Master or Slave file service: connect the tool first.
Master and Slave describe the tool connection and file handling. They do not describe calibration quality or the performance stage of a tuning file.
On this page4 topics ⌄
01Original file
02Job details
03Development
04Tuning file
Schematic illustration
01
Understand the file route
Depending on the tool, a Master setup provides editable file formats. A Slave setup is typically bound to a particular Master and can use encrypted files for that workflow. Exact capabilities depend on the supplier, licence and protocol.
02
Give support the right information
Supply tool make and model, licence status, current binding, ECU/TCU identification and read method. Ask whether the specific data can be handled through the existing connection. A provider change can require action by the tool supplier; no universal rebinding is promised.
03
Choose credits after confirming the connection
Master, Slave and EVC packages are listed separately. Purchasing a different package does not remove a technical binding. Clarify the intended file or database workflow before buying.
Save unchanged data and identification, then upload the configuration and requested work. Use the supported procedure for the delivered version and keep questions with the portal order.
Identify the connection, not just the device brand
Master and Slave describe the file relationship within a tool system. The practical question is which files your device produces and which development route can process them. Provide the exact product and licence configuration when setting up the service connection. If the device was purchased used, transferred between workshops or previously supplied by another provider, establish its current status before the first upload.
For example, AutoTuner documents open files for its Master tool and protected files tied to a designated Master for its Slave tool. That is a manufacturer-specific explanation of the relationship, not permission to assume that every tool handles containers or transfers identically. Use the current instructions for your own equipment.
Keep the provider relationship clear for your staff
A colleague preparing a job should know whether the read can be supplied as an open binary or must follow an established Slave connection. Record the tool route in your workshop process alongside the vehicle and order reference. This prevents someone from sending a container to an incompatible workflow or treating a protected file as if it were an ordinary editor-ready binary.
If the connection needs changing, discuss the required procedure with the relevant parties before accepting a customer deadline. Do not assume that purchasing a different credit package changes the device binding. The tool relationship and the payment for a software service are separate parts of the setup.
A Master or Slave label does not determine whether a particular ECU is accessed through OBD, bench or boot. The supported protocol and controller determine the available method. Confirm both parts of the workflow: how the data is obtained and how that data reaches development. If a tool supports several exports for the same controller, identify which file is required for the agreed service.
Likewise, keep recovery data separate from the file prepared for editing. A normal read, virtual read and backup can have different purposes and coverage. Ask which material belongs in the development order, and preserve the unchanged source and recovery files according to the tool procedure.
The finished file must remain linked to the vehicle, order and tool arrangement used for the job. When a revision is delivered, identify it clearly and record which version is written. A file that opens on a computer is not automatically in the correct form for the workshop's device. If the return format is unclear, resolve that point before writing rather than attempting an informal conversion.
For a new service enquiry, include your present setup and the controller you expect to work on. This lets the technical discussion start with a usable workflow and avoids treating a familiar tool name as a guarantee that every read or container can be processed.
