Measuring Ignition Timing Using Starter Current

The testing of the timing of spark ignition in an internal combustion engine is normally accomplished by means of a mark on the engine flywheel or vibration damper which, when lined up with a reference mark, indicate the top dead center position of a piston in its cylinder. The mark on the rapidly rotating flywheel is observed by a stroboscopic light which is controlled by the engine ignition system. The test requires considerable skill, and is undesirably time consuming.

A very rapid and convenient determination of ignition timing is accomplished by comparing the times of the peaks of the starter motor current while cranking the engine with the ignition inhibited. The times of current peaks are compared with the times of ignition points opening. The times of current peaks have a known relation with times of top dead center, so that the lead or lag of ignition relative to top dead center in degrees can be derived.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of hard wired electrical and electronic hardware for determining the timing of the spark ignition of an internal combustion engine;

FIG. 2 is a chart of electrical waveforms which will be referred to in describing the operation of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an alternative apparatus, including a computer, for determining the timing of the spark ignition of an internal combustion engine; and

FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C are flow charts of a computer program used in the computer to control the operation of the computer and other apparatus of FIG. 3.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 1 and 2 for a description of apparatus for determining the time of spark ignition relative to top dead center (TDC) by observing the starter motor current waveform while cranking the engine with the ignition sparks inhibited. A starter motor 12 is supplied with electric current through a switch 14 from a battery 16. The current path includes a low value resistor 18 across which a voltage waveform, FIG. 2a, representative of the current to the starter motor is produced. The voltage waveform is amplified in a conventional operational amplifier 22 having filter means to favor frequency components of interest.

The amplified voltage waveform is applied to a first pulse wave generator 24 which generates starter current peak pulses, FIG. 2b, extending from each starter current peak to the following time of ignition points closing. Pulse wave generator 24 includes a conventional peak detector 26 which retains the highest amplitude of the starter current waveform applied to it until reset by a points closing signal applied over line 28. A portion of the output of the peak detector 26 is applied from a voltage divider 32 to the reference input of a conventional comparator 34. The comparator provides an output at 35 when the current waveform applied over line 33 exceeds the reference input. The output at 35 is as shown in FIGS. 2b and 2f.

Current from the battery 16 is also applied to a conventional spark ignition system 36 including an ignition ON-OFF switch 38, an ignition coil 42, a pair of ignition points 44 operated by a cam (not shown) and a capacitor 46 connected across the points 44. The high voltage energy normally supplied through coil 42 and the distributor (not shown) to the engine spark plugs may be inhibited by a signal applied over line 47 to control a transistor 48 connected in shunt with the points 44. However, regardless of whether or not the ignition is thus inhibited, a voltage waveform is present at 49 from which a second pulse wave generator 52 can generate pulses, FIGS. 2c or 2g, corresponding with the periods of time that the points 44 are open.

The second or points-open pulse wave generator 52 includes an input circuit 54 designed to filter out negative voltage spikes occurring when the ignition points initially open. A two-transistor circuit 56 is a conventional threshold amplifier and clipper which may produce zero volts output when the input signal is below 0.7 volts, and 5 volts output when the input signal is above 0.7 volts. The points 44 are open for about as long as they are closed, so that the output at 59 following inverter 62 is a square wave having substantially equal positive and negative half cycles, as shown by FIGS. 2c or 2g. A monostable multivibrator or one-shot 64 is triggered by the waveform at 57 to produce a short pulse on line 65 whenever the points 44 close. This short pulse acts over line 28 to reset the peak detector 26 already described.

A waveform comparator 66 compares the outputs of the first or current-peak and the second or points-open pulse wave generators 24 and 52, and provides a positive output pulse having a duration from the time that the points open until the time of the starter current peak, or, provides a negative output pulse having a duration from the time of the starter current peak until the time that the points open.

