Frequently Asked Questions

Crovalt is an AI-powered automotive ECU calibration platform. You input your vehicle specifications and modifications through a guided questionnaire, and the system generates downloadable tune files — complete fuel maps, ignition timing tables, AFR targets, and boost control parameters.

Every generated tune passes through a deterministic physics safety gate before it ever reaches the download button. The platform produces litigation-grade safety documentation alongside each calibration, so you have a full audit trail of what was generated and why.

Crovalt uses a three-tier AI pipeline, each model optimized for a specific task:

• Lightweight AI model — Powers the AI tuning chatbot. Answers questions about OBD-II codes, tuning concepts, and general support. The fastest and most cost-efficient tier, designed for high-volume conversational use.
• Diagnostic AI model — Handles diagnostic analysis. When you upload OBD-II datalogs, this model identifies anomalies like lean conditions, knock events, boost spikes, and sensor faults, producing a diagnostic summary with confidence scores.
• Advanced AI model — The heavyweight model that generates actual tune calibrations. It receives a compiled prompt containing your vehicle specs, hardware constraints, and hard safety limits (max AFR, timing limits, boost limits, EGT thresholds). The output is structured JSON calibration data.

Before the AI ever sees your request, the prompt compiler injects hard physics boundaries derived from your specific hardware — injector flow rates, turbo max boost, compression ratio, and more. The constraint engine then validates the AI output against 13 physics rules. If the tune fails validation, the violations are fed back to the AI for up to 2 retries. After generation, all 8 export formats are produced simultaneously.

Safety is the foundation of Crovalt. Every generated tune passes through a multi-layered validation pipeline before it can be downloaded:

1. Zod schema validation — Verifies the tune has the correct data structure.
2. Map dimension validation — Confirms all calibration arrays are the correct size.
3. 13-point physics safety gate — Deterministic checks against hard limits:
   • AFR limits (WOT and under boost)
   • Ignition timing limits (atmospheric and boosted)
   • Boost pressure limits (target and transient)
   • Exhaust gas temperature (EGT) limits
   • Knock threshold validation
   • Injector duty cycle caps (max 92%)
   • Rev limiter bounds
4. Post-processing sanitizer — A deterministic fixup layer that clamps AFR values at high load, tightens timing under boost, caps boost targets, and scales down VE in cells where injector duty would exceed safe limits.

If the safety gate rejects a tune, the specific violations are fed back to the AI for a retry (up to 2 attempts). If the tune still fails after retries, it is blocked entirely — the violations are shown to the user and no download is available. An unsafe tune never reaches the download button.

Crovalt supports any SAE J2534-compliant PassThru adapter for ECU flashing. The flash tool is available exclusively in the desktop app (Electron). Supported devices include:

• Tactrix OpenPort 2.0 — Popular with Subaru, Mitsubishi, and Mazda tuners
• Drew Technologies Mongoose Pro — Common for GM, Ford, and Chrysler platforms
• Intrepid neoVI — Multi-protocol professional tool
• VXDiag VCX — Multi-vehicle coverage
• PEAK PCAN-USB — CAN-only adapter
• Kvaser Leaf — CAN-only adapter

The flash workflow uses UDS (ISO 14229) over ISO 15765 CAN at 500 kbps. The desktop app automatically scans for installed J2534 drivers and includes built-in seed-key algorithms for 10 OEM platforms (Subaru, Mitsubishi, GM, Ford/Mazda, Bosch ME7/MED, Denso Toyota, Chrysler NGC, Honda, Hyundai/Kia, and a passthrough mode for bench ECUs).

Crovalt generates all 8 export formats simultaneously with every tune:

• MegaSquirt .msq — XML format, directly flashable via TunerStudio
• RomRaider .xml — For Subaru tuning with Tactrix OpenPort
• TunerPro .xdf — Definition file with embedded calibration data
• HP Tuners .csv — Table import for VCM Suite
• Haltech .esp — Elite Series calibration XML
• Binary .hex — Intel HEX format for direct flashing
• Universal CSV — Generic comma-separated format for any tool
• Raw JSON — Full structured calibration data for custom workflows

Yes. Crovalt is designed to work with the tools you already use. Export your tune in the format that matches your workflow:

• HP Tuners users — Export as CSV and import tables into VCM Suite
• RomRaider users — Export as XML for direct use with Tactrix OpenPort
• TunerPro users — Export as XDF with embedded data
• MegaSquirt users — Export as MSQ and flash via TunerStudio
• Haltech users — Export as ESP for Elite Series ECUs

If your tool supports generic CSV or hex import, those formats are available too. You can also use the built-in J2534 flash tool in the Crovalt desktop app if you prefer an integrated workflow.

Crovalt includes a built-in ECU database with real hardware specs for 28+ platforms, covering the most popular tuning platforms across major manufacturers:

• Ford — Coyote 5.0 (Gen 2 and Gen 3), EcoBoost 2.3L
• GM / Chevrolet — LT1 6.2L, LS3 6.2L, LT4 6.2L Supercharged
• Subaru — FA20DIT (WRX), EJ257 (STI)
• VW / Audi — EA888 Gen 3 (GTI, Golf R, A3, S3, TT)
• BMW — N54 Twin-Turbo, N55 Single Turbo, B58
• Toyota — GR Supra (B58), 2JZ-GTE
• Honda — K20C1 (Civic Type R)
• Nissan — VR38DETT (GT-R)
• Dodge / Chrysler — HEMI 5.7L, HEMI 6.4L 392, Hellcat 6.2L SC
• Mitsubishi — 4B11T (Evo X)
• Mazda — MZR DISI (Mazdaspeed)
• Hyundai / Kia / Genesis — Lambda II 3.3T, Stinger 3.3T
• Mercedes / AMG — M133 2.0T (A45 AMG)
• Volvo — Drive-E 2.0T, 3.0T I6, 2.5T I5

The lookup engine uses fuzzy matching with make aliases and a year grace period, so it will find your platform even if you enter "Chevy" instead of "Chevrolet" or your model year is a few years off. You can also override any hardware spec (displacement, injector size, turbo specs) if your build differs from stock.

View all supported vehicles

If the safety gate detects violations in a generated tune, the following happens:

1. The specific violation codes and details (e.g., "FUEL_001: AFR below minimum at cell [4500 RPM, 120 kPa]") are fed back to the AI model.
2. The AI regenerates the tune with the violations as additional constraints. This retry happens up to 2 times.
3. If the tune passes on a retry, it proceeds through the normal export pipeline and you get your download buttons.
4. If the tune still fails after 2 retries, it is blocked entirely. You see the list of violations and an "Adjust & Retry" button to modify your inputs and try again.

This is by design. No unsafe tune ever reaches the download button. The safety gate is deterministic — it applies the same hard physics limits every time, regardless of what the AI generates. The constraint checks cover AFR, ignition timing, boost pressure, EGT, knock thresholds, injector duty cycle, and mechanical limits.