Mini Plus 90-97 1.6L & 94-95 1.8L
A Mini with onboard wideband and advanced idle control strategy and a lot more.
Overview
The Mini Plus is the latest product addition in our ECU lineup. The difference between a standard Mini and the Mini Plus, is the addition of an onboard wideband controller for LSU 4.9 oxygen sensors and a completely custom idle control system.The onboard wideband is completely configurable through TunerStudio. You can configure how long it will take to start the sensor warmup after the engine starts and how quickly it will warmup–both based on coolant temp. This is essential to prolong the life of the sensor, as you don't want to start warming up the sensor if the engine is not running, particularly on a cold engine. While warming up, the ECU will read a configurable AFR (21:1 by default) in case you want to trigger an AFR safety in case you want to enforce a no-boost strategy while the sensor is not ready.
There are also many diagnostics performed on the sensor, so if the sensor fails or there is a wiring issue, the ECU will read a default value (configurable; by default 22:1) so you can trigger a safety or fault.
The Mini Plus features the advanced idle control system that is also present on our other ECUs, like the Mini with OBD-II. This idle control work much faster, is more precise, more configurable and takes into consideration several inputs found on the NA Miata/MX-5, such as the clutch switch, the neutral switch (so that it won't try to enter closed loop while you are still in gear!), the power steering pressure switch to idle-up when you are turning the steering while idling and it also has advanced control for the A/C and the two fans (all three have different configurable idle-up values and configurable hysterisis). There are also provisions for idle-up for headlights, cabin fan and brake lights (all of which pose a significant load on the car's small engine and dated alternator).
Please note that the Mini Plus does not support OBD-II at the moment as the original car also did not support, however it may be possible to implement this in a future firmware update, mainly for basic sensor codes and real time data for lap timers etc.
This ECU, like it's normal Mini version, supports everything you would need to upgrade your car's performance: Sequential injection, sequential ignition with support for R8 coils, electronic boost control, closed loop lamda control , switchable maps, launch control and flatshift and the ability to hand up to 43.5psi/3bar of boost. Flex fuel input is standard, and there are two spare digital inputs, 3 spare analog inputs and 2 spare programmable outputs.
The Mini Plus also has an onboard barometric sensor to compensate for elevation changes. Finally there are dedicated outputs for alternator control and for battery light if you want to swap in an alternator from a NB.
Please note that many functions that are normally handled by the MS3 processor, are now handled by an additional processor but all these functions can still be configured through TunerStudio. These functions include the cooling fans, the A/C, the idle control, the check engine light, the alternator control and the battery light. Please consult with us if you need to control these through the MS3 processor, as this may not be possible. Additionaly, all these outputs are now dedicated to their function and can't be used as a spare programmable output.
Product Features
The Mini Plus ECU for the 1990-1997 (two plug) NA includes:
- Batch fire and Sequential injection
- Wasted spark or Sequential ignition (Coil On Plug, Coil near plug) with VAG/R8 coil support
- Onboard wideband controller for LSU 4.9 sensors
- Advanced knock control with DSP and knock windowing
- Advanced idle control (stock 2-wire idle valve)
- VVT Control
- Alternator Control with idle compensation
- Smart Battery Light Control
- Tachometer output
- Dual cooling fan output (Cooling fan with idle-up, condenser fan [if available]) with independently configurable idle-up
- Advanced A/C control
- Electronic boost control with 2 boost tables, boost by gear, boost by VSS
- Power steering idle-up
- Advanced CEL control
- 2 spare digital (on/off) inputs (for switchable maps, launch control, datalog start/stop, boost high/low, etc), ground to activate.
- 1 frequency digital input for VSS (Hall effect type).
- 1 Flex Fuel sensor input
- 2 spare programmable outputs (On/Off or PWM) for boost and VVT
- 3 spare 0-5V analog inputs
- SD Card slot
- Internal MAP sensor for up to 43.5psi of boost
- Onboard barometric pressure sensor
- CAN Bus connectivity
- USB port
- DB25 port to wire in all additional inputs and outputs (matching connector included, pigtail or wiring NOT included!)
Product Specifications
- Operating voltage: 7.5-15.5V DC
- Absolutely maximum voltage: 18V DC
- Operating current: 162mA (average), not including wideband heating.
- Number of processors: 2
- Processor type/speed: 16bit, 50MHz with XGate CoProcessor plus secondary processor at 16MHz
- Enclosure: None, ECU fits inside OEM case
- Length: 154mm
- Width: 159mm
- Height: 32mm
- Weight: 0.34kg
- Color: Black
- Operating temperature: -20°C to +105°C
Product Options
The Mini Plus doesn't have any options.
Product Photos
FAQ
This is a list of the mist frequently asked questions we get. If you didn't find the answer you were looking for here, please contact us.
What is a standalone ECU?
A standalone ECU is a user-programmable ECU that fully replaces the OEM ECU. This is the opposite of a ‘piggyback ECU', which works in parallel with (and requires the use of) the stock ECU.
What is the benefit of installing a standalone ECU in my car? How many HP will I get?
A standalone ECU will not give your car ‘X' additional HP just by installing it. Think of the standalone ECU as a tool that will help you unleash the potential of your engine, with any modifications you may have installed (such as a turbocharger, supercharger, cams, intake filter, headers, exhaust, etc), by fine tuning the air/fuel ratio of the engine and adjusting the ignition timing so that peak torque can be achieved throughout the engine's rev band.
Is a standalone better than a piggyback ECU?
This widly depends on the use of the car and the modifications it actually has. A piggyback ECU is some times easier to tune if the mods are basic intake/exhaust mods. However, many times the changes are not consistent over time. For example, you may find that a tune that was done during the winter is no longer good during the summer and vice versa. Sometimes this may happen the following day or even on the next engine restart. This is because the piggyback ECU doesn't have all the facts and only coarsely changes the injection duration and the ignition timing. This becomes much more evident when replacing the OEM injectors with higher-flow aftermarket injectors.
So how does a standalone fare better than a piggyback?
The standalone has absolute control over all the sensors of the engine, as well as full control over the injectors and the ignition timing. This means that the ECU knows whether the climate is hot, warm, cold or freezing, it knows if the engine just started, if it is warming up or heatsoaked, it knows how much throttle you are applying and whether you are in boost or not, of if the engine is knocking. It then takes all these inputs and calculates the proper fuel injection duration and applies the proper ignition timing.
That sounds complicated. Do I need years of experience to actually even get the car to start?
No. Our plug and play ECUs come with detailed instructions for an easy install, and with basemaps so that you can get started immediately. There's no need to go looking on the Internet for maps to load; the ECU will come preloaded with one.