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History
TurboXS has been founded in 1999 by Jermaine Riddick. The company specializes in creating high-quality, application-specific components for various vehicles, including Subaru, Mitsubishi, Mazda, and Hyundai. Since the beginning of the microchip, the prices of electronic components continue to drop year over year, but the in the late 1990s and the early 2000s, the price was still pretty high. To reduce cost, many companies tried to be creative and one of the tendency was to uses or modify video game handheld as display for other portable devices. The infamous JN-100 sewing machine for the Game Boy is a great example.
So it should come to no surprise to learn that TurboXS had exactly the same idea with their Data Transfer Engine Console (DTEC). The DTEC is a modular, configurable, universal engine management computer. It provides a fully adjustable in-car system that can monitor exhaust gas temperature (EGT), Boost, rpm, air-fuel ratio , etc.
The system would use a proprietary interface that plugs into the existing Game Boy SP’s link port, which would allow them to use the Game Boy screen and controller as the input and output for the system. As the system doesn’t need to modify your GBA in any way. You can still use it for everything you can use Game Boy for.
Release
The DTEC was released in October 2004 in two models. The barebones DTEC starter kit sold for $229, but was limited to just data logging. The more robust DTEC-BC-PRO (which came with an electronic boost control solenoid, as well as MAP and knock sensors) retailed for $550. Of course, you would need to add a $99 Game Boy Advance SP on top to complete the kit.
By all means, the DTEC was a success. Other boost controller of the time such as the Greddy E01, Blitz SBC-id, the Apexi AVC-R or even the HKS EVC V were all more expensive and had fewer features.
TurboXS was also floating the idea of making the DTEC compatible with the upcoming Nintendo DS.” We could make it work on the DS . It seems like we could from everything we’ve done on the research. We can make it work on the DS, I don’t know what additional programming [is required] to use both screens. Definitely works on Advance and SP. We need to get one and find out.”
Demise
While, the DTEC was a success for what it was, it was still a very niche item making it extremely rare today. The last unit sold by TurboXS was in 2010. In the end, the Nintendo DS version would never see the light of day. While TurboXS no longer provide any support for the DTEC, the manual and the latest firmware are still available from their website.