MaxxECU PRO: The GEN1 Flagship With the Widest Channel Count
MaxxECU PRO: The GEN1 Flagship With the Widest Channel Count
Quick answer: MaxxECU PRO is the most channel-dense ECU MaxxECU has ever built. It runs up to 12 cylinders fully sequentially with 16 peak-and-hold injector outputs at 8 A each, 12 ignition outputs and 30 general-purpose outputs. Inputs are 16 × 0–5 V analog, 10 digital (4 VR-capable), 6 temperature sensors, 2 knock sensor inputs and 12 TYPE-K/N EGT inputs to 1200 °C on a separate harness. It has dual wideband lambda, dual E-Throttle, dual CAN, Bluetooth, a built-in 8 G accelerometer, a 400 kPa MAP sensor and advanced drag racing functions, in a waterproofed aluminium case with shock absorbers. Weight 1137 g, 252 × 180 × 40 mm.
Rocket Speed Shop is the official MaxxECU distributor for the Baltics. Below: where PRO still wins, and where the newer GEN2 RACE has overtaken it.
Who the MaxxECU PRO is for
- Drag racing. PRO ships with advanced drag racing functions, a built-in 8 G accelerometer, three-stage launch control, rolling launch, after-launch power limiting and multi-stage nitrous with staged control. This is the model built around the dragstrip.
- V12 engines, and V8s with two rows of injectors. Twelve ignition outputs run a V12 fully sequentially, and with 16 injector outputs a V8 on double injectors has every one of the 16 injectors controlled individually.
- Cars where the ECU should control much more than the engine. MaxxECU's flexibility lets you build practically any logic into it, and thirty general-purpose outputs is more than any other MaxxECU. Beyond fans, pumps, solenoids, water-methanol and shift lights, a PRO can just as well run air suspension, climate control or any other custom-installed system in the car.
- Engines needing 12-cylinder EGT coverage. Twelve EGT inputs is more than even GEN2 RACE offers.
- Twin-throttle builds. Dual E-Throttle support as standard.
- Cars with two CAN networks — one for gearbox and expansion, one for OEM vehicle CAN or a dash and logger.
Key features
Sixteen injector and twelve ignition outputs
Peak-and-hold injector drivers at 8 A per output, one or two high or low impedance injectors per output. Twelve ignition outputs at 5 V for ignition modules, CDI units or coils. Injector staging and per-cylinder fuel correction are supported.
Thirty general-purpose outputs
GPO 1–8 at 2 A, GPO 9 and 10 at 5 A, GPO 11–14 at 2 A, GPO 15–23 as 12 V sourcing at 4 A, and GPO 23–30 at 1.5 A. In practice this means you rarely need external relays for anything the ECU should be controlling.
Twelve EGT inputs
TYPE-K and TYPE-N thermocouples to 1200 °C / 2200 °F on a separate harness, sampled at 50 Hz. Feeds EGT fuel correction and EGT power cut. Twelve channels covers a V12 or gives you redundancy on a V8.
Dual wideband lambda and dual E-Throttle
Two Bosch LSU 4.2/4.9 sensors wired directly to the ECU — per-bank lambda without external controllers. Two independent electronic throttle bodies driven natively. The PREMIUM kit ships with two LSU 4.2 sensors and two connectors.
Knock control on a dedicated processor
Two knock sensor inputs, processed independently. PRO uses an ARM Cortex-M3 120 MHz main processor plus three extra processors handling triggers, injectors and EGT.
Built-in 8 G accelerometer
Longitudinal and lateral G recorded alongside engine data — the basis for real launch analysis and traction strategies.
Waterproofed case with shock absorbers
Aluminium enclosure, waterproofed, mounted on shock absorbers. Built for a car that vibrates hard.
Massive input count
16 × 0–5 V analog inputs sampling at up to 1000 Hz, 10 digital inputs (4 VR-capable, suiting four wheel speed sensors), 6 temperature sensors, 2 trigger inputs on a separate processor, plus dedicated IAT, CLT and TPS.
MaxxECU PRO full specifications
| Specification | MaxxECU PRO |
|---|---|
| Target engines | All 1–12 cylinder, 2 and 4 stroke |
| Sequential cylinders | Up to 12 |
| Wasted spark cylinders | Up to 12 |
| Injector outputs | 16 peak/hold, 8 A each, 1–2 high or low impedance injectors per output |
| Ignition outputs | 12 (5 V signal) |
| General purpose outputs | 30 — GPO 1–8 (2 A), 9–10 (5 A), 11–14 (2 A), 15–23 (+12 V sourcing, 4 A), 23–30 (1.5 A) |
| E-Throttle | Dual E-Throttle support |
| Knock sensor inputs | 2 (dedicated processing) |
| EGT inputs | 12 × native TYPE-K/N to 1200 °C, separate harness, 50 Hz sampling |
| Wideband lambda | Dual — Bosch LSU 4.2 / 4.9 |
| Built-in MAP sensor | 400 kPa (3 bar / 43.5 PSI boost) |
| Trigger inputs | 2 (VR or digital, separate processor) |
| Temperature sensor inputs | 6 |
| Analog inputs | 16 × 0–5 V, up to 1000 Hz sampling |
| Digital inputs | 10 (4 VR-capable) |
| Accelerometer | Built in, up to 8 G |
| CAN bus | Dual CAN |
| Bluetooth | Built in (MDash Android app) |
| PC communication | USB |
| Internal logging | 8 MB, up to 1000 Hz |
| Processor | ARM Cortex-M3 120 MHz + 3 dedicated processors (triggers, injectors, EGT) |
| Calculation rate | 2000 fuel/ignition calculations per second |
| Supply voltage | 8–22 V |
| Dimensions | 252 × 180 × 40 mm (excl. protruding connectors) |
| Weight | 1137 g |
| Enclosure | Waterproofed aluminium with shock absorbers |
When to consider a different MaxxECU
Leave yourself some headroom. A MaxxECU is very capable of controlling far more than just the engine, so it is good practice to choose a unit that leaves a few inputs and outputs in reserve. Ideas develop as the project goes on, and very often the wish list grows — spare I/O means there is something left to use when it does. The ECU is not something you swap later like a sensor: the connectors and harnesses differ between models, so pick the right unit from the start.
