ECOTRONS ALM-Inline User manual

ALM-Inline
Accurate Lambda Meter
V1.1.2
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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Http://www.ecotrons.com
Note: If you are not sure about any specific details,
please contact us at [email protected].

Check before you power on ALM-Inline:
The oxygen sensor is installed in the right way; or if it's left in the
free air, make sure it's dry and it's not close to the inflammable
materials.
The ALM-Inline is correctly connected to DC 12V power supply
or 12V battery.
ALM-Inline included parts:
List of ALM-Inline parts
Small ALM Inline: 3.64" x 1.18" x 0.87"
Bosch LSU 4.9 sensor
Stainless plug and bung

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Table of Content
Chapter 1 ALM Product Overview ...............................................................................................2
Chapter 2 ALM-Inline technical specifications ...........................................................................4
Chapter 3 Appearance and dimension........................................................................................5
3.1 Box size....................................................................................................................5
Chapter 4 Protect your oxygen sensor .......................................................................................6
Chapter 5 ALM-Inline operating instructions ..............................................................................7
5.1 ALM-Inline with 0-5v analog output........................................................................7
5.1.1 Connect ALM-Inline to the main board with ANOUT ...........................................7
5.2 How to use the communication function of ALM-Inline ..........................................9
5.3 SCI Communication protocol..................................................................................10
5.4 How to Configure 0-5v Analog Output...................................................................12
5.4.1 ANOUT Calibration..............................................................................................13
Chapter 6 DTC table ....................................................................................................................15

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Chapter 1 ALM Product Overview
ALM (Accurate Lambda Meter) is a high-precision air-fuel-ratio (AFR) meter that detects the
air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas by measuring the oxygen concentration in the engine exhaust.
ALM-Inline is one kind of our ALM products. ALM-Inline has a solid black plastic shell. It is
more effective in preventing the circuit board from being damaged the volume is small. It
eliminates the sensor wire. the sensor connector is fixed to the plastic shell and the
appearance is more beautiful. it is more convenient to use.
ALM-Inline uses the Bosch CJ125 chip, which can accurately measure the oxygen
concentration that can be converted to λ, AFR or other parameters required by the user.
ALM-Inline uses a more advanced LSU4.9 oxygen sensor, rather than the LSU4.2 used by
most other air-fuel ratio analyzers, and ALM-Inline uses a closed-loop module to control the
temperature of the oxygen sensor to keep the LSU4.9 wide-area oxygen sensor temperature
accurately At 780°C. LSU4.9 is a new wide-area oxygen sensor developed from LSU 4.2,
which is superior to LSU 4.2, and Bosch has used LSU4.9 wide-area oxygen sensors for its
automotive inspection equipment.
Bosch chip CJ125 is the integrated chip (IC) specifically designed for LSU 4.9 Sensors.
Bosch's own wideband controller, "Lambda Tronic", uses CJ125 driver chip. In fact, Bosch
uses this chip wherever a LSU sensor is used. The CJ125 and LSU sensor are mated-pair by
Bosch. Presumably LSU sensors work the best with CJ125 chips.
See here for Bosch Motorsport’s wideband controller, LT4:
http://www.bosch-motorsport.de/en/de/produkte/catalog_products_1_760313.php
The link may be updated by Bosch, please use the link on our website.
ALM uses the LSU 4.9 wideband sensor by default, and it can also use LSU ADV wide-area
oxygen sensor, but need to update the software, if the customer wants to use LSU ADV
sensor, please explain in advance

