BillMarkViii
New LVC Member
Hello all,
I have gathered some information on the strategies used in the Ford PCMs.
The first 2 letters are the 'family' of strategy. Sometimes it will change when they run out of sequence numbers but mostly it seems to be distinct families. When it does increment, it is NOT in order but follows some other scheme so CMAA is not necessarily one after CNZZ and LHAA is next after LUZZ. Does anybody know the sequence for these first 2 digits?
The next 2 letters are just a 2 'digit' series number as the software was developed. AA is first, AB,AC etc till AZ then BA. The number following is a minor revision in the release, usually a bug fix. I decoded this by reading the revision documentation where the strategy changes with each rev.
With that in mind, the 'best' and still easiest software to run the particular calibration on will probably be the newest in the same series that a good definition or documentation is available. CMBA1 would bemore 'fixed' or feature rich of the CM series over CMAI6 for example. BUT it is quite possible the ROM locations of cal codes has changed, particularly where the values are embedded in the code itself and not in tables. For the 1996 Lincolns, the CDBA strategy is an updated CDAN strategy, 12 minor releases newer.
CMAI6 was used on the 1997 Mark VIIIs while CRAI8 was first used on the 1998 Mustangs so it is possible that the CR series is in the same development lineage and is just a newer version of the CM series depending on the order of the letter sequence.
The CRAI8 strategy is used on both coil pack cars ( ML2 hardware series ) and coil on plug cars ( MLC series hardware ) so it is capable of driving both types of hardware. I count 10 different computer hardware typecodes that CRAI8 was used on by Ford.
Why the particular focus on the CRAI8 strategy? It is the most recent one where I have a full strategy guide (MARCH 17, 1997) . Does anyone have a newer strategy guide available in electronic format?
Bill
I have gathered some information on the strategies used in the Ford PCMs.
The first 2 letters are the 'family' of strategy. Sometimes it will change when they run out of sequence numbers but mostly it seems to be distinct families. When it does increment, it is NOT in order but follows some other scheme so CMAA is not necessarily one after CNZZ and LHAA is next after LUZZ. Does anybody know the sequence for these first 2 digits?
The next 2 letters are just a 2 'digit' series number as the software was developed. AA is first, AB,AC etc till AZ then BA. The number following is a minor revision in the release, usually a bug fix. I decoded this by reading the revision documentation where the strategy changes with each rev.
With that in mind, the 'best' and still easiest software to run the particular calibration on will probably be the newest in the same series that a good definition or documentation is available. CMBA1 would bemore 'fixed' or feature rich of the CM series over CMAI6 for example. BUT it is quite possible the ROM locations of cal codes has changed, particularly where the values are embedded in the code itself and not in tables. For the 1996 Lincolns, the CDBA strategy is an updated CDAN strategy, 12 minor releases newer.
CMAI6 was used on the 1997 Mark VIIIs while CRAI8 was first used on the 1998 Mustangs so it is possible that the CR series is in the same development lineage and is just a newer version of the CM series depending on the order of the letter sequence.
The CRAI8 strategy is used on both coil pack cars ( ML2 hardware series ) and coil on plug cars ( MLC series hardware ) so it is capable of driving both types of hardware. I count 10 different computer hardware typecodes that CRAI8 was used on by Ford.
Why the particular focus on the CRAI8 strategy? It is the most recent one where I have a full strategy guide (MARCH 17, 1997) . Does anyone have a newer strategy guide available in electronic format?
Bill
