- Quick Set-up Instructions & Tips

Quick Setup Guide

Prerequisite prep

You will need:

  • the assembled MPSciLink device board
  • Arduino Mega
  • Nextion display
  • CR1220 battery for display RTC
  • Display wire harness
  • Device communication wire to diagnostic port
  • Micro SD card (4GB Sandisk recommended) formatted to FAT32 file system (this is a change from the previous 2GB, due to 4GB and greater being default FAT32. Personally I have used up to a 16GB Sandisk micro SD)
  • Android device running Android 4.4 or higher,
  • MPScandroid app installed on android device (Available for download on the Turbo_Mopar Forums at http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/MPScanDroid
  • For those with flashable SBEC / SBECII, you need the SCI-SBEC adapter
  • PC with MPTune installed
  • Arduino IDE installed on same PC (for the proper drivers to recognize the Arduino mega). Go to https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software

There are a lot of videos showing the assembling and setting up of the device, enclosure, wiring, and setting up mpscandroid.

I’m going to skip over some of that for now, and will repeat those instructions here at a later time.

If you’d like to know if everything listed above is necessary, it is. You don’t need to have purchased wires and other items at the time of your device order, but you will need those to use it. You can use your own wire.

Precautions:

    • There is no provision for a power fuse on the device. You should consider using a 2 amp inline fuse on your 12v incoming power.
    • Be careful not to accidentally connect 12v to the ECU Tx or ECU Rx terminal on the MPSciLink board. Doing so will damage the 74HC04 chip.
    • In order to maintain the highest level of accuracy for analog input readings, it is recommended the device ground wire (Gnd terminal screw on board) to use a 18 AWG to a very good chassis ground through a short wire run. (The device communication cable is 4C/22AWG provided in a length of 8ft. This may incur a slight drop in analog accuracy due to the voltage drop across that length of wire. User should determine if this voltage drop is acceptable for their purposes, or if the recommended ground update guideline should be followed.

Tips before you get started:

  • Micro SD card should be formatted to FAT32 file system. Doing so will allow you to sideload Nextion display updates to save time, or in the event there is an issue when updating the display through the mpscilink device.
  • CR1220 battery is necessary to provide time keeping on the nextion display. Install the battery and when the display is first powered, go to the Clock screen, and set the correct date and time. I have seen some issues from the display having an improper (or impossible) date. When logging or saving bin reads, there are time stamps on the files. An impossible date, like Month = 0 will create an issue.
  • Be sure you have correctly wired ECU Tx & ECU Rx on your device board to the proper terminals at the diagnostic plug. The device will not work if the wires are reversed. I do not know if any damage will result, as I have not tried this.
  • Be sure you have updated your Android device to the latest MPScandroid version. And in MPScandroid:
    • Be sure to change the Default ECU type in Misc/Program Settings to match your ECU
    • For logging, be sure you have created a gauge Layout (.mpc file), and a Profile (you can have multiple Layouts and multiple Profiles. Each profile needs a layout assigned to it.)
    • Be sure to go to Misc/Nextion tasks/ and select download Lst file to Droid
    • From the same screen Download Nextion Layout to Droid, select your Nextion Display size
  • For those with flashable ECU’s, modified with BoostButton flash modules, you will need to be able to power your mpscilink device with a +12v Batt source. The process of Bin Reads or Flash require a key-on sequence, but the device must be powered from a battery source to be powered before the key is cycled. A small On/On toggle switch may have been included, if not you will need to provide a means to switch from normal mode (+12v Acc power supply) to read/flash mode (+12v Batt power supply) to the +12V terminal screw on the mpscilink device board. (v2.7 boards added a terminal for +12v Unswitched (Batt) power, however this does not power the display, so that terminal use is not to be used.)
  • Verify the most recent update of MPTune. Use MPTune to flash the MPSciLink Arduino Mega. You can flash the Mega by itself, or when the mpscilink is fully assembled and mounted to the mega. You can even flash it at any time in the car using your laptop . If you are flashing the mpscilink in the car, be sure the device is powered off. Once you connect the USB cable to the mega, the device will be powered through your usb port on your computer. Disconnect the USB cable once flashing the mpscilink is completed.
  • MPSciLink v2.0 and v2.5 models using the 5” and 7” displays need to power the displays using the included USB micro adapters. The device board can not supply power to those size displays.
  • Download and install Arduino IDE to be sure you have the drivers for your PC to recognize the Arduino mega. Download can be found at https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software