[14TLC]

Which do you use for coding/retrofits and for programing? Each of them can do it but what does practical experience tells us. Pros and cons from practical experience.

[SweetBMW]

As long as it's an official retrofit ista p is easiest as long as you have the proper equipment. I e icom and power supply. But all other manual coding will be removed.

Ncs and winkfp will allow you to manipulate more stuff that BMW usually doesn't offer as far as coding specific optional equipment as not everything is available in ista p as retrofit. But you can nNipulate vo with ncs and then do the rest with ista p.

Summary : for the medium user use ista p as it's easy and it provides step by step instructions.
Advanced user with knowledge about how ista p discriminates and what dependencies the different programs have : ista p in combo with ncs and winkfp.

[bazare]

I would go with NCS expert and WinKFP if you know what you are doing, but if you don't need some study.
ISTA-P is pretty limited but you will not f**k anything

[840i]

Which do you use for coding/retrofits and for programing? Each of them can do it but what does practical experience tells us. Pros and cons from practical experience.

Let's not mix things

Coding and programing are 2 entirely different things

See it as changing settings on your Windows (Enable screensaver), this is coding, and upgrading Windows 7 to Windows 10 (This is programing).

Typically ISTA/P is used to flash entire cars to upgrade the integration level.
The application follows an upgrade path and updates all the modules that have a newer software version to your ISTA/P version.
You can exclude some modules from the programing operation, such as the radio for example.

ISTA/P is for upgrading ECU software on E, F and G, i series

NCSExpert is for coding E Series cars only
WinKFP is for upgrading individual modules only, one at a time, on E Series

E-SYS is for coding F/G/i series but also programing individual modules on F/G/i series only.

What do we use for retrofits?
Well, if it is a E series we usually use NCSExpert
If is it a F series we usually use E-SYS

Now if you install a NBT in a E series, you will have to use E-SYS of course, this is a F Series module.

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I would go with NCS expert and WinKFP if you know what you are doing, but if you don't need some study.
ISTA-P is pretty limited but you will not f**k anything

While ISTA-P is more fool proof than say WinKFP, you can still F*ck up a car real good, especially on F series where several modules are flashed at the same time.
Some versions do contain bugs too, so some are know to fail flashing modules...
Some tiny faults sometimes do cause the entire flash to fail too. It is important to remove CD from the radio etc, disconnect Bluetooth devices and so on.

I have seen a HVAC plug in a f10 before which was not set all the way in by its owner, after 1h, 3 modules failed (Including cluster, zGW etc), and the car would even even start. Only way to fix was to use E-SYS.

[CATAHA]

There are ALOT of threads about this, on this forum....
All people need to do, is use search button

[14TLC]

Thanks guys. I deal with BMW motorcycles only. Usually official retrofits and bikes don't have too much coding options. Also, unlike cars they don't have many modules and no MOST.
Although there are cases when upgrading I-lavel ends up with failure to upgrade particular module. In that case maybe WinKFP is better to recover that module.

[808AWD325xi]

For BMW motorcycles, I suggest ISTA/P for programming. You will need an ICOM Next A with either an ICOM Next D (10-pin) or ICOM Next E interface (3-pin.)