Which device do I need?

Two devices, two different approaches. The choice is usually settled by one question, and the rest is detail.

Deciding between a gateway, a standalone controller and letting your engine ECU do it? Start with the controller comparison. Still choosing a gearbox? 8HP, DKG or PDK? Wondering what the job actually involves? How hard is this, really?

The configuration software is free, whichever device you choose — no purchase, no subscription, no per-seat licence, and it works with legacy 1.x firmware too. See getting the software.

The question that decides it

Do you have the transmission's original control unit, and do you want to keep it?
Yes IOcan gateway. The factory unit keeps running the gearbox; the device recreates the vehicle environment it expects
No, or you want full control Standalone controller. It replaces the factory unit and drives the transmission directly — solenoids, sensors, speed signals

Keeping the factory unit means keeping factory shift quality and its own adaptation, with much less to calibrate. Replacing it means you own everything, including the parts that are hard.

By gearbox

Not every transmission has both paths.

Transmission Gateway Standalone
ZF 8HP Yes — most mature platform Yes
BMW DKG Yes — under development Yes
Porsche PDK Yes — 7DT45 documented, 997.2 draft Yes
DQ250 / DQ500 No Yes
ZF 4HP · Honda NSX · Mercedes 722.6 · Aisin AA80E / A960E — Being withdrawn — do not start a new build

Current maturity per platform is on the limitations page. Read it before committing to DKG or PDK.

What you need either way

Both devices need the same engine picture, and this is where builds actually get stuck:

  • Seven mandatory inputs — eight on PDK. RPM, MAP, throttle, pedal, oil and coolant temperature, brake, plus vehicle speed on PDK.
  • A trustworthy engine torque value. Fewer than half the supported ECU presets broadcast one; the rest require the device to calculate it, which requires calibration.
  • A brake signal. Mandatory, and carried by almost no ECU stream — plan on a device input.

Check what your ECU actually provides before ordering anything: Aftermarket ECU integration.

A missing signal is not automatically a blocker. Signals here are assembled from generic parts rather than chosen from a fixed list of slots, so a brake status your ECU does not broadcast can come from a switch on a pin, a pressure sensor through a curve and a threshold, or a frame decoded off another module — see the signal path. What you cannot do is invent a signal that is not present somewhere in the car.

If you are on a gateway, know what you are not buying

The factory unit stays in charge, so shift points, drive modes and torque converter lockup are not device parameters — they live in the transmission's own tune. If your goal is to change those, a gateway will not get you there. See Shift points, modes and lockup.

When neither is the right answer

Stated plainly, because finding out later is expensive:

  • You want a gearbox on the withdrawal list. Pick a different transmission.
  • You need DQ250 or DQ500 with its factory unit retained. There is no gateway path.
  • Your ECU cannot act on a torque-reduction request, and you are on a gateway. The gateway cannot execute the cut itself — only the standalone drivers can, via the DBW modifier. You will get working shifts of noticeably lower quality.
  • You need it road-legal in a regulated market. These are off-road-use devices.

Then what

  1. Check your gearbox and ECU against the tables above.
  2. Read Stated limitations — the whole page, before buying.
  3. Confirm the firmware you need has what you are planning around: feature → minimum firmware. The gateway approach is 2.0.1 and later.
  4. Gateway route: What is IOcan? → Getting started
  5. Standalone route: Device pinout and the wiring page for your transmission.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need IOcan or the standalone transmission controller?

It is settled by one question: do you have the transmission's original control unit, and do you want to keep it? If yes, the IOcan gateway keeps it running the gearbox and recreates the vehicle environment it expects. If not, or if you want full control, the standalone controller replaces it and drives the transmission directly.

Can I keep the factory control unit on a DQ250 or DQ500?

No. There is no gateway path for DQ250 or DQ500, so those transmissions run on the standalone controller only.

What signals does a gateway need from my engine ECU?

Seven mandatory inputs, eight on PDK: engine speed, manifold pressure, throttle, pedal, oil and coolant temperature and brake, plus vehicle speed on PDK. Brake is carried by almost no ECU stream, so plan on a device input.

Can a gateway change shift points?

No. With a gateway the factory control unit stays in charge, so shift points, drive modes and torque converter lockup live in the transmission's own tune rather than in the device.

Next step

The gateway hardware is on the IOcan CAN gateway product page.