securityguy
Legendary member
For those that have a Pedal Commander and are interested in hearing what they have to say related to the post created about a members PC "biting the dust", I spent over 30 minutes yesterday speaking with the CEO and owner of the company (who is an engineer himself) about the issues that a very few have posted on this forum. He was generous with his time so that I could better understand the product and its operation and what I should convey to forum members that may be concerned. This is what I learned during my conversation:
1. The PC was designed in 2011
2. Several software updates have been done over the years to enhance the units performance
3. The PC07 and the PC78 are the same identical unit electronically
4. The difference between the two is only software as PC introduced additional vehicle compatibility in the PC78 and eliminated the PC07 sku (has ZERO impact on RAM owners as to what unit you have)
5. The PC requires only 11mA of current off of the accelerator circuit (that is .011A) and that there is PLENTY of headroom current that the installation of the PC has ZERO effect on the PC's ability to operate effectively and consistently without issue and that the current draw is consistent and does not vary with use so the current does not increase based on the pressing of the accelerator pedal
6. The PC does have a failsafe, but not as you would expect. It was designed so that if the PC goes south, or the accelerator circuit senses an issue, the DEFAULT mode of all manufacturers drive by wire system is to automatically increase the vehicle RPM to between 2-3K...NOT disable the accelerator pedal. This increase in RPM allows the user to get the vehicle of the road safely. He stated that a simple test of what will truly happen if the PC was to fail, or any other device connected to an accelerator pedal or if the vehicles drive by wire system failed, have the truck running and unplug the pedal connector from the pedal. You should see the RPM increase automatically. By use of the vehicles brake and the ability to place the vehicle in NEUTRAL, you can get off the road safely and then shut down the vehicle. Apparently, this is a requirement of all manufacturers to have this as a failsafe on all drive by wire vehicles
7. If you call PC at 805-365-1010 and provide them with your serial number on the back of your unit, they will push a Bluetooth update at no charge to the app on your phone (the updates are serial number dependent). The next time you connect to the PC, it will alert you that you have an update that you can then initiate. I did mine and it took no more than about 15 seconds
8. He stated that anyone that has experienced any issues can and should either perform the update or send the unit back for a full evaluation
9. As was discussed in another thread, you should NEVER adjust the PC while depressing the accelerator pedal as this will confuse the ECU and could cause the accelerator to no longer be recognized
10. In closing, we also discussed the Banks video. He laughed and stated that he and his engineers watched that video and how the testing was performed. He commented that the PC would not act in the way Banks video showed as the vehicle, by design by most all vehicle manufacturers, will cause an increase in RPM so the vehicle can get off the road safely with acceleration to do so...not kill the pedal from operating
11. His final comment is that if anyone has an accelerator pedal completely die, that is not a PC issue, but an issue with your vehicles pedal circuit. Yes, unplugging the PC and the connections in general will reset the vehicle so that all idiot lights will go out and the pedal will, once again, function as normal. However, that does not mean that your issues is completely resolved.
Please understand that I am not providing this detail to change anyones mind or opinion. As an engineer, my curiosity compelled me to better understand the issues and provide members that have a PC with the knowledge to make a more educated decision. I suggest that all PC users contact PC and request that the latest update be provided in your app for download into your unit. It will provide enhancements to how the unit performs as all manufactures are always tweaking their software, but this update does not change the design of how it functions.
If you still feel uncomfortable with your unit, just like with anything that has given you angst, you can simply remove it and call it a day. For those that have them, and have been extremely pleased as most all of us, get the update and continue to enjoy your PC.
