K.A.I.N

Hi, all. First post, first mustang. Just bought my 2014 GT Premium two weeks ago. Is there a way to set a default screen in the instrument cluster display instead of the standard pony logo with DTE? For instance, if I want to set it to cylinder head temp or A/F ratio.

Down the road if I go F/I, is there a way to reprogram the display to include a boost pressure gauge?

K.A.I.N

Is this a nobody-knows topic or a has-been-answered-to-death topic and not worth repeating?

jim010

Sorry, you will only get the pony on start up (or snake, if you have a 2014 Shelby). There is no way to change the default screen.

K.A.I.N

Interesting, thanks. Hard for me to believe no one has reprogrammed this display, especially since it can be retrofitted.

jim010

Retrofitting it is one thing, but rewriting the programming is quite another story.

All we did was put in the cluster, do some wiring and do some flashing with existing programming from Ford using IDS. What you are asking for is for someone to change the firmware, which can't be done.

berzerk_1980

Just curious why this can't be done. Is there no way to inspect the binary for the firmware? Is it encrypted or does it have a secret checksum?

Edit: I read the thread again and realize I thought the OP was going in a different direction and also I might be using "firmware" differently than Jim. To put my question another way, is the startup image a part of the programming, and can the programming image be inspected? If so, it seems the difference in the binary for the snake or pony could be isolated and switched to whatever picture you wanted. But not a gauge.

apial

Its hard to compare the snake logo with the startup option.
The logo is part of the AS built data string which is configurable, so the manufacturer integrated this as an "option" in the firmware.
You ask for something which is not officially integrated, no Mustang even a GT500 has this possibility and that's why its not an "easy" programming with IDS like for the snake logo.

With IDS you will never even have access to the firmware itself, only to the programming options. In IT its like the cluster provides an API to the IDS with several options, but not the one you're looking for.

I don't say its impossible, IF you would have the original firmware, IF you would be able to modify it correctly and IF you would find a way to flash the modified firmware back into the controller. But since all of that is more than tricky its most likely impossible

Sascha

Jazzman442

Make it part of your start up ritual. You know Get in,Set belt,Start up, Push twice on the TCS then set screen. Floor it and go.

zeroaviation

Just need some patience and IDA Pro..

-Matt

berzerk_1980

n00b question, what's IDA pro?

zeroaviation

Its an application used to take "Firmware" or really any compiled code and disassemble to ASM.

Cheers,
-Matt

berzerk_1980

I get it, "interactive disassembler". Suppose I wanted take this on (lots of experience in code but a little rusty). Any ideas how to emulate / get started? I can't afford to experiment on my baby.

zeroaviation

Best thing to do is pick up a used cluster somewhere... Then a BDM interface (Background Debug Mode Interface). I use a Freescale USB S08/HCS12 BDM Multilink ICD. Then you need the hiwave debugger (part of the Codewarrior HC12 Development Kit). I would also recommend a half case of shocktop and plenty of patience.

Remember you're going to get back a compiled FLASH dump, then you must RE that into ASM. I cannot stress enough how patience is going to be your friend here.

EDIT: Sorry I cannot elaborate more :/

Cheers,
-Matt

berzerk_1980

OK, I read the thread over again and see that I misunderstood a question way back and somehow turned this into a conversation about writing custom firmware. So I apologize for what essentially ended up being an unintentional thread jack.

This sounds like fun if I can ever get the motivation though. I've never worked with embedded systems and my career path had sent me more to the analysis side of the house rather than the code side. Disassembled code doesn't really scare me, it's all the background about the platform (like how to get the binary image, disassemble and manipulate it) that always turns me off... So thanks for the info. I'll report back if I ever get a wild hair.