System and method for determining a parameter set for an engine controller module

1. A method of determining an engine controller module (ECM) parameter set, the method comprising:

specifying at least one criteria using at least one access device;

determining whether at least one existing parameter set matches the specified criteria;

presenting a report that indicates at least one matching parameter set when there is at least one matching parameter set; and

presenting an alert when there is no matching parameter set, wherein the method is implemented via an ECM vendor extranet on a World Wide Web server.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting an application for the specified criteria and selecting an engine to be implemented in connection with the specified criteria.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the engine comprises a compression ignition engine.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one specified criteria comprises at least one of a type of transmission, engine speed governing, engine protection strategy, digital and analog inputs, digital and analog outputs, fan controls, and throttle controls.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining as manufactured parameter sets for the at least one matching existing parameter set.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one existing parameter set is stored in at least one of an extranet server table, a manufacturing database, and a bill of material database.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the number of specified criteria is unrestricted and matching comprises at least one of an exact matching parameter set, a close matching parameter set, and no matching parameter set.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising facilitating a request for a new selection of at least one parameter set when there is no matching parameter set.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining existing parameter set obsolescence, current availability, and future availability.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing pop-up help windows with technical descriptions of the at least one specified criteria.

11. A method of determining engine controller module (ECM) parameter set availability, the method comprising:

specifying at least one parameter set using at least one access device;

determining at least one existing parameter set that matches the at least one specified parameter set; and

presenting a report that indicates at least one application and at least one release date corresponding to the matching parameter set, wherein the method is implemented via an ECM vendor extranet on a World Wide Web server.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising selecting an application and selecting an engine, and not specifying at least one parameter set.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the engine comprises a compression ignition engine.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one parameter set comprises at least one of a type of transmission, engine speed governing, engine protection strategy, digital and analog inputs, digital and analog outputs, fan controls, and throttle controls.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one existing parameter set is stored on at least one of an extranet server table, a manufacturing database, and a bill of material database.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the number of specified parameters is unrestricted and matching comprises an exact matching parameter set, a close matching parameter set, and no matching parameter set.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining existing parameter set obsolescence, current availability, and future availability.

18. A computer system for selecting an engine controller module (ECM) parameter set, the system comprising:

at least one access device for specifying at least one criteria;

at least one database for storing at least one existing parameter set; and

an extranet server for matching the at least one specified criteria to the at least one existing parameter set.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the extranet server is a World Wide Web ECM vendor extranet server.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the at least one database is at least one of an extranet server table, a manufacturing database, and a bill of material database.