All Hallows' Eve and the FPP blog is as quiet as a grave, but beneath the surface there is a rumbling and a shuffling. From the gloom of the dark winter evenings a new ECU emerges. We've taken the ghost of the now departed MRE and brewed it up in a cauldron with a few extra ingredients - using our witchcraft has given us the HEX.
Named the HEX for its 6 ignition outputs, this unit is a direct upgrade for the MRE line which we will be retiring from this point on. Over the last year people were asking for things the old MRE just couldn't do, and at the same time we were finding that more and more installs were on inline and vee six cylinder engines.
This need and our drive to provide better hardware made us take a long hard look at the existing units, how they were being used and what features the customers really cared about. At the front of people's needs were knock sensing, onboard data logging and improved IO without changing the overall form factor of the MRE. We took that need and threw in a WBO module, giving the HEX several benefits over the outgoing MRE:
6 cylinder capable and enough sensor IO to work with modern engines
Dual CAN so you can run your FOME gauges and still output the vehicle specific CAN needed for your dashboard
Onboard wide band control - vital for anyone serious about tuning their car
Dual knock sensors allowing for proper knock sensing on I6 and V6 engines
SD card capable for data logging when you cannot have a laptop connected
Improved low side drivers - able to deliver higher current and automotive grade
64 pin aptiv CMC connector eliminating the need to share pins
Switching power supply for lower power consumption and less heat
Faster processor with more ram that allows the HEX to use all the features of our other FOME ECUs without any compromises
Predictable IO behaviour - all IO of a type is identical on all pins, no more differing results depending on the source of the IO thanks to the elimination of the TLE8888
Improved thermals due to a 4 layer PCB design and 2oz copper layers for maximum durability
Only 25mm longer than the MRE
External boot mode pin to allow firmware upgrades and recovery without ever opening the ECU case, something that will allow units to be sealed up water resistant if required
Able to turn people into newts (but they will get better) *
A new page will soon be conjured into existence for the HEX and will provide a full feature list, prices and more details. Right now our raven is winging a unit over to the USA for evaluation and we hope to be able to unleash these little nightmares before Christmas.
*Use of this feature may result in the emergence of a "devil's mark", being hunted by Matthew Hopkins, a swimming trial, and eventual burning at the stake.
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