Our work / ECM repair
Changing Perkins engine controllers from generator to pump
Perkins engines built for generators needed to run industrial water pumps. We changed the application in the existing engine controllers instead of buying new ones.
The customer had Perkins engines set up to run generators and needed them to run industrial water pumps. A generator engine holds one fixed speed. A pump engine has to run at the speed the pump needs. Perkins would only make the change with new engine controllers.
What we did
We first changed the application with Perkins EST. That left the controllers locked and unable to communicate, which is what happens when the application is changed on these units.
We then read the controller software, took it apart with Ghidra to find what caused the lockout, and wrote the controllers back through the BDM port on the board to clear it.
The engines are now running as industrial water pumps on their original controllers.
Engine controller work we do
- Diagnostics, programming and parameter changes with the maker's service tools
- Board-level repair and testing on the bench
- Recovery of controllers that no longer communicate after a failed flash or application change
