An automotive engine calibration system using microcomputer

An automotive engine calibration system has been developed to aid in development and evaluation of a control algorithm for electronic spark advance. It consists of the programmer, controller, and measurement units. Given the spark advance and the dwell time in the form of function subroutines written in BASIC, the programmer unit makes the advance and dwell tables as a function of engine speed and load. Referring to these tables, the controller unit operates the engine under calibration. The measurement unit measures the resultant engine performance and anlayzes the control algorithm. This process is repeated until the optimum algorithm is reached. A few test examples are also presented to demonstrate the system capability. This system features an easy operation and an accurate calibration.