An electrical surge may have damaged my MyECU unit.

I was loading a new map in preparation for a trip to watch the vintage bikes races at Loudon, New Hampshire near Laconia.  This is the 89th running of America's oldest motorcycle race.  After loading the map to the ECU, I pull the USB plug from the laptop and toss it aside.  Tragically, it lands it the tiny space between the battery + terminal and the frame, bridging the gap and causing a flash of spark.  Of all the places for the connector to land, what luck!

The bike won't start now.  I can hear the fuel pump prime when I turn the key, and the engine turns over, but it will not catch.  When I connect the laptop to the bike, the MyECU doesn't load the map nor give any readings.  It's as if the bike isn't turned on.  The controller isn't showing any signal from the MyECU at all, although I can hear the fuel system work and the starter turns the engine over.
I put in the factory ECU and it starts right up.

Inspection of the MyECU unit doesn't show any burnt components.  What element is likely to have taken the hit and be damaged?  Any ideas?

I once killed one of the CPU inputs, too. Cant't remember how, was something stupid probably, like soldering on the hot ECU or the like. Nevertheless, those CPUs are astonishing robust. It can well be that the core is still running but half of the in/outs is toast.
I had to solder in a new CPU and do the firmware update procedure. It's an easy thing - at work where I have the glasses and fine irons for such a job ;)

Hubert

Hubert,

I took a look at the USB connector under magnification and didn't see any burn marks or other issues.  It looks fine.  I wish it was the in/out connector, but I thinks it's an element inside the CPU.  Aargh.

Do you know a way to test the components, or the various circuits, to find the problem area so it can be replaced?

Joe

One would think what should have happened is just a burned ground track on the PCB, or inside the USB cable, or both. I see almost no possibility for any other damage even in theory. Unless I miss some obvious detail of course.

I agree with Raz. The most likely scenario is that the battery shorted through the USB earth terminal.
The likely result is a burnt out PCB track on the ECU and/or a burnt wire in the cable.
Nearly all the earth tracks are on the underside of the PCB.
Go through all the checks made when constructing the kit.
The fuel pump goes through its 2 second prime?

Based on the suggestions of Raz, Hubert, and Admin, I checked the connectivity between the USB and the modular jack, and got some strange results.  Example: 1 of the 4 USB tracks showed connectivity to the USB ground.  Also 3 of the 4 USB tracks showed connectivity to the same modular jack track.

Although the USB plug looks good, it must have failed inside, and perhaps the modular jack failed too.  I hope the ESU is still good.  I pulled it, and no signs of burnt tracks on either side, front and back.

Tomorrow I'll go to an electronics supply store, and I'll get a USB and modular jack.  How shall connect them together?  What USB tracks match up to modular tracks?  I attached some photos with letters corresponding to the tracks, if this helps.

http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/79178674/sn/1960608064/name/modular+jack.jpg

http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/79178674/sn/1641281273/name/usbtype_1a.jpg

It's probably easier to send the lot back to me to check out. Otherwise you'll end up buying things you don't need.

I've scrounged up spare USB and a modular jack cables, all I need is a guide for which USB tracks go to which jack tracks.  The modular jack is clear, and I can see how it's wires are routed.  The opaque USB cable is the mystery. 
I may just open up the old USB connector and see how it's routed.

Admin, if you really think I should send everything in I will, but if it's merely a burnt cable then that's an easy fix.

The end of the instructions show how the the USB is wired.
You've done that already.

There are just 3 connections that need to be made - Gnd, Tx, Rx. The PCB layout and a continuity tester will help identify the wires.

You say that the engine doesn't run anymore so it sounds like more than a problem with the USB cable.
You tried without the cable connected?

The fuel pump goes through it's 2 sec prime, and the engine turns over.  I suspect it's not getting spark.  Inspection front and back of the MyECU doesn't show any obvious damage.

The bike isn't running with the MyECU unit.  A continuity tester shows the cable to be compromised, but there must be more to the problem than just the cable.  I tried the MyECU unit without the cable attached, and it still isn't firing up the bike. 

If there's nothing else for me to do, I'll send my MyECU unit to you, for testing/repair.  If I can affect a repair, I'm ready to do it. 
Please advise.

Joe

The next step is to got comms going to the PC I guess so we can see if the ECU is seeing the engine timing signal.

Does the fuel pump reprime after 1 second of cranking.

Pull the plugs and see if there is any firing.

No spark when cranking.  I don't hear the fuel pump reprime, but I could be missing it.  The plugs do smell strongly of gasoline.

