Getting Started with OpenECU

Release 3.2.0-FS r2022-1

Copyright © 2021 OpenECU

Getting started with OpenECU
Thank you for choosing Pi Innovo's OpenECU platform. OpenECU is a range of adaptable electronic
control units and software for the automotive market, allowing rapid creation of applications, from CAN
gateways, to suspension, after-treatment, and engine control.

To get started with OpenECU, please follow this guide in selecting which third-party tools to use
with OpenECU and how to configure those tools with OpenECU (installation, licensing, environment
variables).

1. Choose which third-party tools to use with OpenECU

OpenECU developer software and ECUs are compatible with a third-party tools such as MATLAB, C
compilers and calibration tools. Carefully consider which tools are appropriate for you.

2. Install third-party tools

These can be installed after OpenECU but will then require some additional manual setup to work
correctly with OpenECU. If installed first, the OpenECU installer will update those tools as necessary.

3. Install OpenECU

OpenECU is packaged as an executable installer that includes OpenECU software, documentation

and will integrate OpenECU with some third-party tools.

4. License OpenECU

OpenECU software employs the same license manager as some third-party tools, and the setup may
be familiar to you. OpenECU licenses are issued by Pi.

5. Check environment variables

Environment variables help OpenECU locate third party tools. If these are not correctly set, then
application builds may fail.

6. Try out quick start example to become familiar with OpenECU

Each package comes with a simple example of construct an application and program the ECU.
Following the example will quickly determine whether tools have been correctly installed, licensed
and configured.

7. Read through the release notes

If you have used OpenECU before then some features in a newer version of OpenECU may have
changed, become deprecated or have been removed completely. Reading the release notes will tell
you what features of you application may be affected.

8. Refer to the user guide

The searchable OpenECU User Guide (C-API) or OpenECU User Guide (Sim-API) provides
comprehensive reference information for hardware and software, examples and guidance. Please
consult the user guide for detailed help on all aspects of OpenECU.

Copyright 2021, OpenECU ii

1. Choose third-party tools
OpenECU developer software and ECUs are compatible with a variety of third-party tools. The document
OpenECU Compatibility with Third Party Tools, “Compatibility” details each of these tools and supported
versions. Carefully consider which tools are appropriate for you.

Contact OpenECU support if you are unsure which tools to purchase or use.

2. Install third-party tools

OpenECU requires various tools provided by third parties to generate applications to run on an ECU or
to communicate, program and calibration an ECU whilst the application is running. The complete list of
third-party tools supported by OpenECU can be found in OpenECU Compatibility with Third Party Tools.

OpenECU has been tested against the tool versions listed in the OpenECU Compatibility with Third
Party Tools document. If you are purchasing a new tool then you may find the vendor offers you the latest
version of their tool, rather than the version OpenECU has been tested against. It is important to request
a version of the tool that matches those tested against OpenECU, otherwise incompatibilities may arise.

2.1. Third party tool requirements — compatibility

OpenECU has been tested against the latest versions of each tool listed below. OpenECU may work
with other versions of these applications, but Pi only provides technical support for the latest version.

Operating system

OpenECU works with the following operating systems.

• Microsoft Windows

Version License Installation and setup Troubleshooting

a
Win 10 Issued by Installation instructions provided No known issues
Microsoft by Microsoft.
No special setup required.
a
OpenECU developer software may not function correctly on encrypted drives. OpenECU developer software must be able to
create files on the host file system. If using an encrypted drive, be sure that permission settings will allow OpenECU to create
files.

cannot provide support for issues with encrypted drives.

Modeling tools

A modeling tool allows the user to diagrammatically describe their application logic and control. That
tool generates source code which OpenECU automatically builds into an application using a compiler
•(next section).MATLAB/Simulink
Mathworks OpenECU supports the following modeling tools.

