Planner

ECU Pinout Planner

Describe the build, get the I/O tally, shortlist the ECU, plan the pins. Free, in-browser, nothing stored.

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Component / wire	Needs	ECU pin	Native label	Signal type	Notes & flags

Guided build

Which ECU can actually run your engine?

Answer a few short questions about your engine – or start from one of 58 swap presets – and the planner works out every input and output your build needs, ranks all 50 ECUs by what they can really do, and lays it out pin by pin.

Planning aid only

Verify every pin against the manufacturer’s manual and confirm with your tuner before wiring – a wrong pin can destroy an ECU or a sensor.

Derived I/O counts, capability supersets, reassignability, add-on specs and 5V/ground fan-out budgets are interpretations/estimates; anything shown as “unverified”, “estimate” or a source gap is not confirmed.

steps, in order

ECUs ranked

engine presets

add-on modules

Start from your engine

BMW

Ford

GM

Honda

Mazda

Nissan

Subaru

Toyota

Picking one fills the steps it can state for certain, and tells you plainly what it could not.

Describe the engine

Short steps – cylinders and layout, fuel, ignition, cams, sensors, actuators. One question at a time.

See the I/O it needs

Injector and ignition drivers, triggers, analog inputs, and the 5V and ground load – derived, not guessed.

Get the pin sheet

Every ECU ranked valid, needs-a-module or won't fit, then the connection sheet pin by pin.

The planner runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere, and nothing is saved between visits; export or print your sheet before you close the tab. If a pin looks wrong for your ECU, tell us which one; the profiles are transcribed from manufacturer manuals and corrections are welcome.

Always verify against the manufacturer’s manual and your tuner before wiring.

How it works

What the planner actually does

Most people choose a standalone ECU backwards: brand first, count later. The planner runs it the other way round. You describe the engine, it derives the inputs and outputs that build needs, and only then does it name a box.

Describe the build. Start from an engine preset or from scratch. The guided flow asks about the things that change the pin count: injectors, coil type, trigger pattern, cam control, drive-by-wire and the sensors you are keeping. Not the things that look good on a spec sheet.
Get the I/O tally. Injector drivers, ignition outputs, trigger inputs, analogue and temperature inputs, low-side and half-bridge outputs: counted by type as well as by number, with 5V-reference and sensor-ground fan-out counted rather than assumed.
Shortlist the ECU. Wire-in and plug-in ECUs are scored against that tally. Where one falls short, the planner names the shortfall, and whether an add-on module can close it, instead of just marking it red.
Plan the pins. Pick one and it lays out a pin-by-pin connection sheet you can export or print and take to the bench.

Questions that come up

Does the planner save my build?

No. It runs entirely in your browser, and nothing you enter is sent anywhere or kept between visits. Export or print the connection sheet before you close the tab.

Where does the pinout data come from?

Each ECU profile is transcribed from the manufacturer’s own manuals and pinout documents, one pin at a time. Transcriptions can be wrong and hardware revisions change, so the manual for your exact ECU and revision wins any disagreement. If you find an error, tell us which pin.

Why does it count trigger inputs separately from digital inputs?

Because a crank or cam sensor needs a trigger-capable input, and a VR sensor needs one that can read VR. A spare digital input does not help. Counts are the easy part; types are the trap.

Is it free?

Yes. The adverts pay for it. They sit around the planner, never inside it.

Does it replace my tuner?

No. It gets you to a shortlist and a connection sheet faster than a napkin does. Your tuner has seen the car; the planner has not.