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6.3 Software Operation and Navigation
The Commander 950 is a Windows-based software. It functions the same as all other windows software. Pull-down menus
are selected with the mouse. These are then opened to view the various tables.
Software Data Capture – When a window is opened, the software checks for the ECU. If it is present (powered up and
connected to the serial cable), the computer will get the latest data from the ECU. This ensures the user and the PC are
always using the most up-to-date information. If the ECU is not connected, the PC will just use the information it has in
memory. If no map has been loaded into the PC (via file—load operation) and no ECU is present, there will be nothing in
memory and zero will be displayed for nearly all variables.
These tables can be edited with the ECU connected and powered or without the ECU powered. With the laptop computer
connected and powered, you can tune the vehicle with the engine running and with the vehicle being driven. If the laptop is
not connected to the ECU, you can change the files, and then later send the changes to the ECU.
Editing with the ECU Connected and Powered – One of the most important features of the Commander 950 is the ability to
make real-time changes when the engine is running. In order to do this, the ECU must be connected to the computer, and the
ignition switched on (the engine does not have to be running). When a value is entered and the “Enter” key, Arrow key, or
Tab key is pressed, the value is instantly sent to the ECU and the old value is gone.
Editing with the ECU not Connected – Values can be changed when the computer is not connected or the ignition not
switched on. However, for these values to be entered in the ECU, the entire file must be sent to overwrite what data is
currently in the ECU. The following shows how to open, send, retrieve, and save a file. When editing tables without being
connected to the ECU, you must also press the “Enter” key, Arrow key, or Tab key to enter the value.
Opening a File into the Computer – To open a file into the computer perform the following steps:
1) Select “File” and “Open Data from Disk”
2) Select the file you want to open, either from the hard drive or a disk. (This will be explained in “Step-by-Step Initial
Startup’).
3) Hit “Enter” or click on “Ok”
4) The file is now in the computer.
Figure 4
Sending a File to the ECU – To send a file to the ECU perform the following steps:
1) Open a file as described above. Do NOT go to any of the other areas in the software, as this will retrieve and
corrupt the data you just opened.
2) Make sure the ignition is on. After the file is opened, immediately go to “File” and “Send ECU Data”. It will take
approximately one minute to send the data. When the hourglass changes back to your mouse pointer, the file has been
sent.
Retrieving a File from the ECU – You would want to retrieve a file from the ECU when you want to save it to the hard drive of
the computer or to a disk. To retrieve a file, make sure the ignition is on and go to “File” and hit “Retrieve ECU Data”. This
pulls the data from the ECU to the computer.
Saving a File to the Computer – It is highly recommended to save your file before making any major changes. If the
changes don’t work well you can send the previous file back. To save a file from the ECU, first retrieve it from the ECU and
then go to “File” and “Save Data to Disk”. This file will be available to send if you ever need to.
Hot Key Navigating – There are 4 “Hot Keys” that can be used to quickly change from one screen to another. The screens
that can be navigated between are the following:
Map Screen Hot Key
Fuel Map Screen Control + F
Spark Map Screen Control + S
Acceleration Enrichment Map Screen Control + A
Modifiers Map Screen Control + M
NOTE: Remember these. These commands will be needed later on for tuning. You must already be in one of these
four screens before you can use the hot keys to navigate to the others.