Version License Installation and setup Troubleshooting

R2015b Issued by Installation instructions provided No known issues
(deprecated) Mathworks by Mathworks.
32-bit Setup requires MATLAB's
PATH variable to be adjusted,
R2015b
which the OpenECU installer
(deprecated)
can do for you, see OpenECU
R2016a
Developer Software Installation
(deprecated)
and Release Note.

Copyright 2021, OpenECU 1

 Getting started

Version License Installation and setup Troubleshooting

R2016b
(deprecated)
R2017a
(deprecated)
R2017b
(deprecated)
R2018b
R2020a
R2021b
64-bit

Note
Mathworks by default only gives the "latest" versions of its tools as downloads from their website,
which may not be the qualified version.

Because of this, you will need to install MATLAB using a ISO image for [Rxxxx]. That will install
the General Release for [Rxxx] without any updates.

Once installed, you will then need to manually update to [Rxxxx] [specific update] using the
installation package on MathWorks.com Only a License Administrator can download the ISO
and the update files.

How do I download a MATLAB ISO archive?

mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/101103 [https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/
answers/101103]

How can I download and install a MATLAB Update manually?

mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/456448 [https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/
answers/456448]

Compilers

A compiler translates C source code (either written by hand or generated by a modeling tool) into
machine code that runs directly on the ECU.

All OpenECU targets use Freescale PowerPC microcontrollers. The M560 and M580 use an MPC5746C
for the primary microcontroller and SPC560P34 for the secondary microcontroller.

See the Technicical Specification for your target for more information.

• Wind River Diab compiler

Version License Installation and setup Troubleshooting

v5.9.4.8 Issued by Installation instructions provided Known Defects for Diab v5.9.4.8
(deprecated) Wind River by Wind River.
Setup requires the Window's
PATH environment variable to
be adjusted, or an OpenECU
specific environment variable
to be created, see Integration
notes for Diab v5.9.4.8.
v5.9.6.7 Issued by Installation instructions provided Known Issues for Diab v5.9.6.7
Wind River by Wind River. (and earlier)

Copyright 2021, 2
 Getting started

Version License Installation and setup Troubleshooting

Setup requires the Window's
PATH environment variable to
be adjusted, or an OpenECU
specific environment variable
to be created, see Integration
notes for Diab v5.9.6.7.

Programming, Data Logging, and Calibration Tools

OpenECU requires a tool to program (or “Flash”) the ECU with the application code from compilation.
Once programmed, the ECU will execute the application. Interaction with the executing application
requires a data logging or calibration tool to read and write information in the application.

These tools have been tested for reprogramming, data logging, and calibration capabilities. Some of
them have many other features which have not been tested with OpenECU.

• Pi Snoop

Version License Installation and setup Troubleshooting

Any Issued by Pi Installation instructions provided No known issues.
by Pi with the tool.
No special setup required.

• ATI Vision

Version License Installation and setup Troubleshooting

v2.5 through Issued by Installation instructions provided OpenECU Developer Software
a
v6.0 ATI by ATI. Installation and Release Note,
“ATI Vision, Known defects”
The following Vision toolkits are
typically used when working
with OpenECU: Data Acquisition
Toolkit, Calibration Toolkit,
Universal ECU Interface
Standard Toolkit, APOLLO
Data Analysis Toolkit, CAN
Interface Toolkit and HORIZON
Scripting/Remote API Toolkit.
In particular, the HORIZON
Scripting/Remote API Toolkit is
required if OpenECU builds are
to generate Vision strategy files
(.vst).
a
The OpenECU method of configuring ATI Vision uses standardised ASAP2 files. As a result, all future versions of Vision are
expected to be backwardly compatible (e.g., version 3.7 and version 4.0 are known to be compatible).

• ETAS INCA

Version License Installation and setup Troubleshooting

v7.2.7 Issued by Installation instructions provided No known issues.
ETAS by ETAS.
Setup requires INCA to read
the ProF files for OpenECU
for reprogramming purposes,
which the OpenECU installer
can do for you, see OpenECU

Copyright 2021, OpenECU 3

 Getting started

Version License Installation and setup Troubleshooting

Developer Software Installation
and Release Note.

