G4+ password protection,access rights e.t.c

[_pkmds]

Hello there,

it could be long the follow message  but worth the reading and understand how copyrights and job protections should work of every engineer (also is kinda stupid because you pay everything he does and its not "rented" to have restrictions on it)

im PLC programmer and car electrician and PLC softwares give you the right to make some rights at each password. since someone pays 1.500+ euro to buy an ECU which is unlocked to get rid of stock locked ECU(especially on late 80s and 90s cars) needs to be unlocked at some points for everyone or atleast for the owner.What i mean? There are tuners that they lock up the entire ECU because they dont want to see what kind of tuning they have inside but other engineers is kinda restricted to do their job too...

For example, 

If a customer needs to wire in some sensors or switches e.t.c we have to contact with the tuner to unlock it via remote and he waits to finish our job to lock it again incase if we "stole" his masterpiece . not all people working same hours or same days so you understand as professionals its big problem for us.  Its not only for us but there are people that they maintain and mechanical tune their car by their own so they have the right to have access in the ECU.

You should to upgrade the password of level access. even PLC programmers on industry give to to customer the grand access password for some fixes..instead on cars could be for example: idle controls or wire relocations or wire registration should be free and if the tuner doesnt want to give grand access he should have the right to lock only their Fuel,ignition tables or whatever else they think is so special. Now im in trouble because the tuner messed up the idle control valve with the A/C idle control valve and my customer's car cannot keep stable idle RPM on cold and A/C cannot operate too because he didn't enables the output, we cannot fix it because tuner is on vacation, thats really messed up. other customer needed to recalibrate their base ignition because we changed distributor and he was forced to pay 150bucks for 5 minutes of work because the tuner has locked the ECU.

I hope as information could help the LINK team works on software's design and solve this big problem for all of us.

Thank you in advance readers or link's employees 

[Confused]

I'm not a Link employee, but everything you have said is based on other people abusing the functionality that is available to lock.

The feature is there for a reason - potentially it's to be used in a single-model racing series, where the engines & ECU & tune are standardised across the board, and the ability to lock prevents the competitors viewing/changing things on their car to gain an advantage or figure out how to circumvent rules & limiters.

Is it annoying that it's possible to get locked out of modifying the tune in your ECU - yes.

Is it a big problem for "all of us". No.

It is not a problem for me, because I would ensure that a tuner who I employ do so on the stipulation that they do not lock it, and have it agreed in writing - if they will not agree to that, then I will take my business elsewhere. If they do lock it during the process, after agreeing not to, I will not pay them until they have unlocked it, as per our agreement.

So - how would you determine what's "allowed" and "not allowed"? Is changing a Digital Input allowed? Because changing an input from function X to function Y might muck up the tune - especially if it's some kind of parameter switching (high/low boost mode), idle switch, etc.

Do you want the developers to add every potential function type to be in a big checkbox list of what the tuner can decide to lock or not - newsflash, if a tuner is going to lock away his "magic" then he'll just tick every box anyway.

[Adamw]

Password protection is absolutely required for many different reasons.  There are plans to allow more granular protection of some features in future but it is complicated and not being worked on at present.

• In some regions the tuner has to certify compliance with emissions laws as part of the tune. 
• Some engine builders that give guaranteed engine life lock the tune so that the safeties cant be removed. 
• In some regions the consumers are very "sue happy" if something fails so the tuner may lock the tune to protect himself from any changes that could cause failure.   
• Sometimes the tuner just isnt happy with the customers level of competence.  I have for example had one of my customers at the race track wipe the whole tune out trying to get the car to start when he forgot to turn the fuel pump switch on.  
• Sometimes the tuner may have significant IP invested in the tune that he doesnt want shared.  It may be OEM CAN bus work or for example he may have developed a charge temp table for that specific engine over several months.  
• Security/valet mode/different driver levels etc.
• Scrutineering/single model series.

[_pkmds]

Haven't say anything different. By setting up a password generally on the MAP is big problem. the tuner has to lock atleast fuel tables ignition tables motorsport functions e.t.c and not the section on wire registration.

Not all people are thst honest to keep the deal you've done before.i did a deal he said that he'll not lock it but he did and i discovered it when i needed to check a malfunction. Anyways