ECMTuning - wiki

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<h1>20181101 - V3 Flash Module Production Issue</h1> <div class="level1"> <p> <img src="/wiki/lib/exe/fetch.php?w=245&h=140&tok=915296&media=images_forums_v3peeks_v3previewboard.gif" class="mediaright" alt="" width="245" height="140" /> </p> </div> <h2>Executive summary</h2> <div class="level2"> <p> We are unable to produce ECMLink flash module for the foreseeable future, starting November 1, 2018, and running at least through the rest of 2018. That means no new ECMLink packages are available, effective immediately. We will continue to provide ECU repair services and other items off our website as we sort through this issue. </p> </div> <h2>Details & History</h2> <div class="level2"> <p> <img src="/wiki/lib/exe/fetch.php?w=245&h=140&tok=cb70d5&media=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecmtuning.com%2Fimages%2Fforums%2Fv3peeks%2Fv3previewboard.gif" class="mediaright" alt="" width="245" height="140" /> </p> <p> We hand build each and every V3 flash module here. It's a custom in-house design by ECMTuning to provide features specifically for DSMs that work inside DSM ECUs. </p> <p> Interally, we use a number of smaller ICs to build up this functionality. These chips are sandwiched between the two PCBs that make up the flash module's "EPROM-like" form factor. </p> <p> Unfortunately, one of the chips that we use (in fact, the MOST critical chip by far) was marked "end of life" by the manufacturer several years ago. If you don't know what that means, it means they stopped production of those chips and we had to go find alternative sources through brokers and such. </p> <p> This worked OK for a while but we started getting counterfeit chips and we started having bad deals fall through on us. Basically, it got harder and harder to find these ICs so we made one final, large purchase from a supplier we had dealt with before and sat them on our shelf to keep as reserve stock. We confirmed part numbers matched at the time this package arrived, but we did not want to break the seal on the bag to pull some out and build up test boards like we had always done before because we knew we weren't going to use these chips for at least a year or more, if ever. </p> <p> Well, that was a huge mistake because when we finally did need to dip into that batch (Nov 1, 2018), we realized that these were more counterfeit chips that only looked like the chips we had ordered externally. Someone had wiped the chip surfaces clean and restamped them with part numbers that matched our order. Our previous experience with counterfeit chips was relatively OK because at least the fake chips were compatible with our requirements. But these were not. They were from a completely different family that lacked critical functionality. </p> </div> <h2>End result</h2> <div class="level2"> <p> So, effectively, we're done for now. We have no source for these chips and no new designs ready to release that use different chips. We're stuck with a tiny batch of flash modules we pre-built a few weeks ago and that's it. We'll use those to fill existing orders and then we'll have a couple (literally, less than 10) we'll hold in stock for "emergency" situations while we mull over the future. </p> <p> We're leaving all options on the table for now, ranging from just shutting down and calling it a good run to refocusing and doubling-down on new V4 design with modern chips and more functionality. </p> <p> But for now and for the foreseeable future (at least through the rest of 2018), new production ECMLink packages are not available for sale. We're sorry for the short notice as this was as big of a surprise to us as it was to everyone else. We'll post more here and on our main website when we've had some time to let all this sink in and we've settled on a path forward. </p> </div>