[img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/45601812/a638532cfcc8e618ccfdcba373cf526ecf3fbf40.jpg"][/img]
[b]ECU Status[/b]
[p align="start"]Let’s take a look at it and explain what it all does.[/p][p align="start"]At the top of the widget is the[b] ECU Status indicator, [/b]which shows whether the system is currently receiving sensor data.[/p][p align="start"][b]Active:[/b] One or more sensor channels have been detected and are reporting live telemetry.[/p][p align="start"][b]Not Connected:[/b] No sensors were found. While all official Straight4 Studios vehicles include sensor systems, modded cars may not implement them. In those cases, the widget data remains inactive.[/p][b]Loads: Understanding Weight Transfer[/b]
[p align="start"]The Loads section visualises how forces are distributed across the car. In this view, the left side represents the front of the car, while the right side represents the rear.[/p][p align="start"][b]Tyre Load: [/b]A vertical bar above the reference line represents the[b] total load [/b]acting on the tyres. The [b]height shows how much load is present, [/b]while the[b] position shows where that load is concentrated.[/b][/p][p align="start"][b]Aerodynamic Load: [/b]Below the reference line, another bar represents aerodynamic downforce. Its [b]size indicates total downforce [/b]while its[b] position shows the centre of pressure.[/b][/p][p align="start"][b]Centre of Gravity: [/b]A vertical line marks the car’s centre of gravity. This position may shift slightly during a race as fuel load decreases.[/p][p align="start"][b]Scrub Bubble:[/b] The[b] gold bar [/b]shows the[b] rolling range of tyre slide [/b]while the [b]black bubble shows the current balance between front and rear slip. Movement to the left[/b] indicates more front scrub [b](understeer), [/b]while movement to the right indicates more rear scrub[b] (oversteer).[/b][/p][p align="start"][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/45601812/1761b122a773a103266ec04a127c9dcb42fd70aa.jpg"][/img][/p][b]Power: Tracking Energy Through the Drivetrain[/b]
[p align="start"]The Power section contains several indicators related to power delivery.[/p][p align="start"]On the left side of the widget, four vertical bars show overall power flow from key drivetrain systems. Each bar represents a specific power channel and displays its output in kilowatts (kW).[/p][p align="start"]The four power bars are:[/p]Front Half Shafts (F)
Rear Half Shafts (R)
Electrical Power (E)
Auxiliary Power Sensor (X)
Green indicates positive power delivery.
Red indicates negative power, such as braking or regeneration.
[b]Power Bars Detail[/b]
[p align="start"]To understand what is being shown, a quick understanding of the half-shaft is necessary. Half-shaft power shows how much power[b] actually reaches the wheels. [/b]Watching it helps you understand traction, drivetrain behaviour, and how your car delivers power on track. For example: Too much rear half-shaft power means probably oversteer on throttle. And if you’re seeing inconsistent power delivery, this is traction control intervention severing the power going to the wheels.[/p][p align="start"][b]Front Half Shafts Power (F): [/b]Power measured as the sum of the two front half shafts.[/p][p align="start"][b]Rear Half Shafts Power (R): [/b]Power measured as the sum of the two rear half shafts.[/p][p align="start"][b]Electrical Power (E): [/b]Displays power flow into the battery. Positive values indicate regeneration, while negative values indicate deployment. This display is inverted relative to half‑shaft power because regeneration is typically larger than deployment and the widget provides more display space on this side.[/p][p align="start"][b]Auxiliary Power Sensor (X): [/b]This channel is defined by the ECU or mod implementation and may vary depending on the vehicle.[/p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/45601812/1fdfdd8bf4a15961c9c1ea3df7c2e34e7abdc57d.jpg"][/img]
[b]Powertrain Components[/b]
[p align="start"]The powertrain visualisation on the right side of the widget is arranged to reflect the vehicle layout: the top represents the front of the car, and the bottom represents the rear.[/p][p align="start"][b]Power blocks transition from bright red during negative power events (such as braking) to bright green during positive power delivery.[/b][/p][p align="start"]To understand what you’re seeing, it’s important to understand what the differential does for your car’s traction and cornering.[/p][p align="start"]A differential splits power between the left and right wheels while allowing them to rotate at different speeds when the car turns. In the ECU widget, seeing how much the differential is locking helps explain how the car delivers power to the ground—more locking can improve traction on corner exit, while less locking can help the car rotate more easily.[/p][p align="start"][b]Front and Rear Differential Locking: [/b]Thin gold bars at the top and bottom of the display represent differential locking. As locking increases the bars widen. At 100% locking the bar reaches the same width as the half‑shaft indicators.[/p][p align="start"][b]Front Half Shafts: [/b]Two horizontal blocks at the top represent the front half shafts. These typically show activity only in vehicles with front‑wheel drive or all‑wheel drive.[/p][p align="start"][b]Front Drive Shaft: [/b]Located below the front half shafts and typically active only in vehicles with FWD or AWD layouts.[/p][p align="start"][b]Front MGU: [/b]Motor Generator Unit is an electric motor used in hybrid race cars that can both generate electricity and provide additional power to the drivetrain. A smaller block located between the front drive shaft and the engine block representing the front motor generator unit.[/p][p align="start"][b]Internal Combustion Engine (ICE): [/b]The large central block representing the engine.[/p][p align="start"][b]Rear MGU: [/b]The smaller block below the engine representing the rear motor generator unit.[/p][p align="start"][b]Rear Drive Shaft: [/b]Located below the rear MGU and transmitting power toward the rear axle.[/p][p align="start"][b]Rear Half Shafts: [/b]Represent power delivered to the rear wheels.[/p][p align="start"][b]Rear Differential Locking: [/b]A thin gold bar at the bottom that widens as locking increases, reaching the same width as the half‑shaft indicators at 100% lock.[/p][b]Fuel: Managing Your Stint[/b]
[p align="start"]The Fuel section provides information that can be critical for race strategy.[/p][p align="start"][b]Fuel Flow Rate [/b]shows current fuel consumption as both a number and a bar. A secondary hash mark indicator shows a smoothed average to help track trends.[/p][p align="start"][b]Lap Estimate [/b]predicts how many laps remain with the current fuel load based on the previous lap’s usage.[/p][p align="start"][b]Please note: [/b]the lower portion of the ECU Widget, engine mapping, is currently only functional in LMDh cars. We will make this function compatible with other cars in a future update.[/p][img src="https://clan.akamai.steamstatic.com/images/45601812/5c42740a08b26150ba0be4e66942b76975d3a61c.jpg"][/img]
[b]Driver Tips Using the ECU Widget[/b]
[p align="start"]If you notice the scrub bubble shifting heavily toward the front during corner entry, you may be overloading the front tyres. Try adjusting brake balance or easing steering input.[/p][b]Did You Know?[/b]
Aerodynamic centre of pressure moves depending on speed. Watching the aero load bar during fast corners can reveal how your car’s balance changes as downforce builds.
