Glossary

The vocabulary of OpenRemap and ECU tuning, defined once and linked to the pages that go deeper.

Core concepts

ECU (Engine Control Unit) — the computer that runs the engine. Its firmware is what OpenRemap reads, identifies, and patches. See How it works.

Binary / firmware image — the raw flash contents of an ECU, usually a .bin, .ori, or Intel HEX / S-Record file. See Setup.

Recipe (.remap) — a portable JSON file describing every byte-level change between an original and a tuned binary. The central data structure of the whole pipeline. See Recipe format.

Map — a calibration table (or its axis) inside the firmware — fuel, boost, ignition timing, and so on. See How it works and scan-maps.

Extractor — code that recognises a specific manufacturer family and pulls identity fields (software version, hardware number, calibration ID) out of a binary. See Manufacturers.

Family — a manufacturer's ECU platform (e.g. Bosch ME7, Siemens MS43). The registry behind identify and families.

Detection & safety

Checksum — a stored validation value that must match the block it protects. checksum verifies schemes (no correction); health flags mismatches.

VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) — the car's 17-character identifier, often stored in the firmware. scan-vins locates and scores candidates.

Volatile bytes — firmware locations that legitimately differ per vehicle (VIN, checksum stores, immobiliser data). cook-volatile excludes them to make a recipe car-portable.

Confidence — how reliably OpenRemap identified a binary, expressed as a tier built from signals and warnings. See Confidence scoring.

Evidence — the detection tags, signals, labels, and provenance that explain why OpenRemap reached a result. See Evidence.

Decoder — a CPU instruction-set decoder used to cross-reference code and confirm or detect a family. See Decoders.

The pipeline

Identify — read one binary and report manufacturer, family, software, hardware, and confidence. identify

Cook — diff stock vs tuned into a portable recipe. cook

Tune — apply (and re-verify) a recipe to a target binary, one shot. tune

Merge — combine two recipes against a common stock binary. merge

Validate — the individual before / check / after steps. validate

Audit — the receipt check that stock, tuned, and recipe belong together. audit

Analyze — one pass that describes a whole binary: identity, VIN, layout, maps, code references, checksums, and a health verdict. analyze

See the commands overview for the full table.