Cherry Tuning Suite · Public Beta
A real alternative for flashing & tuning your car.
We're building the hardware and software to flash and tune modern Hyundai / Kia ECUs — end to end, in your hands. Back the project and help us bring it to the road.
Two devices, one platform
Cherry N-Suite
Simple, budget-friendly PC tuning — a secure USB-C dongle + an easy Windows app.
- Windows app + secure Cherry N-Dongle (USB-C)
- Plug-and-play — no drivers to install
- Hardware secure element — keys never leave the chip
- SIM2K-250 boot-patching (.CTP), reading (after patch) and calibration flashing (.CT)
- TAD801 gearbox flashing (.CTG) — bench confirmed, OBD in testing
- Back up & read stock before any write
- Optional VIN-locking per tune
- Guided flash with plain-English progress
Cherry Tuning — Standalone tool
The next generation of at-home ECU/TCU tuning.
- Dual-core processor — 400 MHz interface + 200 MHz flash engine
- Hardware-accelerated 3.5" colour touchscreen
- Sub 3-second boot time
- Fully standalone — no PC required
- CAN interface, SD card + onboard storage
- 16 ECU/TCU families supported (with the potential for more later)
- On-device data-logging and inbuilt log viewer
Why we're building this
Tuners deserve a choice.
Right now, if you want to flash and tune a modern Hyundai or Kia yourself, your options are almost non-existent. There is essentially one dedicated end-user device on the market — one product, one roadmap, one price. No real alternative, no competition, no choice.
We think that's wrong. Tuners and enthusiasts deserve a genuine alternative — one built by people who tune these cars every day, understand the ECUs inside-out, and will keep improving the tool based on what the community actually needs.
So we're building it. We've already decompiled and cracked access to 16 ECU and TCU families and proven live flashing on a real car (see the roadmap below). The hardware works. Now we're bringing it to you in stages — starting with the Cherry N-Suite: a secure Windows app paired with our own USB-C dongle, the Cherry N-Dongle (expected to ship August 2026) — and building toward a fully standalone touchscreen device, due to be completed by the end of the year (public-access beta tools are planned for September 2026).
Backing this campaign puts the tools directly in your hands and funds the work to get there faster. This is your chance to help build the alternative.
How it works
From licence to finished flash.
Guided, plain-English and safe — the same five steps every time.
Connect the Cherry N-Dongle to any Windows PC over USB-C. Plug-and-play — no drivers to install.
Insert your personal .CTA licence. The app checks it against your dongle and unlocks only your functions.
Open your encrypted tune (.CTP / .CT / .CTG). It's decrypted on the fly — only your licence can open it.
Connect to the car over OBD-II. The app erases, writes and verifies with a live progress bar.
Flashed and verified, CRC checked, ECU reset — with a full plain-text log every step of the way.
Work in progress
A look at what we're building.
Early, fully-clickable previews of the software. These are work-in-progress mock-ups — layout, features and file names are still changing.
Previews only. The demos above are early builds and don't reflect final functionality.
Secure by design
Your tools and tunes — bound to you.
The whole system is built on one idea: what you buy works for you, and only you. Three locks, in plain terms:
Only a real Cherry N-Dongle can identify itself. Its private key is fused inside a hardware secure element and never leaves the chip.
Only the Cherry N-Suite can talk to the dongle. Foreign programs are rejected outright.
Every tune is encrypted to your licence. A foreign licence is cryptographically useless — it simply won't open.
Bind a tune to exactly one car. The tune VIN, your licence VIN and the live ECU VIN must all match — otherwise the flash safely aborts.
Read and save the stock file before any write, so you can always return the car to standard.
A fresh dongle check before every write. If a debugger or sniffer is detected, the app shuts down and wipes its keys from memory.
The plan
Where we're up to — and where we're going.
From platform, through live flashing, to a connected standalone device. Staged updates over the coming months.
Hardware & platform
Our own dual-core dongle brought up: a 400 MHz core for the touchscreen interface and a 200 MHz core running the flash engine. Hardware-accelerated GUI, sub 1-second boot, CAN, SD card and onboard flash. Runs completely standalone — no laptop needed.
ECU and TCU Support
We're at 16 ECU and TCU families, and counting. All of them are ported byte and timing-exact: SIM2K (Both ECU and TCU variants), CPEGD2/3, and TAD801 — all reading and writing through our own encrypted file formats: *.CTP (boot patch), *.CT (calibration) and *.CTG (gearbox).
Real-World Flash Testing
All development and testing has been done on real cars, flashing real tunes: calibration flashing and full code-plus-cal flashing, byte- and timing-exact with on-the-fly hardware CRC. Full identity read (VIN, software / boot / cal versions, CVN) plus live data-logging. Safety gates throughout: double confirmation, abort before any erase, and the bootloader is never touched outside of initial patch.
Boot-patch - bench validated
Unlock sequence reverse-engineered and bench-tested; the session unlock completes cleanly. Failed attempts proven completely non-destructive — the ECU reads back identical every time, checksum unchanged.
N-Suite - Hardware Finalisation
Finalising the secure USB-to-OBD interface and PC software for public beta: SIM2K-250 boot-patching + calibration flashing and TAD801 gearbox bench flashing. Full unlock / EEPROM access and the remaining ECU families roll out from here.
N-Suite - Hardware Release
Public release of fully completed USB-OBD flashing hardware and late-beta test version of our new PC-based software tool.
Standalone - Hardware Finalisation
Final board printing and assembly should be completed as well as a case to house the control unit and display.
Stretch Goal: Mounting hardware for vents and/or windscreen
N-Suite - ECU and TCU Data-logging
Fully standalone or integrated real-time data logging software suite, supporting SIM2K-250 and TAD801 - the tool will support multi-channel data-logs to help dial in your tune.
