MotoGP introduced a unified electronic control unit (ECU) in 2016. The change made a common ECU hardware-and-software package mandatory for every MotoGP motorcycle, replacing the earlier Factory-versus-Open electronics divide.
Before 2016, the ECU hardware had already been standardized, beginning in 2014, but Factory entries could still run manufacturer-developed software. Open-class bikes used the common software and received regulatory concessions, creating two technical paths within the same premier class.
The 2016 rules merged those categories. The official ECU, supplied by the championship organizer and associated with Magneti Marelli, controlled functions such as fuel injection, ignition, traction control, engine braking and wheelie management. The goal was to reduce the advantage of factory-built electronics and make competition more affordable and balanced.
A common mix-up is calling 2014 the introduction of the unified ECU. That year standardized the hardware, while 2016 was the decisive season when both the ECU hardware and control software became common across the field.