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Products
Communication
Display
O2
Sensor
Channels
supported
ANOUT(Range）
O2 Sensor
Supported
Exhaust
temperature
sensor
Exhaust
pressure
sensor
Engin
e
Speed
Input
Virtual narrow
band o2 sensor
output(NBOUT)
ALM-Gauge
RS232
AFR Gauge
1
YES（0 ~ 5v）
LSU 4.9(default)/ADV
NO
NO
YES
YES
ALM-Inline-ANOUT
SCI(0 ~ 5v)
NO
1
YES（0 ~ 5v）
LSU 4.9(default)/ADV
NO
NO
NO
NO
ALM-B-ANOUT
SCI(0 ~ 5v)
NO
1
YES（0 ~ 5v）
LSU 4.9(default)/ADV
NO
NO
NO
NO
ALM-B-CAN
CAN
NO
1
NO
LSU 4.9(default)/ADV
NO
NO
NO
NO
ALM-B-RS485
RS485
NO
1
NO
LSU 4.9(default)/ADV
NO
NO
NO
NO
ALM-LED
RS232
LED （4 bit）
1
YES（0 - 5v）
LSU 4.9(default)/ADV
NO
NO
YES
YES
ALM-CAN
CAN
NO
1
NO
LSU 4.9(default)/ADV
NO
NO
NO
NO
ALM-CAN-II
CAN
NO
2
NO
LSU 4.9(default)/ADV
NO
NO
NO
NO
ALM-II
RS232
LCD(128*64)
2
YES（0 - 5v）
LSU 4.9(default)/ADV
NO
NO
YES
YES
ALM-LD
RS232/CAN/USB
LCD(640*480)
2
YES（0 - 10v）
LSU 4.9(default)/ADV
YES
YES
YES
YES
Note: Blue font represents the current user manual supported of ALM units.

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Chapter 2 ALM-Inline technical specifications
Power supply
Input voltage range DC 12V for the Inline, 12V for the O2 sensor
Input current 60mA typical for the Inline; the heater current directly
from 12V supply
Sensors
Standard configuration LSU 4.9 (Support LSUADV;
LSU 4.2 capable but not recommended)
Number of Sensors One
Free air calibration No need
Accuracy
Range of measurement λ = 0.5 ~ ∞
Measurement accuracy ±0.008 @ λ=1.00
±0.01 @ λ=0.80
±0.05 @ λ=1.70
Air/Fuel Ratio Fuel dependent (see lambda range and accuracy)
Range of O2% -21% ~ 21%
Response time
5ms updating rate
0-5v analog output in 5ms updating rate;
Heater
Control Built-in PID control with CJ125
Current Typical 1A;Peak 3.5A
Heater return (H-) Separate wire from Ground
Output
Lambda analog output 0 ~ 5V analog the user can set
Analog accuracy ±0.005V error with a 10-bit DAC chip
Communications
SCI communications(option)
Main-Processor
CPU Freescale MC9S12P128 16-bit micro-processor
(Automotive level)
Speed 32MHz
Memory 128k Flash, 6k RAM, 4k Data
Special features
On-Inline-Diagnosis and error report
Self-learning of part-to-part variations, aging effect
Working with different types of fuels (gasoline, diesel, E85, etc)
General
Temperature range -40oC ~ 85oC
Dimensions 3.64" x 1.18" x 0.87"

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Chapter 3 Appearance and dimension
3.1 Box size

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Chapter 4 Protect your oxygen sensor
Installation
Correct installation of the oxygen sensors is a must to avoid sensor damage. It protects
the oxygen sensor from condensations and gives the sensor longer life. It also can make
the measurement more accurate. The sensor body should be perpendicular to the
exhaust gas flow, and it should also be tilted in the range of 10o~75ofrom the horizontal
line (see below figure). The typical tilt-angle is 30o. The sensor head should be close to
the center of the exhaust pipe.
After finding the right location on the exhaust pipe, drill a hole of 18mm in diameter. Weld
the sensor bung on it.
Note: do not weld the bung with the sensor in it.
Note, if your vehicle has a Bosch narrow band oxygen sensor (LSF) on your vehicle, you
can just un-plug the LSF, and plug-in the wideband LSU sensor into the same hole. Bosch
LSU and LSF have the same size of the thread.
More User Notes
LSU sensors are not designed to work with leaded gasoline. Using LSU sensor with
leaded gasoline will reduce the sensor life.
With the LSU sensor installed in the exhaust pipe, whenever the engine is running,
please also run ALM-Inline, which controls the LSU heater. Otherwise,
long-time-running engine with LSU sensor not heated can cause damage of the
sensor.
LSU sensor is preferred to run within the temperature range of 500~900oC, the best
temperature is 780oC. Too high temperature (>1030oC) will cause damage of the
sensor. Refer to Bosch LSU 4.9 data sheet for more details about the variant
temperature requirements.
http://www.etas.com/en/downloadcenter/5858.php
Avoid heating the LSU sensor before the engine is running. At the engine start, there
may be condensations in the exhaust gas, which can cause damage of the sensor.
The preferred order: start the engine first, then immediately turn on the ALM-Inline,
which will ramp up the heating power smoothly.

