just trying to find a way to get into HPtuner. Its popular in the LS world and there are a few locals converting, I'm trying to find a way to apply it to my car so I can learn about it...
Data streams would be different in this case, but the idea is definitely a good one though. Switching to HP Tuners requires a lot of changes that just can't be justified from a practical sense, but this isn't to say that the HP Tuner system isn't good, it's very good, but you would need to change everything, including the PCM and harness, and most Grand National and TTA owners don't want to deal with that. They want a system that is easy to install, essentially keeping it stock, as well as stock appearing, and be able to tune it in its' entirety. HP Tuners is a lot like Megasquirt, it's a good system, but running it requires many changes, and in the end you essentially sacrifice your Grand National or TTA just to run a particular system. With the SFI-6, you're using the stock harness, stock code, but with features and abilities that go well beyond the stock ECM. No need to butcher the harness, and it is way more practical. What I mean by practical is, if we're starting off with a '70 Buick Skylark with LC2 engine and transmission swap with nothing else, then yes, I can see delving into other tuning software. But if you're already wired for the LC2, then keep it LC2 programmed, albeit Flash based...
Edit: So in a nutshell, SFI-6 is
specific to the GN & TTA in comparison to the other units, and very enhanced over the stock ECM. The other systems are more universal, and they require many additions and/or sacrifices, which some peope don't mind, and some do. In the end, they all do the same thing, so it's a matter of what works best for you, as well as which are more cost efficient...