.
Still working on some not so top secret projects for other car makes, Nissan Skyline center diff control for one. I have a cool setup that was sent to me to test with.
I also though I’d mention I will likely start a sale today that will run until I leave for holidays at the end of August.
The coupon code will be: Summer10
This coupon code will give you 10% off anything purchased in the store from today until Aug 15. You use it at checkout time, prior to the transfer to Paypal.
After I go on holidays I will be completely out of touch until I get back, all orders placed prior to Aug 15 will be shipped prior to my departure. Orders placed during my holiday will be shipped as soon as I get back. Thanks for your patience during that 2 week period.
-Jeff Reid
Sorry I’ve been lax on my blogging again. I have been working all week on new firmware for the VSSPro.
I have had some excellent progress on it. I think it is still a little “messy” mostly due to the math but I’m trying some different digital filtering tests and it looks ready for beta testing “in-car” right now.
I’m reserving the order for the version 3 motherboards until I see how the performance of the altered version 2 motherboards works out. If there are any design changes I believe they could be done before the order and it would save another 2 week period waiting for boards.
So, with a positive response from the beta testers the version 3 may be a viable product for sale within a couple weeks. I’d like to have it in the store by the end of June.
Pricing is still to be worked out, the development is currently a little “over budget” but I’m more concerned about getting it available to people for a fair unit price.
-Jeff
Ps. FuelPro is right behind this one, I’ve actually been working on both firmware as the solutions to digital filtering can be shared across both products.
Ok, so I received a bit of criticism that I haven’t been keeping everyone up to date enough…I apologize and here’s the latest news.
The VSSPro version 2 boards have shipped from the PCB manufacturer so I will begin some firmware testing as soon as I receive those…likely Monday or Tuesday.
DCCDPro….not a lot of development. I back-burner’d the USB tuning stuff until I can sort out the problem everyone needs fixed with the VSS missing in the newest tranny’s. I’ll be back developing the USB tuning app once the VSSPro is available to everyone and the swap community can get moving forward with installing the newest tranny’s in the pre-07 cars.
FuelPro also slowed down due to the VSSPro taking up my time. The version 2 of those should be out as soon as I can get some time.
Also…I’ve begun talks with the Skyline crowd to provide a Skyline version of the DCCDPro with some small mods to make it work as well as it does for the Subaru crowd but with their system. I have a complete Nissan Skyline system making its way to me for testing as a bench unit. Very cool!
The DCCDPro has been / will be in bit more publicity this year. It was featured in 0-60mag for the spring issue. The publisher sent me a copy the other week and it looks great! Very cool to have something you build with your own two hands making it into a major publication. More publicity…this on I have less news about, but it will be featured in a movie! I’ve sent the spec unit out to California to be featured in a movie. They want me to do some voice over for the movie but us evil genius’ are too shy to do our own voice overs…lol. I can’t tell you much about it yet but as soon as I have something I can say about it…I will.
That’s it for now! It look like it is going to be an interesting year!
Kind regards,
-Jeff Reid
I’m updating some features in the webstore today.
I updated some of the info for the “Contact Us” and the ability to send an email to me direct from the website. I saw a few mentions that some people were concerned there was no way to find my address or phone number etc. so I found the right place to add that info. Hopefully people will be able to contact me easier now.
I have to draft the privacy policies, shipping and returns policies etc. so if you see something still not authored yet and you have a question feel free to send me an email. Most people know by now that I am very liberal when it comes to warranty and returns and things of that nature.
Product updates…the version 2 for the Stock Fuel Pump controller is done and the boards are going to be ordered Monday.
I also worked in the simulator until late last night on the input circuit for the VSSPro, it is more complex than other inputs in the past due to the nature of the signals involved. There is a lot to do but I am really focused on getting this product out. I think it is going to be a huge help to the swap community to be able to use 08+ STi and Legacy 6mt’s in basically any Subaru.
-Jeff
Well my product development diary has been getting a bit of a workout lately. I really set my focus towards the two new products I’ve been working on.
I picked up some new equipment lately, my new “baby” is a 5 mhz function generator to simulate all types of common signals to they can be introduced to the electronics designs for testing purposes.
1. FuelPro fuel pump controllers
Firstly a replacement for the stock fuel pump controller that will allow for up to 10 amps of power to power medium to large sized fuel pumps. This product should be ready for sale in a period of a week or two. I need to order revised motherboards and build a few for bench testing to failure.
Second to come will be a dual pump controller with dip switches so it can be selected for parallel or sequential operation. That is a little further down the road.
2. VSSPro
New adapter for 08+ 6mt’s so they can be used in pre 08 cars. This will use at least one abs sensor and convert the signal so it is usable by the ecu/gauge cluster. I will likely add a poti to the board for “calibration” so that people with different sized tires can adjust it to be accurate.
The function generator has helped so much in my development that it is really an exciting time for these new products. I’m making more headway than ever before. Actually more in the last week than the past 6 months…
Hopefully some of these will be available very soon.
Kind regards,
-Jeff Reid
DCCDPro.com
I’ve updated the manuals to reflect on the name changes to the product lineup, and to clean up the manual a bit for more clarity.
I’m going to try do make these more comprehensive as I get some time, and to try to cover some of the common installation questions better.
Kind regards,
-Jeff Reid
I’ve decided to make a few changes to the product lineup to make things simpler for my customers and more options available without restrictions.
The new name for the dual and deluxe units will be the “DCCDPro Universal Controller” Or “DCCDPro UNI” for short.
This will be a base unit that can be optioned up with any combination of features available now or in the future.
For example, now you can option up the base unit with either STi switches, or with the STi cluster interface or both.
This should allow for more choice and hopefully lower prices overall as you are only paying for the options you need.
Product serialization will change as of Jan 1 to coincide with the new terminology as well. (Dual and Deluxe as separate products have been retired.)
Future “options” for the UNI will include user “tuning” and feature selections via RS232 or USB. As well as g-sensor calibration via RS232 or USB. This will allow the g-sensor to be “zero’d out” so it can be mounted at a less than optimally “level” state.
These are the next major features on my development schedule. Release date is not known yet.
The original manual controller is also still available, as long as there is sill some demand for them I’ve decided to keep producing them.
Thanks for all your support in 2009!
Looking forward to major advancements in 2010!
Kind regards,
-Jeff Reid
DCCDPro.com