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Chapter 5 ALM-Inline operating instructions
5.1 ALM-Inline with 0-5v analog output
The aftermarket version of ALM-Inline comes with a 0-5v analog output (ANOUT) for the
main controller to read. 0-5v analog output is linear to the Lambda、O2% or AFR that ALM
measures from the exhaust gas.
Connector
Pin#
Name
Description
Min
Max
A
1
RH
wideband oxygen sensor input
—
—
2
UN
—
—
3
IA
—
—
4
IP
—
—
5
VM
—
—
6
VS
—
—
B
Red wire
+12V
+12V Power supply
—
—
Black thick wire
GND-H
Ground (Heater circuit ground)
0V
0V
Black thin wire
GND-R
Ground (Reference ground)
0V
0V
Blue wire
ANOUT
Lambda linear analog output
0V
5V
5.1.1 Connect ALM-Inline to the main board with ANOUT
This analog output from ALM-Inline is linear to the actual Lambda/AFR/O2% measured.
By setting the lower point and upper points of voltage vs Lambda/AFR/O2% linear relation,
the scaling between the voltage and Lambda/AFR/O2% is determined.
The default setting is
0V~ Lambda 0.50
5V~ Lambda 2.00
Lambda = Volt * (2.00-0.50)/ (5-0) + 0.50, which is: Lambda = Volt * 0.30 + 0.50;
Volt ~ ANOUT voltage.
User can change this setting by using ALM GUI. The max setting is:

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0 Volt at Lambda 0.50;
5 Volt at Lambda 16.0

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5.2 How to use the communication function of ALM-Inline
ALM-Inline with SCI port outputs a TTL level signal, voltage range is 0V to 5V. It needs a
conversion circuit to convert TTL level to RS232 level, if users want ALM-Inline to connect
to computer. If the computer does not have a serial port, users also need an RS232-USB
module to convert the 232 level to USB level. Ecotrons can offer you MAX232 adapter and
RS232-USB module, but they are optional.
The following figure is a picture of these modules

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Wiring method:
1. Open the ALM-Inline box and plug the pin of “Commuication adapter”into the
ALM-Inline pin (There is a description of pin on the board).
2. Connect “the Commuication adapter”to the “MAX232 adapter”, then connect the
“MAX232 adapter”to the “RS232-USB Converter”, and plug the RS232-USB Converter
into the USB port on your computer.
Note: If the computer has a serial port, users can choose not to use RS232-USB module,
MAX232 adapter can be directly connected with the computer serial port.
5.3 SCI Communication protocol
The software protocols used for SCI and RS232 bus are same. The only difference is the
voltage levels. SCI is at 5v TTL, while RS232 is at +/- 12V.
SCI communication is based on automotive standard KWP2000 protocol, default baud
rate is 115200, no parity bit, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit.
Send the ‘Get Data Request’ command to ALM, you will receive data from ALM in 20ms
rate.
More details, please refer to the chapter 1.2.2 of ALM Communication Protocol - SCI You
can download the ALM Communication Protocol from the link.
http://www.ecotrons.com/support/.

