This article explains how to program Central Configuration using FORScan .
Central Configuration (CC) is special block of data that contains vehicle configuration information. Not all vehicles have it, but Ford vehicles mainly for European market after 2006-2008 model year. Non-CC vehicles have individual configuration for every block that needs it. CC vehicles use another principle: configuration for all modules is stored at some "main" module and the main module provides necessary information to all modules that need it. This simplifies vehicle configuration management: for example, to enable curise control option in Focus Mk2, that has no CC, one should enable it in 3 modules. On Focus Mk3 that has CC, it has to be done just in CC. Note 2016-12-28: Experience shows it is not exactly so - majority of CC vehicles still have individual configuration for many modules, so some configuration parameters are still available via individual module configuration. More than, sometimes some parameters available in CC do not work, and individual configuration has to be changed in order to reach the goal
Another specific of CC is that in majority of cases it uses Main-Backup model, when 2 modules are involved in CC. One module is main, second one is backup. Backup module is used when main module is not available.
In order to run CC function, one should go to Configuration and programming section and start Central Configuration function from the list. FORScan will start to read CC from main module, then from backup module:
- CCF_0.png (84.5 KiB) Viewed 3900 times
- CCF_0.png (84.5 KiB) Viewed 3900 times
If backup module is not available for some reason (in majority of cases backup module is located on MS-CAN, so if adapter doesn't support MS-CAN, backup module will not be available), FORScan will display a warning, but not interrupt the function. In this case user will be able to change CC in main module only (the changes should work, but will not be reflected in backup module). Note 2016-12-28: The main-backup logic described above works only for FORScan version prior to 2.3.3. Starting from v2.3.3 Main and Backup blocks of CC are accessed separately. So if backup module is not available because of lack of MS-CAN support, user will see CC management function for main module only.
Update of 2016-12-28:
Majority of vehicles with central configuration (actually, all except Fiesta family) require secondary boot loader (SBL) to be loaded before accessing the central configuration. These files are not a part of FORScan package and have to be downloaded and installed separately. There are 2 ways to do it:
1. Download necessary file directly from Ford Tech Service site
2. Download this archive http://forscan.org/download/CalibrationFiles.zip that contains most popular SBL files and unzip it to Documents/CalibrationFiles folder.
If SBL file is not available, the following error will be displayed:
- error_open_sbl.jpg (48.5 KiB) Viewed 3900 times
- error_open_sbl.jpg (48.5 KiB) Viewed 3900 times
It should be counted that FORScan estimates quality of adapters and does not allow to write CC for adapters that cannot do it safely enough. On such adapters, CC function will available in Read-Only mode (Update of 2016-12-28: ... only for Fiesta family. For other cars (that require loading SBL) the function will not work at all.
This is how normal result loading CC should look like:
- CCF_1.png (73.65 KiB) Viewed 3900 times
- CCF_1.png (73.65 KiB) Viewed 3900 times
The CCF service function screen contains of 3 main parts:
- top bar with mode selection box and filter. User can select Normal one and any of 1 Engineering modes (explained below). The filter field is convenient for quick finding the options one is looking for.
- work area that contains parameters and their current values
- bottom bar with functional buttons:
- - Edit selected - edit current parameter. Same effect is reached by double click or pressing enter button on selected item
- - Load - load CC from a file
- - Save - save CC to a file
- - Write - write (program) CC to main and backup modules
Function behaviour is different depending on mode selected. Normal mode is some kind of "safe" one that shows not all of available parameters. Also very few parameters can be really changed. Engineering modes are for advanced users who understand what they do! There are 2 Engineering modes:
- Engineering mode 1 shows all the same parameters available in Normal mode, but allows to edit them all
- Engineering mode 2 is Engineering mode 1 + ability to see and edit additional parameters including internal ones. Majority of parameters in engineering mode 2 are not interesting for end users, but some of them may be really interesting. Here is how engineering mode 2 may look:
- CCF_2.png (69.39 KiB) Viewed 3900 times
- CCF_2.png (69.39 KiB) Viewed 3900 times
As you may see, it shows more parameters but many of them are practially useless, such as VIN padding bytes or block checksum.
Notes:
- Although we do everything to do not allow any harm to vehicle, we cannot guarantee that all configuration changes (especially in Engineering modes) are safe. As mentioned above, the CC information is used by many modules, and some may react not predictable if some not expected option is set. Please remember you do all changes at your own risk!
- In the meantime, it should be counted that manufacturer has made some extremely helpful options available in the engineering mode only, without an obvious reason (at least, we don't see such a reason). For example, some models have DRL options available in the engineering mode only. So we cannot remove engineering modes, as it will cut the usefulness down.
- If some interesting function is not configurable (shows Incorrect value or not configured, and/or no options available in the Edit dialog list, please contact support for futher investigations.
Simplest use case is when a user changes some option. For this purpose, one needs to start the function, find the parameter s/he needs, change it as s/he needs and press Write button. FORScan will ask to confirm the changes, and, if operation is potentially dangerous, provide additional warnings. Then FORScan will save data to main and backup modules:
- CCF_3.png (84.66 KiB) Viewed 3900 times
- CCF_3.png (84.66 KiB) Viewed 3900 times
More complex use cases may include Save and Load CC to/from file.
Save function is helpful for backup purposes. Only 1 format supported: CCT (Central Configuration Text format). At this moment it is used by FORScan only, but as it is plain text file, it is human -readable.
Load function may be helpful to read data from backup. 2 formats are supported, CCT and AB. AB format is the one Ford ETIS uses to export configuration data. Here is how anyone can obtain AB file for his/her vehicle. Note: some time ago the procedure described below worked for both Mazda and Ford. Now Mazda VINs are not supported. If anyone knows where to obtain Mazda AB files, you are welcome to post it here.
1. Go to https://www.motorcraftservice.com/
2. Select Free Resources ->Quick Guides->Module Built Data (As Built) from the top menu.
or just use direct link to the page: https://www.motorcraftservice.com/AsBuilt instead of steps 1,2 above.
3. Type you VIN, submit the form. Resulting page should contain Download File button. Press it and save the AB file to any convenient location
- AB_1.png (49.55 KiB) Viewed 3900 times
- AB_1.png (49.55 KiB) Viewed 3900 times
4. Press Load button in CC function in FORScan and select *.ab from the list of available extensions:
- CCF_4.png (84.95 KiB) Viewed 3900 times
- CCF_4.png (84.95 KiB) Viewed 3900 times
Update of 2016-12-28: many modules (usually crucial ones like ABS, RCM, SASM, EPB, but sometimes also PCM and others) require special calibration/init procedure after some Central Configuration option related to these modules was changed. If a module requires the calibration/init procedure, the DTC U2100 "Initial configuration not complete" should be thrown. These calibration functions are added to Configuration and Programming section with name "Module reset/configuration". If U2100 is displayed and there is no init function in FORScan, please contact support.
