If you're talking about the DCDS Odyssey I boards, or the early Legacy DCDS Odyssey II boards, the answer is simple. There were a couple of motor types accommodated and they had different parameters it would seem. However the big variability in those boards was the 10-pin connector functions, they programmed them for different functions for different products. So, the hardware was the same, but the software was different.
The K-Line cruise boards were similar, they had different functions for different engines.
Also, it's not uncommon to be able to swap a different DCDS in for one that's "not available", I've done this more than once.