We acquired several Nitro OBD2 modules from various sources and discovered different circuit board designs inside, raising questions about their authenticity and effectiveness.
Online marketplaces even display multiple versions of the circuit boards for these benzine car performance enhancers.
One version is highlighted with a checkmark, while others are marked with an ‘X’, implying a hierarchy of quality. Despite the claim that the checked version is superior, the middle board represents the original design seen in early NitroOBD modules. This raises suspicions about the seller’s motives in promoting a particular version.
The first type of circuit board is built around a PIC16F59 Integrated Circuit (IC):
A significant issue arises when examining the datasheet for the PIC16F59 IC from Microchip. This datasheet clearly indicates that the chip has a maximum program memory size of only 3KB.
Research confirms that Engine Control Unit (ECU) maps for modern vehicles require a minimum of 20KB of memory, and often much more, per map. The minuscule 3KB memory capacity of the PIC16F59 IC is far too small to contain genuine vehicle performance maps. This finding casts serious doubt on the claim that this Nitro OBD2 module can genuinely remap a vehicle’s ECU to enhance performance. The question then becomes: what data, if any, is actually stored within this limited 3KB space?
The second circuit board design utilizes a hidden IC, located on the underside of the PCB:
Closer inspection reveals this chip to be an STM8S003F3, a value-line IC manufactured by STMicroelectronics. According to its datasheet, this IC features only 8KB of program memory.
Similar to the PIC16F59, the 8KB program memory of the STM8S003F3 is insufficient to store the extensive ECU maps required for real performance tuning in benzine cars. This limitation further reinforces concerns about the true functionality and effectiveness of Nitro OBD2 performance chips.
