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Edge Products is well known for its performance electronics and tuning parts for gasoline and diesel trucks. In 2018, it launched its first throttle booster, the Amp’d 1.0. Unlike most of Edge’s other products, throttle boosters don’t add horsepower. Instead, they improve the driver’s sensation of throttle response by changing the signal sent from the throttle position sensor to the engine, essentially fooling the sensor into thinking the throttle is being pressed further than it really is.
The Amp’d 1.0 came with pre-loaded levels of throttle boost. A pushbutton was provided to cycle through them without making fiddly adjustments to the main controller unit, which is usually installed above the throttle pedal, close to the factory harnesses. It found favor among many late-model pickup-truck drivers who wanted more response and to remove the pedal lag that often comes with late-model vehicles.
“A throttle booster is a great entry-level product to get into the aftermarket modification world, reaching people who are not necessarily performance-oriented but dislike their stock vehicle’s throttle response,” says Matt Barker, Senior Brand Manager for Edge Products.
“However, it also appeals to the deep enthusiasts – those who’ve already opted for full performance-tuning modifications. We’ve seen that many of our customers who run an Evolution tune in a diesel application, for example, may make 150HP over stock, but still want more control over that throttle response. They have all the power in the world at full throttle, but they don’t want to have to be all-in, all the time.”
The Amp'd 2.0 Module plugs in between the throttle pedal and the vehicle's pedal harness. Once installed, notice the red LED light...this will not light up unless the switch is connected to either the wireless switch or the Amp'd app on your smartphone and the learn procedure has been completed.
The enthusiastic customer reception confirmed that some drivers feel throttle sensitivity adjustments as much as, or even more than, horsepower gain. Having successfully tested the market, Edge’s engineers in Ogden, UT, set about creating the innovative Amp’d 2.0. “We started developing Amp’d 2.0 with the mindset of improving on our offering. We wanted to bring an innovative and competitive product to the market, both from a price and feature set perspective, says Barker.”
To pair the wireless switch, hold the switch within six inches of the Amp'd module while it is powered up and press either one of the buttons on the face of the switch panel. The LED on the module will flash three times, signifying that the switch is paired up. Be sure to follow the full instructions involving pedal learning.
Edge set out to design a cleaner way to interface with the throttle booster, without having to pull over, shut the truck off and fiddle around under the dash. Cellphones are a popular way to adjust vehicle settings but are also used on the move for entertainment, navigation and making calls, or are kept out of the way to avoid driver distraction. Edge’s solution was to instead create a slim, sleek, wireless switch that is battery powered and uses Bluetooth connectivity to control the Amp’d 2.0 module. It can be mounted in any convenient location on the dashboard without resort to physical connections.
“It is the only wireless switch in the throttle sensitivity market,” notes Barker. “The user cycles between the settings using simple left and right arrows. There are five preloaded settings from Economy (80%) to Extreme (200%), as well as three custom throttle sensitivity curves, which are set up through an app. The switch enables the driver to adjust between them while driving.”
Removing the physical adjustment switches from the main controller meant that it could also be reduced in size – about 70% smaller for the Amp’d 2.0 over the 1.0 – making it easier to zip-tie out of the way under the dash, once installation is complete. Feedback via LEDs indicates that the controller has been paired with the wireless switch and the app.
Using the mobile app only, you have the ability to make and save up to three custom throttle input curves based upon your needs.
Amp’d 2.0 works by intercepting the throttle signal, making a change and sending the revised output to the vehicle. Like other boosters, it provides the driver with a choice of preconfigured throttle curves, but the scope of the user-adjustability in the custom curves differentiates Amp’d 2.0 from its competitors.
Where other products may provide the ability to make small, fine-tuning adjustments to preset levels, Amp’d 2.0’s app provides more user-customizable features in the three available custom slots. The app interface enables drivers to view the revised curve and make adjustments at different intervals on a graphical scale. Any increase is smartly applied – the tool knows, for example, that a requested 30% increase should be spread out over the voltage reference range, ramped up as necessary to make it more responsive, but still keeping it smooth, drivable and safe.
“The custom slots are truly custom,” adds Barker. “If you want to build a curve that’s right between two existing maps, you can. Or if you want to see what each level looks like as a baseline, and make changes from there, you can do that too.”
You can use the mobile app on your smartphone to choose one of the five pre-set throttle curves, one of the three custom-made curves you have saved, or to use the virtual wireless bar to make adjustments.
Along with the other elements of Amp’d 2.0, the app was developed in-house at Edge Products. Time was spent ensuring that it works equally well on both the iOS and Android platforms, and that the intuitive GUI provides the high-end, clean experience that a customer expects from an Amp’d product.
Developing the many different harnesses was another major portion of the development effort. Not every vehicle uses the same throttle position sensor, so the team developed harnesses for all the different applications it wanted to support – not just in the truck market, but also for a much wider range of cars and SUVs.
“All of our products are quality tested,” says Barker. “Our bench testers simulate a true installation into a vehicle. We hook them up and run a testing protocol that makes changes through the app and the firmware to adjust what the throttle curves would be. Then we test the output of the module to make sure it matches what it was programmed to do.”
A comprehensive in-vehicle field testing program follows. Vehicles were grouped based on their throttle controller and the type of voltage reference that they use, testing several vehicles and every harness variant within each group to make sure that everything operated as it should. Edge Products has dozens of different test vehicles available to it across the country.
“We also use Alpha testing locally on customer vehicles, which is then expanded to a nationwide Beta test,” Barker explains. “We send units to vehicles everywhere to make sure we’re not missing trucks that came from a different plant, for example, that have minor specification differences.”
More drivers than ever will benefit from the team’s development efforts. Late-model gas and diesel pickup trucks were the focus for the original Amp’d Throttle Booster, but the 2.0 has been built to serve a much wider market that includes many car and SUV applications, including Jeep, import and Euro vehicles. Barker believes the new Amp’d 2.0 has strong appeal both among and beyond Edge Products’ traditional tuning customers.
“We have very wide vehicle coverage,” he concludes. “In addition to the domestic cars, trucks and SUVs, the Amp’d 2.0 supports import vehicles like Toyotas and Subarus, as well as the Euro market: Audi, VW, BMW and Porsche are all coming soon. By innovating further, we’re able to expand our horizons.”
