A Tuning Corporate As soon as Became a Sport Boy Advance Right into a Spice up Controller

Now, I do know that sounds absurd, particularly when you have been too younger to bear in mind top Sport Boy season or too previous to care. However sure, a real tuning product existed that became Nintendo’s foldable hand held right into a automotive tuning accent.

The cartridge was once the brainchild of Maryland-based tuning corporation, TurboXS. Known as the DTEC, the device was once launched in October 2004. It was once aimed toward catering to era-specific platforms just like the Mazda RX-7, Mitsubishi Evo and Eclipse, Nissan 240sx, Subaru STI, and the Toyota Supra.

The DTEC applied a Nintendo Sport Boy as each a show and enter software, permitting drivers to switch the enhance force in their turbocharged automotive and click on on a button at the directional pad. It would additionally show information within the type of a enhance gauge, tachometer, and even an air/gas ratio gauge with an not obligatory wideband equipment. TurboXS additionally had firstly deliberate to make a model of the DTEC appropriate with the dual-screen Nintendo DS as neatly, consistent with an previous article from IGN, nevertheless it does not seem {that a} DS-specific model ever made it to marketplace.

What is extra, the device may be used as an information logger. The DTEC may file RPM, throttle place, boot, injector accountability cycle, knock, AFR, and timing correction for playback and tuning troubleshooting. Be mindful—this was once the early 2000s, so the ability of this tiny hand held device can’t be understated (simply learn this wormhole of a discussion board submit for a reminder of what it was once love to be a DIY tuner on the flip of the millennium).

Now, a enhance controller and knowledge logger are cool, however there was once so a lot more that TurboXS will have performed with its instrument. If truth be told, the tuning corporation had deliberate to pair its Sport Boy-bound cartridge with its well-liked UTEC Engine Control Device, successfully making it a tuning software as neatly.

To be transparent, TurboXS’ plan was once no longer like slapping an previous Apexi Tremendous AFC piggyback tuning software to your dashboard. The UTEC device had complete keep watch over over gas, timing, and enhance force…all of which might be changed without delay from the Sport Boy. A detailed hand held competitor nonetheless in the marketplace as of late, the Cobb AccessPort, was once additionally launched in 2004.

However let’s be actual—neither the SAFC or AccessPort may play Pokemon when it is not to your automotive, so which software is the true winner right here?

Unfortunately, the TurboXS DTEC has been lengthy discontinued. When new, a barebones DTEC starter equipment offered for $229, however was once restricted to only information logging. The extra powerful DTEC-BC-Professional (which got here with an digital enhance keep watch over solenoid, in addition to MAP and knock sensors) retailed for $550. In fact, you would have to upload a $99 Sport Boy Advance SP on most sensible to finish the equipment.

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