As my final word on what I presented above, I am not looking to debate anyone on this topic. There was more than enough stated in the "bite the dust" thread. This is ONLY to share what I have learned from speaking with the owner and designer of the product and get a perspective of how it should perform and what will happen if anything connected to a drive by wire pedal was to fail. I completely understand that there will be some that will state that what I have learned either doesn't make sense or cannot be correct. You make your own decision related to buying one or not buying one, or taking yours out and replacing it with another brand. JUST DO WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL BEST
1. The PC was designed in 2011
2. Several software updates have been done over the years to enhance the units performance
3. The PC07 and the PC78 are the same identical unit electronically
4. The difference between the two is only software as PC introduced additional vehicle compatibility in the PC78 and eliminated the PC07 sku (has ZERO impact on RAM owners as to what unit you have)
5. The PC requires only 11mA of current off of the accelerator circuit (that is .011A) and that there is PLENTY of headroom current that the installation of the PC has ZERO effect on the PC's ability to operate effectively and consistently without issue and that the current draw is consistent and does not vary with use so the current does not increase based on the pressing of the accelerator pedal
6. The PC does have a failsafe, but not as you would expect. It was designed so that if the PC goes south, or the accelerator circuit senses an issue, the DEFAULT mode of all manufacturers drive by wire system is to automatically increase the vehicle RPM to between 2-3K...NOT disable the accelerator pedal. This increase in RPM allows the user to get the vehicle of the road safely. He stated that a simple test of what will truly happen if the PC was to fail, or any other device connected to an accelerator pedal or if the vehicles drive by wire system failed, have the truck running and unplug the pedal connector from the pedal. You should see the RPM increase automatically. By use of the vehicles brake and the ability to place the vehicle in NEUTRAL, you can get off the road safely and then shut down the vehicle. Apparently, this is a requirement of all manufacturers to have this as a failsafe on all drive by wire vehicles
7. If you call PC at 805-365-1010 and provide them with your serial number on the back of your unit, they will push a Bluetooth update at no charge to the app on your phone (the updates are serial number dependent). The next time you connect to the PC, it will alert you that you have an update that you can then initiate. I did mine and it took no more than about 15 seconds
8. He stated that anyone that has experienced any issues can and should either perform the update or send the unit back for a full evaluation
9. As was discussed in another thread, you should NEVER adjust the PC while depressing the accelerator pedal as this will confuse the ECU and could cause the accelerator to no longer be recognized
10. In closing, we also discussed the Banks video. He laughed and stated that he and his engineers watched that video and how the testing was performed. He commented that the PC would not act in the way Banks video showed as the vehicle, by design by most all vehicle manufacturers, will cause an increase in RPM so the vehicle can get off the road safely with acceleration to do so...not kill the pedal from operating
11. His final comment is that if anyone has an accelerator pedal completely die, that is not a PC issue, but an issue with your vehicles pedal circuit. Yes, unplugging the PC and the connections in general will reset the vehicle so that all idiot lights will go out and the pedal will, once again, function as normal. However, that does not mean that your issues is completely resolved.
Please understand that I am not providing this detail to change anyones mind or opinion. As an engineer, my curiosity compelled me to better understand the issues and provide members that have a PC with the knowledge to make a more educated decision. I suggest that all PC users contact PC and request that the latest update be provided in your app for download into your unit. It will provide enhancements to how the unit performs as all manufactures are always tweaking their software, but this update does not change the design of how it functions.
If you still feel uncomfortable with your unit, just like with anything that has given you angst, you can simply remove it and call it a day. For those that have them, and have been extremely pleased as most all of us, get the update and continue to enjoy your PC.
As my final word on what I presented above, I am not looking to debate anyone on this topic. There was more than enough stated in the "bite the dust" thread. This is ONLY to share what I have learned from speaking with the owner and designer of the product and get a perspective of how it should perform and what will happen if anything connected to a drive by wire pedal was to fail. I completely understand that there will be some that will state that what I have learned either doesn't make sense or cannot be correct. You make your own decision related to buying one or not buying one, or taking yours out and replacing it with another brand. JUST DO WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL BEST
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This was simply to satisfy my own curiosity and that's it so why is that so hard for you to understand? Now that you've read my information, please just move on as I am not looking to debate the subject. This is simply what I learned and presented to folks to make their own decision...period. You can pull yours out and beat it with a sledge hammer...totally your call.
