Praetor PTC

The Mectric Praetor Powertrain Controller (PTC) is a highly flexible device aimed at controlling the most complex driveline and transmission components. Designed with an over abundant amount of processing power to allow for the implementation of extremely complex, no compromise control strategies.

Expected Release 2024

 

Features

Transmission Control

DCT / Hydraulic / Air Shift Control. Maximum flexibility.

A primary focus of the Praetor PTC is managing Dual Clutch Transmissions in retro-fitted motorsport applications. The highly flexible control functions feature a plethora of dynamically adjustable tables and advanced PID closed loop control systems. This allows predictable, repeatable, and reliable control of line pressures, clutch pressures, clutch touchpoints, take-up and shift pressures.

Torque can be modelled mathematically by the Praetor PTC or received over CAN from the engine ECU.

The built in 3 axis accelerometer gives the tuner control over shift automation based on acceleration and inclination for hill start control and decent control. GPS coordinates captured over CAN can be used to trigger waypoint based preselection mapping.

E-throttle's can be driven directly by the Praetor PTC or torque control requests can be made over CAN to the engine's ECU.

Analogue outputs can be used to provide pedal position sensor overrides to enable downshift rev-matching on EOM ECU equipped vehicles.

 

Boost Control

Single Solenoid / Dual Solenoid CO2 / Electronic Wastegate.

The Praetor PTC can control a full range of turbo dynamics. Freely configurable PID closed loop control with fully user definable target, compensation and feed forward tables. Take advantage of the new generation of electronic wastegates with a purpose built E-Gate control model that takes into account the mechanical idiosyncrasies of DC motor driven wastegate valves.

 

Motorsport Functions

Fuel / Oil / Water Pump Control.

Transbrake control with bump.

Nitrous control strategies with multiple stages, heater control, purge control, under and over pressure protection.

 

General Purpose

User logic functions.

User maths functions.

User configurable 4D table functions for PWM control of solenoids or pumps.

User configurable general purpose PID control functions for target based control of any system.

User configurable timer functions, race timers.

 

CAN Bus

The Praetor PTC hosts two CAN FD transceivers, backwards compatible with classic CAN 2.0B busses.

Preset protocols make setup of common systems easy and fast. CAN frames can also be fully defined with ID filtering, bit masks, multipliers, divisors and offsets. All runtime variables can be written or transmitted over CAN allowing extreme flexibility.

CAN Debug functionality makes diagnosing CAN data easier and less painful. CAN data can be captured and logged in raw values as well as be displayed on in a graphical bit level representation.

The extreme flexibility of the CAN system in the Praetor PTC allows it to be utilised as a CAN translator system when coupled with less configurable or locked nodes.

 

Reliability

A full host of I/O monitoring, diagnostic functions, and error code generation gives the installer valuable feedback about the integrity and status of the system being controlled, eliminating guesswork during setup and tuning.

The PTC is constructed from AEC-Q100 Automotive Grade components and housed in a billet aluminium chassis, ensuring it's reliability in harsh environments.

 

Applications

• Automatic transmission control
• DCT/DSG gearbox control
• Air shifted sequential gearbox control
• Boost control, singe solenoid, dual solenoid CO2, E-Gate
• Nitrous system control
• Transbrake control with bump
• Fuel pumps
• Water pumps
• Thermo fans
• Vehicle lighting
• Body control
• CAN translation interface

 

Specs

Technical Specifications

• 650 MHz Dual Core Automotive Processor
• Tightly Coupled FPGA
• 512 MB DDR3 RAM
• 64 MB Data Logging Memory
• Built-In PDM power supplies
• 16x Half-Bridge Outputs
• 4x Analogue Outputs
• 16x Analogue Inputs
• 16x Digital Inputs
• 4x Differential Wheel Speed Inputs
• 3 Axis Accelerometer
• Onboard Barometric Pressure Sensor
• 2x CAN FD / CAN 2.0A/B
• 1x LIN Bus
• 1x SENT Interface
• 2x 5V Sensor Supplies
• 1x 8V Sensor Supply
• Ethernet PC Tuning

 