The starter current peak waveform 2b on lead 35 is inverted in inverter 68 and applied to one input of an "and" gate 72. The points open waveform 2c is applied to the other input of gate 72. When the two inputs are both positive, the gate 72 is enabled providing an output which closes switch 74 and connects the +10v. terminal to the output line 75. The signal on line 75 is then as shown by FIG. 2d.

The starter current peak waveform 2f on lead 35 is applied to one input of an "and" gate 76. The points open waveform 2g after inversion by inverter 58 is applied to the other input of the gate 76. When two inputs to the gate 76 are both positive, the gate is enabled providing an output which closes switch 78 and connects the -10v. terminal to the output line 75. The signal on line 75 is then as shown by FIG. 2h.

The output line 75 from comparator 66 is connected to one input of an integration and speed compensation circuit 76 including, in order, a unity gain voltage follower 78, an integrator 82 and a voltage controlled amplifier 84 having an output line 85. The integrator 82 smooths the pulse 2d or 2h into a voltage having a positive or a negative amplitude dependent on the duration of the respective pulses 2d or pulses 2h. Such signals can be applied to any suitable display device (not shown).

The circuit 76 also includes means to compensate the output signal on lead 85 for the effect on the timing of the starter current peak due to the speed at which the engine is being cranked by the starter motor. The speed compensation means includes a one-shot multivibrator 86 which receives short pulses from the one-shot multivibrator 64 at the times of points closings. The pulses, which have a repetition rate exactly proportional to engine speed, are smoothed in an integrator 88 to provide a voltage amplitude at 89 which is proportional to engine speed. This signal is applied to the control input terminal of the voltage controlled amplifier 82 to compensate the output signal at 85 in accordance with engine speed.

In the operation of the ignition timing tester of FIG. 1, the starter motor switch 14 is closed to supply battery current to the starter motor 12 and crank the engine. The ignition switch 38 is closed, but an ignition spark inhibiting signal is applied on lead 47 to prevent explosions of fuel in the cylinders of the engine. The starter motor current waveform developed across resistor 18 may be as shown by FIG. 2a. Circuit 24 translates the waveform to a rectangular wave 2b or 2f having pulses starting at the peaks of the starter current waveform and ending at the times of points closings. Circuit 52 produces a rectangular wave 2c or 2g having pulses starting when the points open and ending when the points close. The comparator circuit 66 compares the outputs from circuits 24 and 52 and produces a positive output pulse 2d having a duration corresponding with the lead time of the ignition relative to the starter motor current peak, or produces a negative output pulse 2h having a duration corresponding with the lag time of the ignition relative to the starter motor current peak. An integration and speed compensation circuit 76 translates the positive or negative pulses from circuit 66 to positive or negative voltages having amplitudes corresponding with the durations of the pulses.

The signals have amplitudes representing how much the spark timing leads or lags the starter motor current peaks. The starter motor current peaks occur at fixed times relative to the times that the pistons are at top dead center at a given speed of engine cranking. The time relationship varies with speed of cranking. Therefore the signals are modified or compensated in accordance with the actual cranking speed so that the signals represent how much the spark timing leads or lags the times that the pistons are at top dead center. A speed correction signal provided by one-shot 86 and integrator 88 is used to control the voltage-controlled amplifier 84. The corrected or speed-signals compensate from amplifier 82 are then applied to a display device, such as a voltmeter calibrated to show the measured spark timing in degrees before or after top dead center.

FIG. 3 shows an alternative apparatus for determining the time of spark ignition relative to top dead center by observing the starter motor current waveform while cranking the engine with the ignition sparks inhibited. Ignition system parts are given the same numerals as corresponding parts have in FIG. 1. A starter current transducer 98 has its output connected together with the outputs of other transducers 102 to a multiplexer, from which the signals are applied in time-shared sampling fashion to an analog-to-digital converter 106. The resulting digital signals are transferred over bus B.sub.in to a general purpose minicomputer 108. The converter 106 is controlled in its operation by control signals from computer 108 over bus B.sub.out.