Consider GEN2 RACE instead of PRO if…
You want the current-generation platform. MaxxECU GEN2 RACE matches PRO's 12 sequential cylinders and 16 injector outputs, and adds:
- IP68 sealing and Superseal 1.0 connectors versus a waterproofed case
- WiFi tuning straight to MTune
- 550 kPa MAP sensor (4.5 bar / 65 PSI) versus PRO's 400 kPa (3 bar)
- Bosch LSU 5.2 support for ultra-rich methanol mixtures
- 16 GB logging of all 2000+ channels versus 8 MB
- EGT at 200 Hz versus 50 Hz
- ARM dual-core at 3000 calculations/second versus 2000
- Lua scripting, 8× larger tables, and every I/O protected against reverse polarity, overvoltage and short circuit
- 700 g versus 1137 g
What PRO keeps: 12 EGT inputs versus 8, 30 GP outputs, 22 analog inputs and 10 digital inputs. If sheer channel count is the constraint — and on a car where the ECU runs everything, it often is — PRO still has the argument.
What to buy alongside a MaxxECU PRO
- Harness 2 and 3 — the PRO STANDARD package includes harness 1 only. EGT and secondary wideband functions live on the additional harnesses. PRO PREMIUM includes all harnesses plus two LSU 4.2 sensors and connectors.
- Pressure sensors — oil pressure and fuel pressure are the two we would fit to every engine. Both can be logged and used for engine protection.
- Temperature sensors — oil temperature, intake air temperature, gearbox or differential temperature, depending on how many inputs you have free.
- EGT sensors — TYPE-K probes and weld-in fittings for the native thermocouple inputs, one per cylinder if you want full coverage.
- Knock sensors — the knock inputs need hardware to listen with.
- Flex fuel sensor — if the car will see E85 or varying ethanol blends.
- Wideband lambda sensor — already included in the kits that come with a harness. You only need to buy a Bosch LSU sensor separately if you order the unit on its own.
Note that there is no terminated engine harness for the PRO — it is installed with flying-lead harnesses.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between MaxxECU PRO and GEN2 RACE?
Both run 12 sequential cylinders and 16 injectors. GEN2 RACE is the newer platform with IP68, WiFi, LSU 5.2 support, a 550 kPa MAP sensor, 16 GB full-channel logging, EGT at 200 Hz, a dual-core CPU, Lua scripting, protected I/O and 700 g weight. PRO has more channels: 12 EGT inputs versus 8, 30 GP outputs, 22 analog inputs and 10 digital inputs.
Is MaxxECU PRO still the best MaxxECU?
It is the widest GEN1 unit and still has the highest EGT channel count in the range, but GEN2 RACE is the current flagship on platform capability. Choose PRO for channel count on a proven platform; choose GEN2 RACE for the newer hardware.
How many EGT sensors can a MaxxECU PRO use?
Twelve, TYPE-K or TYPE-N, to 1200 °C, on a separate harness, sampled at 50 Hz.
Does MaxxECU PRO support dual drive-by-wire throttle bodies?
Yes. Dual E-Throttle is supported as standard.
Is there a terminated engine harness for MaxxECU PRO?
No. PRO is installed with its flying-lead harnesses; MaxxECU's terminated engine harnesses are not available for it.
Can MaxxECU PRO control things other than the engine?
Yes. With 30 general-purpose outputs and fully configurable logic it can control air suspension, climate control or any other custom-installed system alongside the engine.
Does MaxxECU PRO have two CAN buses?
Yes — dual CAN, so gearbox control, expansion modules, OEM vehicle CAN and OBDII can be separated across two networks.
What drag racing features does MaxxECU PRO have?
Three-stage launch control, rolling launch, after-launch power limiting for traction management, multi-stage nitrous with staged control, shift-cut, sequential gearbox control, timers and distance counters, and a built-in 8 G accelerometer for launch analysis.
Where can I buy a MaxxECU PRO in Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania?
Rocket Speed Shop is the official MaxxECU distributor for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Explore the rest of the MaxxECU range
MINI · STREET · SPORT · RACE · GEN2 TRACK · GEN2 RACE · PDM20 · Expansion Module.