To get comms to the PC I need to repair the US-Serial cable.  The USB has non-standard wire colors, and you use notations I'm not accustomed to.  For the USB cable, I'm used to D+ and D-, for data+ and data-, and D- is a white wire, with D+ a green wire.  How do these corresponded to Tx and Rx?  Which one is the orange wire, and which the yellow?

You're talking USB data signals. Its not just a USB cable. There is electronics in there. What comes out is TTL serial - RX TX Gnd

YaBB Administrator wrote on 06/14/12 at 10:47:16:

You're talking USB data signals. Its not just a USB cable. There is electronics in there. What comes out is TTL serial - RX TX Gnd

I'm making a new USB-Serial cable, because the old one is compromised.  The MyECU USB wires are orange, and yellow, but I don't know if they correspond to the USB tracks 2 or 3.  Which ones do they match up with?

Track 4 is ground and goes to the black wire, so I'm ok with that one.  Track 1, the power track, I'm guessing is not in use for this.

Is my approach correct?

There is no direct connection apart from the earth. There is an IC in the middle.
You will need to get documentation for your USB-serial convertor if that is what you have.

I'm not sure you realise the USB-serial adapter is not just a cable.

Pardon my ignorance.  I wanted to take a USB to serial converter, and either splice in an RJ45 jack, or use a serial to RJ45 converter. 

Are those not feasible ideas?

You can get the USB to serial converter in a number of flavours. Some go the whole hog and go to RS232, others go to TTL signal levels and these come in 5V  or 3V versions.
You want the 5V TTL level version.
The USB cable can have various other ends. I use the flying lead version.

YaBB Administrator wrote on 06/15/12 at 06:39:06:

You can get the USB to serial converter in a number of flavours. Some go the whole hog and go to RS232, others go to TTL signal levels and these come in 5V  or 3V versions. You want the 5V TTL level version. The USB cable can have various other ends. I use the flying lead version.

Thanks for the information.  I'll see if I can get cables to connect the MyECU, and then I can report on what the ECUcontroller program is showing.

Is there anything else I should be aware of, in getting cables?

You can get them from Digikey http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/TTL-232R-5V-WE/768-1029-ND/2003494

Thank you.  Order placed.

Digikey was fast.  I've received the new USB-Serial converter cable, soldered up the connection to the modular jack, and connected the MyECU unit to my laptop.

Nothing. 

When I turn on the bike the Controller program gets nothing.  It's as if it's not even connected. 
The bike's fuel injection still primes, and the engine can turn over, but without spark.

No obvious faults or burned components in the MyECU.

Any ideas?

The new USB probably came up on a different COM port than before. Check this first.

The new USB does come up to a different COM port.  I connected to this port.

When I turn on the bike's ignition, the Controller program doesn't show any engine data.  I can load the map from the bike, but it loads slowly, almost as if the MyECU doesn't have power.  Once the bike's map is loaded, I can use the global adjust feature, but I can't see the specs for any map points. 

On the PCB board the main chip gets warm, and the voltage regulator (above D1) gets warm. 

The engine will turn over, plugs smell of fuel, but no spark.  It seems almost like a safety switch is flipped (clutch, sidestand, etc).  I put in the factory ECU as a check, and the bike fires up.

Any ideas? 

None of the devices gets warm under normal operation so your symptoms sound like you have have major issues.

Is the regulator still outputting 5V.
You could try reflashing the chip but I'm not hopeful of that. A corrupted flash doesn't explain why it is warm.

So I think were looking at replacing the chip at the least. This is not completely risk free and there's no guarantee that all faults are removed.

I think the simplest solution is a replacement kit.

Regulator is/was putting out 5v.  While checking it I got a spark and a whiff of smoke in another part of the board, so I pulled all connections.  It may have come from L2, as that part now has a split in the case.

The unit's faults are irretrievable.

I am disappointed in my lost time and effort.     

At some point today I think I will wrap some self amalgamating tape around the battery positive terminal on my motorcycle.

I'm getting regular battery terminal covers.  It may be difficult, as there isn't a lot of room to fit them in.

Although the ECU connector certainly found a path to the terminal!  Isn't that the way luck works?

Is it a My15M? In this case I might buy it if you'd sell it. Could need a MkIII now, at least I think so.
Hubert

Luhbo wrote on 06/20/12 at 20:57:41:

Is it a My15M? In this case I might buy it if you'd sell it. Could need a MkIII now, at least I think so. Hubert

Hubert,
It is a M15 unit, for a 2009 bike, but I'm getting another kit to build a new MyECU.  I want to keep the old unit as a reference until I've got the new kit assembled.

Perhaps after that I'd let it go.
Joe

thx