GTRLink - NGTRX general questions

[NoGrip61]

Hello, I'm a new user and very new-ish to aftermarket ECU's and engine tuning, but my R32 GT-R is going in for the ecu upgrade and tuning soon and I had a few questions that I can't seem to find answers for.  I'm sorry if these have been covered, but again, searching is difficult.  Please provide a link if these topics have been covered already.

General:

1. "Most factory features are supported. " - which ones are not?

2. Real-time selectable boost maps - how many boost levels can be set (3?)?  How is this toggled?  

3. NGK Ruthenium spark plugs - what is a good spark duration to use, or is that just engine dependant?

Motorsport features - antilag, launch, flat shift:

1. Anti-Lag - I'm familiar with old-school rally style (and F1 with added exhaust piping that I don't have) anti lag where it keeps the turbo spooling off throttle, which is something I'd like IF I can toggle it track-side by laptop or button; is that possible?.  But, I'm reading there's a "rolling anti lag" or "latched ant-lag" in the Link ECU, which can only be set a vehicle speed (above 40mph?).  Which system does Link actually use and how does that work and how is it set???  Unfortunately this term has been abused in recent years with burble tunes and the like, which I do not want, and makes researching online difficult, so I wanted to clarify.  I am not sure my engine (RB26) can even enable off-throttle spooling (pretty sure it cannot with a cable throttle).

 

1.5. https://forums.linkecu.com/topic/14928-fuel-cut-anti-lag/.  I'm not sure if this requires a valved pipe from the charge pipes to the exhaust manifold, but perhaps this can be added later on when this feature is available?

 

2. Launch control - I understand what this is and does, but with this ECU I've read that this is another form of "anti lag", but obviously only used on a launch.  How is this set/toggled in the car?  If the "anti lag" feature is a rally-style, where it keeps the turbo spooling off throttle, does the anti lag feature (above) disable this launch feature?

 

Thanks!

[Adamw]

1. I cant think of anything that is not supported in the R32 GTR.  The autotrans would be the main unsupported feature in non-gtr models.  
2. Officially three 3D tables, but you can put other stuff on the axes of those tables as well, so for example you could switch between 10 different boost targets with just one table, there are separate tables for adjusting boost by gear and coolant temp etc. How you change the boost level is up to you, you can use a conventional switch or multiposition knob, a CAN keypad, some logic such as when speed > 100kmh and TPS>80% etc.  
3. The ecu does not control spark duration, that purely comes from how good your ignition system is and what is happening in the combustion chamber.  The spark duration setting in the software is so the ecu knows how long a spark will be active for before it can "charge" the coil for the next spark. This only matters for V8's with a distributor where the coil has to charge and spark 8 times per cycle. 

 

Anti-lag is used to prevent the turbo from losing speed in over-run conditions.  If you want something that can be easily turned on/off and still give reasonable drivability, you will need electronic throttle.  You will also need a pedal box/non-vacuum assisted brakes as your engine will no longer make vacuum.

Rolling antilag or latched launch mode is typically used to get the turbo spooled in a rolling start type situation, basically a limiter that holds the car at the speed that it was at when activated, so you can move the throttle to WOT at a low speed, the extra airflow, retard and heat bring the turbo up to speed, you let the button go to release the limiter when you want to launch.

Launch control is much the same as latched launch, but typically used for standing starts.  It is a limiter that holds the engine at a lower RPM on the start line.  Depending on the type of racing it may also have fuel and retard added to help spool a big turbo to increase start line torque, or it may use retard and cuts ramped out slowly to decrease startline torque and reduce tyre slip as the car starts moving.  

Antilag and launch control are used in different situations, they are not mutually exclusive but would never be used together.  It is common for example for a rally car to use launch control on the startline and ALS for the rest of the stage, but they will never be active together.