Distributorless ignition adapter for diagnostic oscilloscopes

• US 5,132,625 A
• Filed: 10/01/1990
• Issued: 07/21/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Actron Manufacturing Incorporated (SPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Actron Manufacturing Incorporated (SPX Corporation)
• Inventors: Shaland, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Wieder, Kenneth A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, GLENN WARNER
• Application Number:
  US07/591,625
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 324/379, 324/380, 324/391, 324/392, 324/402
• US Class Current: 324/392
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/027 four
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 17/02 Checking or adjusting ignition timing
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 17/04 dynamically
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 17/08 using a cathode-ray oscilloscope F02P17/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 2017/003 using an inductive sensor, e.g. trigger tongs
• CPC Class Codes: F02P 2017/006 using a capacitive sensor

Abstract

An ignition adapter for DIS four stroke engines provides conventional voltage waveforms for a diagnostic oscilloscope. Spark plug leads from a DIS four stroke engine are grouped together depending on their respective firing polarity. A first signal pickup is placed around the spark plug leads from the spark plugs of one signal polarity, for example a positive signal polarity, and a second signal pickup is placed around the spark plug leads from the spark plugs of opposite polarity, for example a negative signal polarity. A trigger pickup is placed around the #1 cylinder spark plug lead. The voltage waveforms received in the signal pickups are applied to the ignition adapter, summed and displayed on the oscilloscope as a conventional voltage waveform. The polarity of the waveform can be reversed using a polarity switch. The waveform received in the trigger pickup is applied to the ignition adapter and compared to a reference voltage. When the waveform exceeds the reference voltage, a voltage pulse is applied to the oscilloscope as a trigger pulse. The ignition adapter includes a trigger adjust that can be set to trigger the oscilloscope on the higher voltage levels present during the compression stroke of the DIS four stroke engine, thereby to emulate a conventional voltage waveform.

Claims

1. An electrical circuit for adapting voltage waveforms in spark plug leads in a DIS four-stroke engine to conventional voltage waveforms for display on a diagnostic oscilloscope, comprising:

a first means for sensing the voltage waveform in a first set of spark plug leads to the engine;

a second means for sensing the voltage waveform in a second set of spark plug leads t the engine;

means for summing the voltage waveform senses in said first and second means;

means for applying said summed voltage waveform to a first input of the diagnostic oscilloscope;

a third means for sensing the voltage waveform in a single spark plug lead;

means for manually varying the amplitude of the voltage waveform sensed in the single spark plug lead;

comparator means for comparing the amplitude of the voltage waveform sensed in the single spark plug lead with a reference voltage; and

means for applying a voltage pulse to a second input of the diagnostic oscilloscope when the amplitude of the voltage waveform sensed in the single spark plug lead is greater than said reference voltage.

2. An electrical circuit as in claim 1, further including means for inverting one of the voltage waveforms sensed in said first or second mans for sensing the voltage waveform.

3. An electrical circuit as in claim 2, wherein said single spark plug lead is any spark plug lead in the engine.

4. An electrical circuit as in claim 3, wherein said single spark plug lead is the #1spark plug lead in the engine.

5. An electrical circuit as in claim 4, wherein said comparator means includes first and second comparator means, said first comparator means comparing the amplitude of the positive voltage waveforms sensed in the single spark plug lead to a first reference voltage level, and said second comparator means comparing the amplitude of the negative voltage waveforms sensed in the single spark plug lead to a second reference voltage level, said means for applying a voltage pulse to the second oscilloscope input applying a voltage pulse when the amplitude of the positive waveform is greater than said first reference voltage or the amplitude of the negative waveform is greater than said second reference voltage.

6. An electrical circuit as in claim 5 wherein said means for manually varying the amplitude of the voltage waveform sensed in the single spark plug lead includes variable resistor means.

7. An electrical circuit as in claim 6, wherein said means for summing the voltage waveform includes a switch device and a differential amplifier having positive and negative inputs, and said first and second means for sensing the voltage waveform in the first and second spark plug leads to the engine includes first and second signal pickups, wherein when said switch device is in a first position, the voltage waveform sensed in said first pickup is applied to the positive input of said differential amplifier, and the voltage waveform in said second pickup is applied to the negative input of said differential amplifier, and when said switch device is in a second position, the voltage waveform in said second pickup is applied to said positive input of said differential amplifier and the voltage waveform from said first pickup is applied to said negative input of said differential amplifier.

8. An electrical circuit as in claim 7, wherein said summed voltage is applied to a capacitive input to the oscilloscope.

9. An electrical circuit as in claim 8, wherein said first and second means for sensing the voltage waveform in the first and second set of spark plug leads includes capacitive pickups.