The computer 108 may, by way of example only, by a "Nova 1200" minicomputer manufactured and sold by Data General Corporation, Southboro, Mass., Zip 01772. The Nova 1200 is a low cost minicomputer designed for general purpose applications. It has a 16-bit word, multi-accumulator central processor, and a full memory cycle time of 1200 nanoseconds. It executes arithmetic and logical instructions in 1350 nanoseconds. The entire Nova 1200 central processor fits on a single 15-inch-square printed circuit subassembly board. The basic computer includes four thousand 16-bit words of core memory, a Teletype interface, programmed data transfer, automatic interrupt source identification, and a direct memory access channel. User programming conveniently can be in the BASIC language.

A Real Time Clock 112 may be a standard option available with the Nova 1200 computer, and the A/D converter 106 and multiplexer 104 may be one of the standard Nova peripherals such as the 4141/CPU eight channel, 12-bit analog to digital conversion system.

A pulse shaper 52, like the one in FIG. 1, responds to the ignition system 36 and supplies an interrupt pulse from one-shot 64 through bus B.sub.in to the computer 108 every time the ignition distributor points 44 open.

An ignition control unit 122 includes a flip-flop 124 from which an output on line 47 can render transistor 48 conductive and thus prevent the sending of spark pulses from ignition system 36 to the spark plugs when the distributor points 44 open. The flip-flop 124 is set by an output from a gate 126 when it is enabled by a "device select" signal on line 125, and a "stop ignition" signal on line 127 from the computer 108. The flip-flop 124 is reset by an output from a gate 128 when enabled by a "reset" signal over line 129 from computer 108.

The test results computed by the computer 108 are displayed by a display device 132 which may be a conventional Teletypewriter, a printer, a 4-digit display such as one including Numitron character display tubes, or any other suitable display device.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 3 is used for testing the ignition timing of an engine, and it is also useful concurrently or sequentially for making other engine performance tests. The operation of the system is controlled by the computer and by the program stored in the computer. The portion of the computer program concerned with the testing of ignition timing will be described with references to the flow charts of FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C.

In the operation of FIG. 3, the engine (not shown) is cranked by the starter motor with the ignition switch "on". The computer 108 supplies signals to the ignition control unit 122 which prevent the spark plugs of the engine from firing, while permitting the pulse shaper 52 to respond to the ignition system and send a pulse to the computer every time the points 44 open.

The computer receives frequent samples of the starter current amplitude from starter current transducer 98 through multiplexer 104 and A/D converter 106. The computer continuously compares the starter current sample amplitudes and determines the time at which a peak amplitude occurs. The computer computes the time interval between the current peak and the points opening.

The computer computes the time displacement of the starter current peak relative to the piston top dead center at the particular measured cranking speed of the engine. The computer thus determines the lead or lag of the ignition in relative to top dead center.

The computer also makes the non-linear translation from ignition lead or lag in time to ignition lead or lag in angular degrees relative to top dead center. The calculated ignition lead or lag in degrees relative to top dead center is then displayed by display device 132.

A detailed description of the operation of the apparatus of FIG. 3 is given with references to the program flow chart of FIG. 4. See also the Appendix for subroutines and program variables.

It is assumed that the engine is already cranking and the ignition is turned on prior to starting this test. Under these conditions the program depicted in FIG. 4 will control the test operation. A detailed explanation of each part of this program is given below. Because of the special nature of the Interrupt Program, this part of the program is discussed first.

An interrupt input to a computer is a special input. When a pulse occurs on such a line it allows the computer to finish the instruction which it is executing and then causes it to jump to another location of memory and start executing a special program located there. This type of input is used in this device where the output of Pulse Shaper (52) gives an interrupt to the computer causing it to jump to the special Interrupt Program which simply does three things as shown below:

Thus, this part of the program causes the system to automatically record the time each time the ignition points open. Where the data is stored is controlled by the main program since the variable I (which points to a specific T3 array location) is set only by the main program.