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Figure 1: Main Dialog Screen: Engine Manager GUI (Shown here in grayscale for
publication)
The Boot Loader is placed in the higher 8Kbytes of the from Microsoft [4]. The main dialog screen is shown in
memory map, which also contains the vector table. A Figure 1.
portion of the application, which contains mainly the
interrupt servicing routines, is put into the other 8Kbytes The Engine Management program is used to:
that are always visible. The remaining parts of the monitor the engine sensors
application are split into 16K pages in the flash. update all engine parameters and tables
setup and collect data logs from the engine
The ECU application program governs the spark ignition edit the ignition and injection tables while tuning the
advance angle and the fuel injection duration for the engine on a dynamometer
engine. It does so by using internal look-up tables for
each of these two functions. The tables can be chosen Upon startup, the program first checks to see if the ECU
to have TPS or MAP as the Load parameter. is connected. If so, it downloads all the engine operating
parameters to the PCs tables. If no ECU is detected it
The internal tables are made up of 16(Load) x 64(RPM) asks the user to choose a configuration file.
cells. The values inside these tables are determined, by
means of a spline interpolation, from the smaller array of The main screen of the program shows the engine
values entered by the user. At run-time, two operating parameters that are sent from the ECU, in real
dimensional linear interpolations are performed to time, every 100ms. The user can edit and upload the
determine the values to use for ignition and injection. ignition and injection tables, even while the engine is
The ECU also takes care of the compensations that are running. Whereas commercially available ECUs require
needed for temperatures and throttle pump. the use of specific sensors, the OU ECU allows use of
the OEM sensor, or any sensor. The user would
ENGINE MANAGER GUI RUNNING ON PC separately calibrate the sensor, and then enter
calibration values into a look-up table for that sensor.
The PC software is written in C++ using Visual Studio
Figure 2: Ignition and Injection Editing Screen in Dyno Mode (Shown in grayscale for
publication.)Uppermost row is the Load Parameter, while first column is engine rpm.
In dynamometer mode, the ECU interpolation and CRANK AND CAM SIGNALS
compensations are switched off so that the exact values
of spark timing and injection duration are known. While Some commercially available ECUs require the use of
the engine is running, the specific Load (MAP or specific crank wheels with missing teeth (non-uniform
TPS)/Speed point is identified by a highlighted cell on spacing). Since the Honda F4i engine has 12 evenly
the GUI. The value in that cell (either spark timing or spaced teeth (no missing teeth), it was preferred to use
fuel injection duration) can be modified in real time by the standard OEM setup. Furthermore it is the authors
dragging a slider with the mouse, Figure 2. opinion that having uniformly spaced crank teeth allows
more precise knowledge of crank position throughout the
Engine operating parameters are continuously logged whole engine cycle. The software expects a single cam
and can be downloaded to the PC once a signal that resets the crank tooth counter, thereby
communication link has been established. The data are restarting the engine control loops. The ratio of crank to
available in a text file for later analysis. cam tooth events is monitored, and any errors are
shown on the GUI. Once the sensors are properly
setup, no crank-cam errors occur.
Spark timing and fuel injection timing are the most Initial testing of the ECU board and software was done
important events. Timing is based on knowledge of with a signal generator that supplied a crank signal, and
crankshaft position (within the cycle) and speed obtained a divide-by-24 circuit that supplied the cam signal. The
from the crank and cam sensors. These priority events load parameter (TPS or MAP) was simulated by a
are interrupts to the CPU. Highest priority is given to potentiometer. The algorithms were checked for proper
crank tooth events, less to cam teeth. Control of spark operation, and tested for simulated engine speeds up to
and fuel timing, to one crank angle degree resolution, is 14000 rpm. The ECU outputs were supervised by
achieved by timers that work from the last known means of a storage oscilloscope.
physical position of the crankshaft, that is last crank
tooth event. Additional engine simulator tests were performed using
a variable speed DC motor rotating a 16 tooth crank
Tasks such as handling of slower sensors, like wheel, and a single-tooth cam wheel rotating at half
temperature or pressure, are given much less priority. speed by means of a toothed-belt reduction. This
Communication to the PC is done during CPU idle mechanical apparatus provided a means by which the
periods when no important interrupts are being serviced. signal conditioning for the inductive-type pickups was
configured and checked without having to run the
SPARK TIMING AND FUEL INJECTION LOOK-UP engine.
TABLES
UNLOADED ENGINE TESTING
The look-up tables within the processor are 16 by 64, 16
Load divisions and 64 Speed divisions. The number of Once testing with the simulator was complete, engine
Speed divisions is necessary for the processor to testing began using an unloaded 2L SI engine. This
perform accurate timing calculations for spark and fuel, engine had an upper speed limit of 5500 rpm and so it
especially at the higher RPMs. Timing calculations are was not able to take advantage of all the speed
based on the engine speed, and referenced to the last capability of the controller. However, it did allow testing
known crank event. Accurate determination of Speed of the control strategies on a running engine. The main
results in lower uncertainty in the spark and fuel injection purpose of these tests was to check starting capability
timing. In the GUI, refer to Figure 2, a limited number of and immunity to noise.
cells are available to the user to limit the time required to
enter values into the tables. The PC software then This engine was setup with a 16 tooth crank wheel that
applies spline functions to the user-specified cells values provided the opportunity to test the softwares ability to
and fills the extended look-up tables. The extended properly read crank wheels having differing numbers of
look-up tables are then sent to and stored in the ECU. teeth. The load parameter in this case was MAP, rather
than TPS, to test its use. The duration of injector open-
time was quite different than the injector open-time on controller at high engine speeds was also tested; 12500
the FSAE engine. rpm rev limited on the real engine, and 14000 rpm on
the simulator. Loaded operation was tested on the
LOADED ENGINE TESTING dynamometer using an unrestricted intake and also
using a restricted intake on the FSAE 2004 car.
The controller was then tested on the FSAE Honda F4i
600 engine that was connected to a Clayton water-brake ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
dynamometer. The engine was left with its stock crank
and cam sensors. The stock cam wheel, with three We would like to thank Tyco AMP, ST
teeth, was modified to have just one tooth, but the crank Microelectronics, National Semiconductor, Infineon and
wheel was left in the original configuration of 12 teeth Macronix for providing free samples of their products.
(none missing). Testing was performed to confirm
proper triggering from these sensors. The variable REFERENCES
reluctance sensor drivers were configured to trigger on
the middle of the tooth, not the sides, as this remains 1. Haltech E6S Instruction Manual, Haltech Engine
consistent over large variations in engine speed. The
Management Systems Sydney Australia,
crank sensor is always responsible for the information
www.haltech.com.
on engine position while the cam sensor only resets the
2. DTA P8 PROUser Manual, DTA Competition Engine
algorithm counters.
Management Systems Bradford England,
The ignition timing was checked against the values www.dtafast.co.uk
specified in the ignition table by strobing a protractor 3. ImageCraft Creations Inc., www.imagecraft.com
setup on the crank. The ignition timing values in the 4. Microsoft Visual Studio, www.microsoft.com
table were visually confirmed, from cranking speeds up
to a speed of 10,000 rpm, with an accuracy of one crank
angle degree. CONTACT
The dynamometer tests were performed using the stock More info on the Engine Management Software and
F4i intake and exhaust manifolds. The Load parameter ECU at www.oakland.edu/~mfarrugi/FormulaSAE and
used during the FSAE engine testing was TPS. The www.reataengineering.com
ability to use the GUI to modify the look-up tables for
ignition timing and fuel injection duration was verified.