DIS ignition signal processing for automotive engine analyzer

• US 6,617,857 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: SPX Corporation
• Inventors: Sebastian, Scott R., Franz, Martin P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patidar, Jay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Benson, Walter
• Application Number:
  US09/895,831
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 731/16, 324/379, 324/393, 324/402, 324/380, 324/384, 701/29
• US Class Current: 324/379
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 15/08 having multiple-spark ignition, i.e. ignition occurring simultaneously at different places in one engine cylinder or in two or more separate engine cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 17/12 Testing characteristics of the spark, ignition voltage or current testing of sparking plugs H01T13/60

Abstract

An engine analyzer senses and displays secondary ignition signals from a DIS engine using a two sets of test leads. The engine analyzer receives the secondary signals from both sets of leads and produces positive and negative peak values for each set of leads during each cylinder firing. Based upon the positive and negative peak values for both sets of leads, during each of the cylinder firings, the engine analyzer selects which lead set and which polarity will be used to supply the secondary voltage signal for each cylinder to be digitized and displayed.

Claims

1. An engine analyzer for sensing and displaying secondary ignition signals from an engine having a DIS ignition system, the engine analyzer comprising:

a first set of leads for connection to the DIS ignition system;

second set of leads for connection to the DIS ignition system;

peak detection circuitry connected to the first and second sets of leads for producing, for each cylinder firing event, four separate peak values which represent (a) a positive-going peak value for the first set of leads, (b) a negative-going peak value for the first set of leads, (c) a positive-going peak value for the second set of leads, and (d) a negative-going peak value for the second set of leads;

means for selecting which lead set and which polarity is used to supply a secondary voltage signal for each cylinder based upon the peak values for that cylinder;

means for digitizing the secondary voltage signal; and

means for displaying information based upon the digitized secondary voltage signal.

2. The engine analyzer of claim 1 wherein the means for selecting maintains a table of average peak values for each cylinder and selects the lead set and polarity for each cylinder based upon which lead set and polarity produced a largest average peak value for that cylinder.

3. The engine analyzer of claim 2 wherein the means for selecting updates the selections of lead set and polarity at selected intervals.

4. The engine analyzer of claim 3 wherein the selected intervals are N engine cycles, where N is an integer.

5. The engine analyzer of claim 3 wherein the means for selecting updates the selections only if engine speed is less than a threshold level.

6. The engine analyzer of claim 1 and further comprising:

a #1 probe for providing a #1 probe signal representing firing of a #1 cylinder spark plug.

7. The engine analyzer of claim 6 and further comprising:

means for producing a sync cylinder count based upon sensed firing events and the #1 probe signal.

8. The engine analyzer of claim 7 wherein the means for producing a sync cylinder count identifies which pulses of the #1 probe signal represent a compression firing event based upon the lead set and polarity selected when the #1 probe signal pulses occur.

9. A method of digitizing secondary voltage signals of an ignition system of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:

connecting first and second sets of leads to the ignition system to sense secondary voltage signals of individual cylinders of the engine;

detecting a positive-going peak value for the first set of leads during each cylinder firing event;

detecting a negative-going peak value for the first set of leads during each cylinder firing event;

detecting a positive-going peak value for the second set of leads during each cylinder firing event;

detecting a negative-going peak value for the second set of leads during each cylinder firing event;

selecting which lead set and which polarity to use in conjunction with each cylinder firing event based upon all four of the peak values detected for that cylinder;

supplying a sensed secondary voltage signal for each cylinder based upon a cylinder count and the selected lead set and polarity; and

digitizing the sensed secondary voltage signal supplied.

10. The method of claim 9 and further comprising:

storing the digitized sensed secondary voltage signal.

11. The method of claim 10 and further comprising:

displaying a secondary voltage waveform based of the stored digitized sensed secondary voltage signal.

12. The method of claim 9 and further comprising:

maintaining a table of average positive-going and negative-going peak values from each lead set for each cylinder.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein selecting which lead set and which polarity to use for each cylinder is based upon the average peak values in the table for that cylinder.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein selecting is performed at intervals of N engine cycles.

15. The method of claim 9 and further comprising:

sensing a #1 cylinder firing; and

determining whether the #1 cylinder firing is a combustion firing event based upon the lead set selected when the #1 cylinder firing occurs.

16. The method of claim 9 and further comprising:

initiating a change in the selected lead set and polarity used for suppling the sensed secondary voltage at a selected time interval after each cylinder firing event.

17. The method of claim 16 and further comprising:

determining a time period between cylinder firing events; and

determining the selected timing interval as a fraction of the time period between cylinder firing events.