Programmable ignition using multi toothed wheel
22/07/15 01:20
For Brian's 2012 engine, I used a twin sensor front timing cover, because that's what the lower cost Imfsoft Direct Ignition needed to create a sequential, non wasted spark on a two cylinder engine. It was decided to go this route, as this makes the best use of the camshaft timing and long inlet pipes, as anecdotal evidence suggested that wasted spark Panhard had a less favourable torque curve. The other requirement was to drive four coils, as the cylinders were twin plugged.
During 2014/2015 Imfsoft superseded the old ignition unit with another that allowed for a multi-toothed wheel, and it had enhanced flexibility, including an extra channel, so you could switch on a fuel pump relay, or even use mono-point injection., and the one on the right above, has a built in 1.5 bar MAP sensor, which gives more flexibility too. This meant a revision to the timing cover strategy, and I decided to just make one type, that is with a one hole sensor, and for people that didn't want the ignition option, just a front seal upgrade, I had a cover plug, that fitted inside the sensor recess.
Brian's engine was going to get the missing tooth upgrade, and the new cover. This was an actual production item being tested here.
At the same time I needed to fit and test the new pulley I had made, so it was tested on Brian's engine too.
Before this was fitted I tested some different trigger wheels too, so that I could draw them up & get them laser cut later.
It turned out that this wheel was going to cause me problems, yet it ran to over 20,000 rpm on the test rig, no issues with a MicroSquirt and the same sensor.
One of the nice things about the new Imfsoft software, was the tooth trigger analysis functions were better, and by looking at the "oscilloscope" traces, you could see what the ignition module was seeing, and processing the information, and this saved y bacon a few times.
What I didn't know was the firmware was corrupted in my Imfsoft, and it took a future firmware upgrade at a later date to cure this, but once it was done the unit has been rock solid ever since. They do represent tremendous "bangs for bucks" compared to other systems, and are very sophisticated electronically.
During 2014/2015 Imfsoft superseded the old ignition unit with another that allowed for a multi-toothed wheel, and it had enhanced flexibility, including an extra channel, so you could switch on a fuel pump relay, or even use mono-point injection., and the one on the right above, has a built in 1.5 bar MAP sensor, which gives more flexibility too. This meant a revision to the timing cover strategy, and I decided to just make one type, that is with a one hole sensor, and for people that didn't want the ignition option, just a front seal upgrade, I had a cover plug, that fitted inside the sensor recess.
Brian's engine was going to get the missing tooth upgrade, and the new cover. This was an actual production item being tested here.
At the same time I needed to fit and test the new pulley I had made, so it was tested on Brian's engine too.
Before this was fitted I tested some different trigger wheels too, so that I could draw them up & get them laser cut later.
It turned out that this wheel was going to cause me problems, yet it ran to over 20,000 rpm on the test rig, no issues with a MicroSquirt and the same sensor.
One of the nice things about the new Imfsoft software, was the tooth trigger analysis functions were better, and by looking at the "oscilloscope" traces, you could see what the ignition module was seeing, and processing the information, and this saved y bacon a few times.
What I didn't know was the firmware was corrupted in my Imfsoft, and it took a future firmware upgrade at a later date to cure this, but once it was done the unit has been rock solid ever since. They do represent tremendous "bangs for bucks" compared to other systems, and are very sophisticated electronically.
