Checksums & detection plugins

A checksum is an integrity value the ECU recalculates and checks; if it does not match, the ECU may refuse the file. The checksum view shows the analysis for the active version: which ECU was recognised and whether each checksum block is valid. Open it from the checksum indicator in the status bar.

Figure 1

What it shows

A header reports the detected ECU and the plugin that recognised it, then a per-block table: the algorithm and region, the stored value against the freshly computed value, and a status (valid, invalid, unsupported or unknown). It may also note whether the image appears modified from stock.

Rescan, and where correction happens

The view is driven by analysis cached in the collection, so it appears instantly even with no plugin present; Rescan recomputes it. The view only reports status — checksums are corrected when you export a binary (enable it in Export Binary).

Plugins do the work

Detection and correction are performed by a checksum plugin that knows your ECU. Tuning Editor ships with a configurable one — the Generic Checksum plugin — which you can point at firmware the built-in coverage does not include, and developers can write their own (see plugins).

Warning — if no checksum plugin recognises your file, the status can still be shown but cannot be recomputed or corrected. If you do not have a checksum plugin, make sure your flashing tool recalculates and corrects the checksum during programming. Failing to do so may result in an unusable (bricked) ECU. Never write an edited file with a stale checksum.

See also

• The Generic Checksum plugin
• Exporting binaries
• Plugins