RICA Engineering "The Art Of Chip Tuning"

Rica Engineering is a company specializing in modifying the standard-software, which is stored in the factory engine management system. RICA develop software for both turbo/supercharged and normally aspirated engines
What is involved in the upgrade?
First the car will be checked for fault codes and a visual inspection done on the engine to check the overall condition of the engine and some of its components such as leaking hoses etc. Once we are satisfied with the condition of the engine, we will proceed with the ECU upgrade. Depending on your car, your ECU is either reprogrammed through the diagnostic port, or the software in the ECU is reprogrammed with the ECU out of the car. After the upgrade, the car is tested to ensure that it is running safely and another fault code check is done to ensure that the engine computer is function correctly.
On the diesel engines, how does a tuning box differ to an ECU upgrade "remap
Tuning boxes are add on devices that work by intercepting the signals between the ECU and the sensors and fuel system in the engine. Some tuning boxes intercept the sensor signals fooling the ECU into thinking that the engine is doing something different to what it actually is, thus making the ECU add more fuel. Other tuning boxes work by intercepting the output signals from the ECU and thus modifying the fuel control. Either way, a tuning box will only increase the amount of fuel that is added. Furthermore, the tuning box is always fighting the ECU. The ECU will to some extent try to compensate for the increase in fuel that is caused by the tuning box. This is especially true of the latest Euro IV engines with very tight emission controls. The end result is often inconsistent performance, and sometimes no improvement in performance at all.
A remap on the other hand works in harmony with the engine and emissions control. A "remap" is simply a rewrite of the software in the engine computer. Unlike the tuning box which only alters the amount of fuel, the ECU remap alters the turbo boost pressure, fuel injector duration, fuel timing, fuel pressure, and many other parameters, all of which can be optimised to give substantial increases in power and torque, while still remaining within emission control envelopes. Since no signals are intercepted, the ECU does not have to compensate for any abnormal readings and therefore the performance will be consistent. With the Euro IV engines, the ECU remap is the only way to improve performance because the ECU is too sensitive for a tuning box to successfully alter the behaviour of the fuel system without the ECU compensating for it.