For years, tools like FCEdit and CoPilot have been some of the most important utilities available for the Apexi PowerFC platform. While both applications brought a huge amount of functionality to the community, they are also products of their time — older Windows dependencies, dated UI systems, limited extensibility, partial compatibility issues, and fragmented workflows between offline editing, live tuning, logging, and autotuning.

Over the last several months, I’ve been developing a new application called PowerFC Tuner with the goal of modernizing and consolidating many of those features into a single modern Windows-based tuning platform.

This project is heavily inspired by both FCEdit and CoPilot, but is being built from the ground up using a modern architecture and expanded functionality in mind.

The current public build is:

FCTuner-V2.04-Full.zip

This is still considered a beta release, however most functionality is operational. The software is NOT yet feature complete and still requires extensive testing, validation, refinement, and ECU compatibility verification across different platforms and map families.

KNOWN ISSUES / WORK IN PROGRESS

Autotuning logic is still under active development and should not yet be considered production-ready.

Some live monitoring/logging functionality may still behave inconsistently depending on:

• ECU family

• serial interface

• Wite hardware version

• USB serial chipset

• packet family differences

Additional packet decoding and compatibility validation is still ongoing.

Current Beta Status (V2.04)

Current implemented functionality includes:

• Offline .dat file loading

• Editable tuning maps

• PowerFC serial communication

• Session save/load system

• Working folder management

• Injector correction maps

• Base fuel maps

• Ignition maps

• Dual ignition map handling

• VVTi maps

• AFR target maps

• Auxiliary input calibration

• Live monitoring system

• Live map tracing

• Logged data analysis

• Raw data viewing

• ECU-aware settings decoding

• Logging/autotuning framework

• CoPilot-style live packet decoding

• Delta/update comparison views

• TPS calibration safety systems

• Airflow curve decoding

• Boost control decoding

• Injector lag/deadtime decoding

• Auxiliary live monitor decoding

• FC Box feature decoding

• Anti-lag setting decoding

• Dynamic map write verification

• Re-scale map functionality

The current release is usable for early testing and development work, but should still be treated as:

Development/Beta software

There are still incomplete systems, edge cases, unsupported ECU variants, unverified packet structures, and portions of the live tuning/autotuning framework that remain under active development.

Latest Major Updates (V1.82 → V2.04)

V2.04 — Tuning Step Improvements

The Tuning tab + and - controls now operate in proper tenth-step increments across all tuning maps.

Changes:

• Map adjustments now modify selected cells by:

  • 0.1

• Non-fuel tuning maps now preserve:

  • single decimal precision

• UI rounding behavior was updated so smaller timing/VVTi adjustments are no longer visually lost.

This makes ignition, VVTi, and correction-table tuning significantly more usable during fine calibration work.

V2.03 — Injector Label Cleanup

Fuel & Injector Correction layouts now use:

Lag(mS)

instead of:

Offset

for injector latency/deadtime display.

This better reflects actual injector behavior and aligns more closely with modern tuning terminology.

V2.02 — Function Select UI Improvements

The Function Select page received a substantial layout cleanup.

Improvements:

• FC Box Custom Features now render separately from the primary ECU function switches.

• Tuner String fields remain hidden unless:

  • Tuner String Enabled is active.

• Anti-Lag tuning fields remain hidden unless:

  • Anti Lag Switch (SW3) is enabled.

This significantly reduces clutter for users who are not using FC Box or anti-lag functionality.

V2.01 — Live Auxiliary Monitor Expansion

The Live Monitors page now includes a dedicated:

Aux Monitors

section.

Current Support:

• AN1

• AN2

• AN3

• AN4

Each row now shows:

• Configured input name

• Configured unit

• Live calibrated value

• Shared voltage-to-value conversion path

This uses the same calibration logic as the AFR conversion system and provides a cleaner real-time auxiliary monitoring workflow.

V2.00 — Fuel AutoTune Live Write Support

Fuel AutoTuning now supports optional live Base Map writes directly to the PowerFC.

Safe Mode:

• Updates only the working Base Map

• No automatic ECU writes

Conservative & Aggressive Modes:

• Automatic live Base Map writes

• Automatic verification

• Automatic logging-cell clearing

• Automatic live-monitor resume

Writes occur only after:

• The active cell reaches its sample requirement

• AND the configured changed-cell threshold is met

Additional Improvements:

• Writes are scoped only to Base Map payload groups

• Verification reads only affected table IDs

• Logging cells clear after successful writes

• Aggressive mode uses lower sample thresholds

• Conservative mode uses double the Aggressive requirements

• Safe mode keeps Conservative sampling requirements while remaining non-writing

This is the first major step toward a true live self-learning/autotuning workflow for the PowerFC platform.

Expanded Auxiliary / Wideband Support

The auxiliary input system has continued evolving significantly.

The software now uses a cleaner standardized:

Analog 0-5V

workflow tied directly to:

• AN1

• AN2

• AN3

• AN4

Improvements:

• Removed older experimental digital AFR bypass modes

• Unified AFR calculations through the same visible calibration system

• Added live raw-byte monitoring

• Added calibrated live auxiliary display values

• Improved Wite interface compatibility

This creates a much more transparent and predictable calibration workflow.

Live Monitoring Performance Improvements

Live monitoring responsiveness has been substantially improved.

Improvements:

• Removed artificial live-loop delays

• Faster F0 polling timeouts

• Faster aux packet polling

• Async UI update queueing

• Reduced map read pacing delays

• Reduced write verification overhead

The goal was to maximize:

• live WBO2 responsiveness

• autotuning responsiveness

• serial throughput stability

especially when paired with WiteDevices hardware/interfaces.

