One chip to rule them all - Spec ECU in 2016

[triangleforge]

Much of the discussion on this has happened in the "Ducati Goes Open" thread, but this seemed like a big enough topic to deserve its own. I'd be curious to hear what folks think might be the effects of this change.

To kick things off, here's Honda's explanation about why they went (in the space of just a few weeks) from threatening to take their ball and leave to voting to impose the spec ECU even sooner than planned:

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/201340/1/honda-explains-standard-ecu-agreement.html

If all of the teams have to share all of their code, that's giving away more than just an algorithm for wheelie control, for example. It tells the other teams how you're doing things like managing traction at the rear, or how you're managing your formerly super-secret seamless transmission. It's not just software - shared code will give other teams way more information than they've ever had on your equipment and set-up. I wonder what tricks they'll come up with to disguise those things...

[thought]

I'm guessing some form of hardware lockout or hardware interpretation of the ecu commands for specialized code they push through.  So the function can be used by everyone but it just can't be used effectively without redeveloping part of the powertrain to take advantage of it.  That's how I would circumvent the ecu if I also had the ability to affect its development.

So you can use honda's anti wheelie but without some specialized part they use, it doesn't react quick enough to provide the benefits it gives honda.

Basically the seamless gearbox all over again, spending massive amt of money to create something that the ecu could do easier.  And all the money they spend on ecu development will just get pushed into figuring out ways to keep everyone else from using their code to its top potential

[The Don]

I don't think it's such a good idea, you all know what happened when they went to the single tyre supplier, this will just cause more moaning by fans, factories and teams. The team still won't be able to afford the technicians to get the best out of the ecu and the factory teams will , so we will be back to where we started. Maybe I'm a pessimist lol

[OT]

I fully expect the visionaries at Dorna to mandate bluetooth on the bikes for the ECU to communicate with the sensors…

[duccarlos]

You can't really compare the one tire manufacturer to an ECU that is supposed to be developed by all the factories. The actual ECU is being used to a certain degree by various teams. Software is developed within the boundaries, but at least they have a say in what the boundaries are. Bridgestone delivers the tires that will be used and the factories have to live with it, see Lorenzo's crying of the past month. 

[Speeddog]

All MotoGP teams use the spec ECU now.

[duccarlos]

That is true. The factory teams get to use custom code. I wonder if those teams will start hiring hackers...