10. An electrical circuit as in claim 1, wherein the DIS four-stroke engine provides a relatively higher voltage waveform in the spark plug leads during a compression stroke, and a relatively lower voltage waveform in the spark plug leads during an exhaust stroke,

said means for manually varying the amplitude of the voltage waveform sensed in the single spark plug lead being selectable so that said means for applying a voltage pulse to the input of the oscilloscope applies the voltage pulse to trigger the oscilloscope only when the relatively higher voltage waveform is sensed in the single spark plug lead.

11. An electrical circuit for triggering a diagnostic oscilloscope on the compression stroke of a cylinder in a DIS four-stroke engine, comprising:

means for providing a conventional voltage waveform on an oscilloscope;

means for sensing the voltage waveform in a single spark plug lead to the engine;

means for varying the amplitude of the voltage waveform sensed in the single spark plug lead;

means for comparing the amplitude of the voltage waveform sensed in the single spark plug lead to a predetermined reference voltage and

means for applying a voltage pulse to an input to the oscilloscope when the amplitude of the voltage waveform sensed in the single spark plug lead is greater than said reference voltage to trigger the oscilloscope on the compression stroke of the cylinder.

12. An electrical circuit as in claim 11, wherein said spark plug lead is the #1 spark plug led in the DIS four stroke engine.

13. An electrical circuit as in claim 12, wherein said means for comparing the amplitude of the voltage waveform sensed in the single spark plug lead includes a first means for comparing the amplitude of the voltage waveform sensed in the single spark plug lead to a positive reference voltage and a second means for comparing the amplitude of the voltage waveform sensed in the single spark plug lead to a negative reference voltage.

14. A method for adapting the voltage waveforms in spark plug leads in a DIS four-stroke engine to a conventional voltage waveform for display on a diagnostic oscilloscope, comprising the steps of:

sensing the voltage waveforms in a first set of spark plug leads to the engine;

sensing the voltage waveforms in a second set of spark plug leads to the engine;

summing the voltage waveforms from said first and second sets of spark plug leads;

applying aid summed waveform to a first input to an oscilloscope;

sensing the voltage waveform in a single spark plug led;

manually varying the amplitude of the voltage waveform sensed in the single spark plug lead;

comparing the amplitude of the voltage waveform sensed in the single spark plug lead to a preselected referenced voltage; and

applying a voltage pulse to a second input to the oscilloscope when the amplitude of the voltage waveform sensed in the single spark plug lead is greater than said reference voltage.

15. A method as in claim 14, wherein the voltage waveform sensed in the single spark plug lead is sensed in the number 1 spark plug led to the engine.

16. A method as in claim 15, wherein the amplitude of the voltage waveform sensed in the number 1 spark plug lead is compared to a negative reference voltage level and a positive reference voltage level.

17. An electrical circuit for adapting voltage waveforms in spark plug leads in a DIS four-stroke engine to conventional voltage waveforms for display on a diagnostic oscilloscope, comprising:

a trigger circuit;

a single processor circuit; and

a power supply circuit;

said single processor circuit having means for receiving voltage waveforms from a first and second pickup, means for summing the voltage waveforms received from the first and second pickup, and means for applying the summed voltage waveform to a capacitive input of the diagnostic oscilloscope;

said trigger circuit having means for receiving voltage waveforms from a third pickup, means for comparing the voltage waveform received from the third pickup to a preselected reference voltage level, and means for applying a trigger voltage pulse to an inductive input of the diagnostic oscilloscope when the amplitude of the voltage waveform received from the third pickup is greater than the reference voltage; and

said power supply circuit having means for supplying power to the signal processor circuit and the trigger circuit.

18. An electrical circuit for adapting voltage waveforms in spark plug leads in a DIS four-stroke engine to conventional voltage waveforms for display on a diagnostic oscilloscope, comprising:

a first signal pick-up for sensing the voltage waveform in a first set of spark plug leads to the engine;

a second signal pickup for sensing the voltage waveform in a second set of spark plug leads to the engine;

a device for summing the voltage waveform sensed in said first signal pickup and the voltage waveform sensed in said second signal pickup, the summed voltage waveform being applied to a first input of the diagnostic oscilloscope;

a trigger pick-up for sensing the voltage waveform in a single spark plug led to the engine;

an adjustment device for selectively varying the amplitude of the voltage waveform sensed in the single spark plug lead; and

a comparator device for comparing the amplitude of the voltage waveform sensed in the single spark plug lead with a preselected reference voltage waveform, the comparator device being capable of applying a voltage trigger pulse to a second input of the diagnostic oscilloscope when the amplitude of the voltage waveform sensed in the single spark plug lead increases above the preselected reference voltage waveform.