Stretch Goal: Real-time gauges on the PC software.
Standalone - Public Beta-Test
The final hardware of our standalone tool will ship to customers with a beta-test software version. The initial release will support the same as our N-Suite (SIM2K-250 Patching, Calibration Writing, and TAD801 Writing), along with datalogging for both ECU and TCU.
N-Suite Pro - Dealer level tuning software
We plan on releasing a pro version of our N-Suite which will allow tuning shops to use the software to read and write multiple vehicle with a lot more options and control.
If you're a tuning shop looking for a one-stop KDM tuning tool, make sure to reach out so we can get you on the waitlist!
Standalone - OTS software updates
The standalone tool will undergo frequent software updates and revisions as we add more functionality progressively over the rest of the year. The GUI will move away from being "bare bones" and start to add more functionality, and new features will be added every week or two. We will also progressively add support for different families of ECU and TCU as time passes.
The hardware supports wireless connectivity through WiFi and Bluetooth, so we will be working towards enabling this by the end of the year.
Standalone - Version 1.0 Release
The fully standalone touchscreen device will receive its first final version software, where all proposed ECUs and TCUs are supported, the GUI is polished, and all primary functions are enabled.
The device will move out of Beta-test phase and into main-stream production. Any future updates will be staged and staggered and will be for bug fixes or to release new features and functions.
The Path Forward
As with our tuning, our website, and our business in general, we're never going to stop working on and improving both the N-Suite software and the Standalone tuning device. There are lots of things that we could investigate adding to the device in the future, and with continuous software updates it will be entirely possible for us to even add support for different makes/models of vehicle. Not to mention direct integration with our tune portal, cloud tunes, and even a phone app - The sky is the limit!
If you have anything that you think we should be adding, we always value feedback - so don't hesitate to get in touch. We're making this tool for you, the enthusiasts, so your opinion matters.
This is early-access, actively-developed hardware and software. Timelines are targets, not guarantees.
Before you buy
What you'll need.
The N-Suite runs on Windows and talks to your car through the Cherry N-Dongle.
- Cherry N-Dongle — secure USB-C hardware
- Cherry N-Suite app (Windows)
- Your personal .CTA licence
- Your ordered tune files
- A Windows PC with a free USB-C port
- Vehicle on the OBD-II port (or bench)
- Stable battery voltage while flashing
- Ignition on — don't remove the key
Back the build
Choose your pledge.
Early-backer pricing is limited and shown against the eventual RRP. Every pledge goes straight into development.
Public Beta — PC tool
$499.00 Save $100
- N-Dongle — secure USB-C hardware
- N-Suite (Windows app)
- SIM2K-250 boot-patching (.CTP)
- SIM2K-250 reading (after patch)
- SIM2K-250 calibration flashing (.CT)
- TAD801 gearbox flashing (.CTG)
- Free software updates
RRP $499 once beta ends
PC tool + tune
$1,149.00 Save $150
- Everything in the PC tool tier
- A custom Cherry tune for your car
- Revisions included
RRP $1,149 once beta ends
The standalone tool
$999.00 Save $150
- The standalone touchscreen device — no PC needed
- On-device flashing & tuning
- All public-beta functions + everything added along the roadmap
- Free software updates
RRP $999 at launch
Standalone tool + tune
$1,649.00 Save $250
- Everything in the standalone tool tier
- A custom Cherry tune supplied
RRP $1,649 at launch
Support the build
Chip in any amount to help fund development. No reward — just our genuine thanks (and good karma at the dyno).
Pledges are processed as orders now; hardware and software are delivered as each stage is released (see the roadmap). Early-access product — timelines are targets, not guarantees, and early-backer pricing may end without notice.
FAQ
Common questions
Can't find your answer? Message us and we'll help.
When will I get my tool?
The public-beta PC tool + hardware is targeted for release in about 2-3 weeks. The standalone device follows in stages over the coming months, with a finished device targeted by end of year. See the roadmap above for detail.
What can the public-beta tool do?
SIM2K-250 boot-patching and calibration flashing, plus TAD801 gearbox flashing, over a secure USB-to-OBD connection to your PC. More ECU support and features (including logging) arrive through free software updates.
Which cars and ECUs are supported?
The beta covers SIM2K-250 (e.g. the i30 N) and TAD801. We've reverse-engineered 16 ECU families in total, released one bench-verified family at a time as we progress.
Is it safe for my ECU?
Safety is built in: you can back up the stock file before any write, there's double confirmation before writing, an abort before any erase, and the bootloader is never touched. Failed attempts have been proven non-destructive — the ECU reads back identical, checksum unchanged.
Do I need the dongle plugged in every time?
Yes. The N-Suite is activation-bound — it won't open without your Cherry N-Dongle and your .CTA licence, and it re-checks the dongle before every single write. That's what keeps your tools and tunes yours.
Are my tunes locked to me?
Yes. Every tune is encrypted to your personal licence, so a foreign licence can't open it. Tunes can also be optionally VIN-locked to a single vehicle for extra peace of mind.
What computer do I need?
A Windows PC with a free USB-C port. The dongle is plug-and-play (no drivers to install) and connects to the car through the OBD-II port. TAD801 gearbox work can also be done on the bench.
What do the pledges get me?
Each tier above shows its early-backer price and the eventual RRP. Pledging now locks in the early-backer discount and helps fund development. Hardware/software ships as each stage is released.
What if the project is delayed?
This is early-access hardware and software under active development, so timelines are targets rather than guarantees. We'll keep backers updated as we go. Worst-case target for a finished device is end of year.
I have another question
Get in touch via our contact page and we'll get back to you. We're also looking at adding open comments to this page so backers can ask publicly.