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Command
Direction
Data(Hex)
Data(Physical)
Get Data Request
Host ALM
Header
Fmt
0x80
Tgc
0x8F
Scr
0xEA
Len
0x03
Data
Data 1
0x9C
Data 2
0x0D
Data 3
0x00
Checksum
Checksum
0XA5
Get Data Response
ALM Host
Header
Fmt
0x80
Tgc
0x8F
Scr
0xEA
Len
0x22
Data
Sid
0xE5
Command
0x0D
Data3
Sensor 1 Lambda High 8
bits
Lambda 1 = (Data3 * 256 + Data4) / 1000
Data4
Sensor 1 Lambda Low 8 bits
Data5
Sensor 2 Lambda High 8
bits
Lambda 2 = (Data5 * 256 + Data6) / 1000
Data6
Sensor 2 Lambda Low 8 bits
Data7
Rpm High 8 bits(optional)
Rpm = (Data7 * 256 + Data8) * 40 (optional)
Data8
Rpm Low 8 bits(optional)
Data9
Vin 1 High 8 bits(optional)
Vin 1 = (Data9 * 256 + Data10) * 5 / 1024
(optional)
Data10
Vin 1 Low 8 bits(optional)
Data11
Vin 2 High 8 bits(optional)
Vin 2 = (Data11 * 256 + Data12) * 5 / 1024
(optional)
Data12
Vin 2 Low 8 bits(optional)
Data13
Sensor 1 Temp High 8 bits
Sensor 1 Temp = (Data13 * 256 + Data14) *
0.023438-273 (DegC)
Data14
Sensor 1 Temp Low 8 bits
Data15
Sensor 2 Temp High 8 bits
Sensor 2 Temp = (Data15 * 256 + Data16) *
0.023438-273 (DegC)
Data16
Sensor 2 Temp Low 8 bits
Data17
Sensor 1 O2% High 8 bits
Sensor 1 O2% = (Data17 * 256 + Data18) / 1024
Data18
Sensor 1 O2% Low 8 bits
Data19
Sensor 2 O2% High 8 bits
Sensor 2 O2% = (Data19 * 256 + Data20) / 1024
Data20
Sensor 2 O2% Low 8 bits
……
Reserved
Data34
Checksum
Checksum
Checksum byte

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5.4 How to Configure 0-5v Analog Output
You can use computer software, ALM GUI to change the linear relation of ANOUT and
lambda.
1) ALM-Inline connects to the computer via Commuication adapter, MAX232 adapter
and RS232-USB module (it cannot be connected directly to the computer, and
interface module is required for level conversion, see section: 5.2)
2) Run ALM GUI, and connect to ALM-Inline;
3) Click SettingsALM Parameters, open ALM Parameters window to set the ALM
analog output range, gauge range, and fuel type, etc.
4) For example, set 0V—lambda 0.5 5V—Lambda 2
Click ‘Burn To ALM’ after changing the setting.
More details please refer to the chapter 2.4.1 of ALM GUI Manual.
http://www.ecotrons.com/support/.

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5.4.1 ANOUT Calibration
Lambda mode, ANOUT used to indicate changes in lambda, the default setting:
0.00 Volt at Lambda 0.50
5.00 Volt at Lambda 2.00
AFR mode, ANOUT used to indicate changes in AFR, the default setting:
0.00 Volt at AFR 7.35
5.00 Volt at AFR 29.4

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O2% mode, ANOUT used to indicate changes in O2%, the default setting:
0.00 Volt at O2% -20.99
5.00 Volt at O2% 20.99
If customers want to modify these parameters, user can refer to the chapter 2.4 of ALM
GUI Manual..
http://www.ecotrons.com/support/
Note：The limit range of analog voltage is 0-5v. The value of lambda is 0.5-16. The low
voltage must match the low Lambda. You can’t make 5V match 0.5 Lambda. AFR and
O2% are same with Lambda.

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Chapter 6 DTC table
Below is the Diagnostic Trouble Code table. ALM-Inline has on-Inline-diagnostics
capability to detect most common errors. The first thing user should do when ALM-Inline is
not working appropriately is to read DTCs.
Trouble
Code
Description
Solutions
E1
Internal communication error
Contact the manufacturer
E2
Internal register error
Contact the manufacturer
E3
LSU yellow wire (VM) short to
power
1. Check the harness for short-to-power
2. Change the LSU
E4
LSU yellow wire (VM) short to GND
1. Check the harness for short-to-ground
2. Change the LSU
E5
LSU black wire (UN) short to power
1. Check the harness for short-to-power
2. Change the LSU
E6
LSU black wire (UN) short to GND
1. Check the harness for short-to-ground
2. Change the LSU
E7
LSU green wire (IA) short to power
1. Check the harness for short-to-power
2. Change the LSU
E8
LSU green wire (IA) short to GND
1. Check the harness for short-to-ground
2. Change the LSU
E9
Operating voltage too low
Check the power supply to the ALM spec.
E10
Heater circuit damaged
Check the LSU connector
E11
Heater circuit short to power
Contact the manufacturer
E12
Heater circuit short to GND
1. Check the harness for short-to-ground
2. change LSU
3. Contact the manufacturer