Power

Power Input Features

• Built in PDM functionality for monitoring and protection of all power supply input circuits
• 1x Main battery power supply input
• 1x Ignition switch input
• 4x Auxiliary output power supply inputs, 15 A source current per pin
• Reverse battery protection
• Short circuit protection
• Over current protection
• Over voltage protection
• Over temperature protection
• Voltage monitoring
• Current monitoring
• 2x 5V0 sensor supply outputs, 750 mA, fully protected
• 1x 8V0 sensor supply output, 750 mA, fully protected
• 2x Sensor 0V outputs, 1.0 A sink current, fully protected

 

Inputs

Analogue Inputs

• 16x Analogue Inputs
• Voltage measurement, 0-5 V, 12 bit, 1.22 mV resolution
• Configurable 1K Ohm pullups to 5V0 on all channels
• High impedance inputs

Digital Inputs

• 16x Digital Inputs
• 0-20 kHz frequency measurement
• Pulse width measurement, high and low side
• Duty cycle measurement, high and low side
• Period measurement
• Voltage measurement, 0-20 V, 12 bit, 4.88mV resolution
• Configurable 4K7 Ohm pullups to 8V0 on all channels
• Independently adjustable high and low 0-5 V arming thresholds on channels 1-8.
• Switchable high (2V5) or low (0V5) arming thresholds on channels 9-16.
• VR sensor compatible
• Scope functionality available on all inputs
• High impedance inputs

Wheel Speed Inputs

• 4x Differential Wheel Speed Inputs
• 0-20 kHz frequency measurement
• Pulse width measurement, high and low side
• Duty cycle measurement, high and low side
• Period measurement
• Voltage measurement, ±60 V, 12 bit, 29.29 mV resolution
• VR sensor compatible
• VR automatic adaptive arming thresholds
• VR zero crossing detection
• VR high impedance inputs
• Magnetoresistive (MR) Hall Effect Sensor compatible
• MR sensor over current & open circuit fault diagnostics

Environmental Inputs

• Onboard 3-Axis accelerometer, ±1.5g to ±12g selectable range
• Onboard barometric pressure sensor
• Internal PCB temperature sensor

 

Outputs

Output Channel Features

• 16x Digital Output Channels
• HighSide / LowSide Half Bridge Drivers
• Freely configurable as single Half Bridge, H-Bridge or Full Bridge driver sets
• 0.5-20 kHz PWM, minimum 0.1% duty cycle resolution at 20 kHz
• Bi-directional current monitoring and protection on each channel, ±25 A
• Voltage measurement for diagnostics, 0-20 V, 12 bit, 
• Output current control, user configurable, constant or peak & hold
• Active freewheeling
• 10 A sink / source load current per channel (total device current limited)
• Over current protection
• Over temperature protection
• Over voltage protection
• Under voltage shutdown
• Short to ground protection
• Short to battery protection
• Reverse battery protection

Analogue Outputs

• 4x Analogue Outputs
• 0-5 V, 10 bit, 4.88 mV resolution
• 11 mA per channel

 

Comms

Communications Features

• 2x CAN FD / CAN 2.0A/B Interfaces, up to 8 Mbit/s, fully user configurable
• 1x LIN Bus
• 1x SENT Interface
• 10/100 Ethernet PC tuning interface, high speed, high noise immunity

 

Software

MectriCal Tuning Software Features

• Free Windows based PC tuning software
• High speed Ethernet communications
• Intuitive, easy to navigate user interface
• Detailed contextual help dialog
• Fully user definable Input / Output assignment
• Preset and user definable input calibration functions
• All output functions can be enabled and run virtually without an output pin
• Metric and Imperial Units, user selectable
• Integrated data logger and advanced log analysis tools
• Integrated firmware updater
• User configurable live data gauge and strip graph displays

 

Physical

Physical Features

• 86 Pin TE SuperSeal Connectors
• CNC machined billet aluminium case
• Water/dust resistant sealed case
• Suitable for "exposed to weather" applications
• Fully automotive grade device
• Operating temperature: -40 - 105 °C

Connector(s)	TE SuperSeal: 1x 34 Pin, 2x 26 Pin
Size	170mm L, 135mm W,  50mm H
Weight	600g
Colour	Black
Operating Temperature	-40 - 105 °C
Supply Voltage Rage	6 - 18 Volts
Max. Supply Voltage	28 Volts
Min. Supply Voltage	4.1 Volts