• Vector CANape

Version License Installation and setup Troubleshooting

v8 through v17.0 Issued by Installation instructions provided No known issues.
Vector by Vector.
No special setup required.

3. Install OpenECU developer software

The OpenECU developer software provides user guides and application programming interfaces to
access the ECU functionality. Covering communications, input and output drivers, timer access and
more, the developer software provides simple access to a variety of different ECU features.

• OpenECU developer software

Version License Installation and setup Troubleshooting

v3.2.0-FS Issued by Pi See OpenECU Developer See OpenECU Developer
r2022-1 Software Installation and Software Installation and
Release Note. Release Note.

Note
OpenECU developer software may not function correctly on encrypted drives. OpenECU
developer software must be able to create files on the host file system. If using an encrypted
drive, be sure that permission settings will allow OpenECU to create files. OpenECU cannot
provide support for issues with encrypted drives.

4. Configure licenses
Most of the third party tools include a license manager of some sort. Pi do not manage licenses for
these tools, they are issued by the third party vendor. Pi cannot provide support for licensing issues
with third party tools.

OpenECU developer software includes a license manager. Licenses are managed and issued by Pi.
Once OpenECU has been installed, please contact OpenECU support for a license by following the
instructions given in the HOSTID document or OpenECU Developer Software Installation and Release
Note, “License setup” for more detailed instructions.

5. Check environment variable settings

Some third party tools that OpenECU interacts with do not publish their install location. To allow
OpenECU to invoke these tools, OpenECU relies on certain environment variables. These environment
variables must be set manually before using the OpenECU developer software.

Third-party tool Environment variable

Diab v5.9.4.8 OPENECU_DIAB_5_9_4_8
(deprecated) Set to the bin directory of the compiler, or add the bin directory to the
Window's PATH environment variable. But v5.9.6.7 is now preferred.

Copyright 2021, OpenECU 4

 Getting started

Third-party tool Environment variable

Diab v5.9.6.7 OPENECU_DIAB_5_9_6_7
Set to the bin directory of the compiler, or add the bin directory to the
Window's PATH environment variable.

See OpenECU Developer Software Installation and Release Note for more information on installing the
compiler and setting up the Windows environment.

Note
The environment variables must end with a trailing “\” character and not contain spaces. If the
install location for the compiler includes spaces then use the short DOS 8.3 format for the directory
name, e.g.:

D:\Progra~1\diab\5_9_6_7\win32\bin\

6. Try out the quick start example

Once the tools have been installed, licensed and setup, please follow the introductory example provided
in the user guide. If you have installed the C-API then follow this section OpenECU User Guide (C-API),
“Quick start” If you have installed the Sim-API then follow this section: OpenECU User Guide (Sim-
API), “Quick start”.

As well as introducing basic concepts about OpenECU, such as applications, programming ECUs and
calibration, following the quick start example will show up any issues.

7. Read through the release notes

Some changes in newer versions of OpenECU may not be backwards compatible with older versions;
please review the Release Notes to determine if there are enhancements, bugs, or compatibility
considerations in this release that impact you.

The release notes detail what new features have been added and what fixes and improvements have
been made. The changes that are not backwards compatible are clearly marked, as are changes which
require a firmware upgrade to an ECU to become operational. The release notes also highlight which
features have been marked deprecated (will be removed in a future version of OpenECU) and which
features have been marked end-of-life (have been completely removed).

Copyright 2021, 5
Appendix A. Contact information
If you have questions, or are experiencing issues with OpenECU please see the websites:

Support and FAQ

Support.OpenECU.com [http://Support.OpenECU.com]

Downloads, including installers and Technical Specifications

openecu.com/downloads [https://www.openecu.com/downloads/]

If you still have questions after searching through the FAQ, or want to discuss sales or proposals, you
can contact main office:

Tel
+1 734 656 0140

Fax
+1 734 656 0141

during normal working hours (Mon to Fri, 0930 to 1700 EST).

Copyright 2021, OpenECU 6