Learn Me Standalone Engine Management

In reply to codrus (Forum Supporter) :

I'm assuming that there's a missing tooth to tell you where TDC is.  But to know what stroke you are at, you also need a single indicator at cam speed.  The computer can guess what cylinder is at compression when it sees TDC, but it's going to be incorrect 50% of the time since two cylinders are at TDC at the same time- just opposite in the combustion cycle.  

Some modern cam wheels for VCT are 4+1- to show where the cam is, and also what stroke it is.

In theory, you could have a 72-1 tooth wheel on the cam sensor, but that means that you may know where TDC is the first time after two full revolutions- which is why it's not done.  Seeing the missing tooth on the crank and NOT seeing it on the cam is just as good as seeing both- which is why there are two sensors and not one.

In reply to dean1484 :

If the goal is to just get it to run, a carb and distributor works just fine, too....

Ok- I know batch fire + waste spark is still a lot better than that- just being a smart ass.

But I would not say tha putting the tone wheel on the cam is easier or better than the crank- that all depends on packaging.  And if appearences matter.  Like I would avoid putting a cam sensor on my Alfa, since they are a feature of how it looks.  Maybe in the distributor housing for cam location.  Whereas on your 924, it clearly works as you want it to on the cam.

WRT the 72-2 tooth wheel- for that specific layout- you may have been first.  But Electromotive have been selling tone wheels for distributors ever since they've been making EFI.  Instead of making the Ford 36-1 into a 72-2, they do the 60-2 into a 120-4 wheel- and that's a path I've considered as I can get a wide housing for the wheel and still fabricate a bracked to hold the coil pack to it.  Or I could file off one of the teeth of the cam belt sproket used to drive the mechanical fuel pump...  Nice thing about MS is that you can tell it a unique tone wheel.

alfadriver (Forum Supporter) said:

...  Nice thing about MS is that you can tell it a unique tone wheel.

Within some limits, like your teeth need to be integer divisible into 360... so things like the 135T tri-tach from Audi need a special mode.

I went ahead and bought Matt Cramer's book. It will arrive here tomorrow. 

I actually pulled my dash apart and started unclipping parts of the chassis harness. 

Forced myself to get to the point where I had to learn this so I may actually be using MS3X afterall. 

 

Much luck and keep us posted as you go!

In reply to Paul_VR6 (Forum Supporter) :

On a related note- are you aware of any of your industry becoming calibrators for an OEM?  

If this question came from a teen, who had some computer knowledge, and did have plans to go get an engineering degree- I'd fully suggest that they keep in touch with all of the OEM's in the US to become an engineer.  

As my carreer has gone one, it very much seems that the pool of talent from the US is drying up.  That, and there's also appears to be an issue with fair compensation for engineering talent- in combination with the explanation that $80k in the auto industry is generally better than $120k in the CA Tech industry due to cost of living in each area.

I know of an opening in 17 months... ;)

As my carreer has gone one, it very much seems that the pool of talent from the US is drying up.  That, and there's also appears to be an issue with fair compensation for engineering talent- in combination with the explanation that $80k in the auto industry is generally better than $120k in the CA Tech industry due to cost of living in each area.

  People are people all over the world, so it may be more that the pool of incentive is drying up than the pool of 'supply'. Potential engineers are everywhere. 

As a result of this thread i've looked into Speeduino and want to try that on the Starion TBI setup for my Montero.                           

Vigo (Forum Supporter) said:

As my carreer has gone one, it very much seems that the pool of talent from the US is drying up.  That, and there's also appears to be an issue with fair compensation for engineering talent- in combination with the explanation that $80k in the auto industry is generally better than $120k in the CA Tech industry due to cost of living in each area.

  People are people all over the world, so it may be more that the pool of incentive is drying up than the pool of 'supply'. Potential engineers are everywhere. 

 

As a result of this thread i've looked into Speeduino and want to try that on the Starion TBI setup for my Montero.                           

The pool of incentive is an excellent way to put it. I left automotive (wrote ECU software for Bosch Motorsport out of college) because the compensation was worse when they knew you enjoyed your job (ie, motorsport). I could've made more on the production side, but the work seemed mind-numbing. When you look at the teams and committees doing the work of a few motivated engineers, the reduncancy was not attractive. So I bailed and went to the defense industry. I make much more with fewer hours and can actually have my own hobbies now. 

Alfa, that's an interesting question for sure. Most of the better tuners I know aren't degreed engineers (sportsman/semi-pro level) and I am not sure how many are well versed in even basic statistical principles, general engineering fundamentals and thought processes. I came from it the other way where I tuned all sorts of things other than cars (EE by degree, controls focus, did industrial automation/design early in my career) and then got into it more and more through the early MS era. I can see that a more classical approach would be desired and required in an OEM setting where there are a lot more variables at play, and more data to deal with. Would be interesting to see what the basic qualifications are for the post that you see coming and compare that to what i see is the talent pool... Though 80k is good for Detroit, 120k in SV is peanuts but even new grads are snagging more than that by a good bit... the 401k match in the valley looks better though!

In reply to Paul_VR6 (Forum Supporter) :

Getting the engineering degree is the first filter to be a calibrator.  There are a lot of others, but without that, well....   

Like SV, you can get one after being hired, but that does put one a few years behind when it comes to a carreer path.

If there is anything that pops up let me know. I talk to a few of the local fsae members and it may be interesting to someone.