Expanded Injector Decoding

Injector settings decoding continues to improve substantially.

Table 8D now properly decodes:

• injector correction percentages

• injector lag/deadtime offsets

using FCEdit-equivalent scaling behavior.

Verified examples now correctly match known FCEdit values for:

• 1ZZ-FET

• RB26 sample maps

Airflow & Boost Control Improvements

Additional FCEdit-equivalent airflow decoding improvements were added.

Current Support:

• Correct airflow option-name parsing

• Proper voltage/value offsets

• Correct boost-control decoding

• Improved airflow layout organization

• Airflow curve decoding

• Airflow selection decoding

Boost targets and duty cycles now correctly match FCEdit behavior on supported maps.

Live Map Tracing

The software resolves live RPM/load values to the nearest map-axis cell and actively highlights the current operating cell on the tuning maps during monitoring, logging, and autotuning.

This creates a true real-time map tracing system similar to what users expect from modern standalone ECU software.

Logged Data System

The logging interface now uses a unified Logged Data workflow.

Current logged data views include:

• Samples

• Logged AFR

• Logged Knock

• AFR Difference

• Base Map Changes

Additional logging behavior includes:

• Running AFR averages per cell

• Peak knock tracking per cell

• Sample count accumulation

• Derived base-map correction calculations

Delta / Update View System

Each tuning map can now switch between:

• Editable working map

• Read-only To Be Written delta view

This allows users to compare pending changes against the currently read PFC map before writing updates to the ECU.

The Tuning header now displays:

Map Updates Available

when writable maps contain unapplied changes.

TPS Calibration Safety

TPS calibration now includes safety interlocks.

Calibration is blocked whenever live RPM indicates the engine is running, and the application warns the user to shut the vehicle off before performing TPS calibration.

AutoTuning also requires valid TPS calibration before becoming active.

Ignition Autotuning Safety Improvements

Ignition autotuning now clearly separates:

• Ignition retard functionality

• Ignition advance functionality

Enabling ignition advance displays explicit catastrophic-engine-damage warnings and reminds users to configure knock thresholds properly before use.

Live Monitoring System

The application supports continuous serial polling using the CoPilot-observed advanced live-data command:

F0 02 0D

Current live decoded values include:

• RPM

• Load

• TPS voltage

• TPS percentage

• Injector pulse

• Coolant temperature

• Intake temperature

• Knock

• Battery voltage

• Vehicle speed

• O2 voltage

• Ignition values

• Calculated AFR

• Packet checksum validation

• Auxiliary analog channels

The Live Monitors section now uses grouped dashboard panels rather than raw source-oriented tables.

Monitoring is gated behind successful PFC communication to prevent accidental live polling during offline .dat editing.

AFR Integration

AFR is calculated using configured Auxiliary Connections.

The software supports:

• Voltage-to-value AFR scaling

• Explicit AFR source selection

• Live AFR display

• AFR gating for autotuning/logging

The auxiliary input system has also been redesigned with grouped editors and cleaner voltage/value calibration layouts.

Current Compatibility

Current compatibility/testing includes:

• 1ZZ

• 2ZZ

• 1JZ

• 2JZ

• RB20

• RB25

• RB26

• SR20

• CA18

• EJ20

• 4G63

• B16

• B18

• 3S-GE

• 3S-GTE

along with ongoing decoder work for additional packet families.

Current Development Focus

Current development priorities remain focused on:

• live logging refinement

• AFR conversion validation

• ignition autotuning

• expanded ECU support

• map visualization improvements

• decoder research

• tuning safety systems

• real-time tuning workflows

• FCEdit-equivalent settings support

• improved session/logging systems

The project has now progressed far beyond simple offline map editing and continues moving toward a modern full-featured PowerFC tuning ecosystem.

More updates soon.

IF "you're" contemplating being "here", "food for thought"...

Friday evening, 6-13, ALL in Bloomington IN; Smokin' Jack's Rib Shack, Casa Brava & Riviera Maya, Sakura 15 and Bucceto's(Liberty Dr location).

Saturday lunch, 6-14; Bedford IN/ Smokin Jim's BBQ & Steak House, Yamato, Pub 15 and The Rusty Gator.
Bloomfield IN/ Casa Sevilla.
Bloomington IN/ Bucceto's.

We wouldn't do BBQ both days, Japanese both days, Mexican both days or Italian both days...unless "you" wanted to.

Check them out if you want, I plan on "visiting" the Bloomington sites and the non-BBQ site in Bedford. This will give me an idea about the locations and their ability to handle our group. I'll give my thoughts, hopefully, be the end of this coming week.

That is all...enjoy!

I am simply stunned by how fast this thing is.  So far, I've only tinted the windows.  And Gary Dean is going to be coating the car next week.  But I have a few more mods planned.  It is still a bit annoying that there is no Android Auto in the car, but I'm going to fix that soon as well.

I'm not on here much these days.  But I figured I'd share the news with the few others that still frequent this place from time to time.

The only other thing for me to report here is that I took the Spyder out for a brief cruise yesterday just to keep fluids running in the vehicle once in a while.  It sure felt great to drive it again.  It was a crisp fall day and I'm pretty sure my little garage queen was happy to be on the road again.  Anthropomorphic?  Yes.  Hey I'm old and I can see the world how ever I want!  😉 

So when was the last time you posted something here?  Are you like me and you stop by once in a while to see if anyone is posting anything of interest?

I hope you are well and wish my spyder colleagues all the best.