Why is the edge connector even there?
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Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 694
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From: Massachusetts
Why is the edge connector even there?
Just curious......why does the computer have an edge connector that so easily accepts the SuperChip? Does Ford have a chip of thier own?
Ed
Ed
Technical Article Contributor
Joined: Dec 1997
Posts: 9,417
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From: Windsor,Ontario,Canada
Ed,
Here is my WAG. It is used at the factory to program the PCM for the different vehicles. The Chips on the mother board are soldered in before they are programmed so they require a way for the PCM to communicate with the master Computer?
Regards
Jean Marc Chartier
Here is my WAG. It is used at the factory to program the PCM for the different vehicles. The Chips on the mother board are soldered in before they are programmed so they require a way for the PCM to communicate with the master Computer?
Regards
Jean Marc Chartier
Former Sponsor
Joined: Mar 1998
Posts: 13,385
Likes: 4
From: Virginia
JMC nailed it. The original purpose of the J3 circuit, which was designed into the EEC-IV computers back in the very early 80's, was to give Ford a way to quickly change the software revision for new vheicle development, while having a surface-mounted eprom chip that would not lend itself to replacement like all other designs of the time, which all used standard socketed, and therefore easily replaceable eprom chips.
It's not used at all now in the EEC-V ECU's, as they are flash units these days, but he J3 connector is still there for now, so we take advantage of it.
It's not used at all now in the EEC-V ECU's, as they are flash units these days, but he J3 connector is still there for now, so we take advantage of it.
