Autotronic Controls Corporation

The Anaconda Company

Douglas B Waits

Stephen C Masters

Carl F Mart

Brandon K Uhde

Ezell R Clarke

A system and method of managing the energy stored in a single ignition coil of a distributor inductive ignition for an engine. The engine comprises a plurality of cylinders and the ignition coil has a primary coil current. The ignition coil has a stored energy and a released energy during an ignition period. A pre-dwell time period and a pre-dwell current level is determined. The stored energy of the ignition coil and the released energy of the ignition coil are balanced during the ignition period at least in part by dwelling the primary coil current in the ignition coil at substantially the pre-dwell current level.

High energy ignition method and system using pre-dwell control

An electronic driver and method for producing an output waveform for use by a tachometer comprises an input line that is connected in series with at least one ignition coil. The at least one ignition coil is driven during at least one current dwell period per an ignition cycle. A signal representative of at least one spark is caused to be generated on the input line by the at least one ignition coil during the at least one current dwell period of the ignition cycle. A controller is coupled to the input line. The controller discriminates between single and multiple sparks over consecutive ignition cycles. The signal is representative of at least one spark received on the input line from the at least one ignition coil. The controller responsively forms an output waveform having substantially equally spaced pulses aligned with the first spark and the output waveform corresponds to the ignition cycle received on the input line.

System and method for driving a tachometer

A system and method of adjusting the rate of supplementary fuel flow to an engine while monitoring the operating characteristics of an engine. The amount of pressure to apply to a regulator valve is determined based at least in part upon the operating conditions of the engine and information included in a stored fuel grid.

Method and system for the control of fumigation

A engine control device is disclosed for monitoring and controlling the RPM of an engine. The device restricts the over-revving of an engine due to a lack of resistance by monitoring the RPM and determining whether measured RPM indicate a likely lack of resistance causing over-revving of an engine, such as would occur if the tires are slipping relative to the road. The revlimiter may monitor the revolutions per minute of a crankshaft of an engine and, upon certain conditions, may slow the engine when the RPM exceed certain parameters. The revlimiter may slow the engine if the RPM of the crankshaft exceed a target RPM value. The programming of the device may be gear specific. In this manner, the revlimiter serves to prevent engine over-revving and serves as a form of traction control.

Slew rate revlimiter

A system and method of managing the energy stored in a single ignition coil of a distributor inductive ignition for an engine is described. The engine comprises a plurality of cylinders and the ignition coil having dwell control parameters. The engine is operated at different operating speeds. At least one engine performance parameter is determined. At least one dwell control parameter of the ignition coil in all of the different speeds is adjusted, the adjustment based at least in part upon an evaluation of the at least one engine performance parameter. The cylinders of the engine are fired. The stored energy of the ignition coil is altered to an optimum value between the firings of the engine cylinders, the altering being effected for each of the different speeds and as a result of the adjusting of the dwell control parameters.

High energy ignition method and system

A programmable electronic ignition system is provided including a hand-held programmer, or in the alternative a computer, for controlling engine control parameters including revolutions per minutes limiters, ignition timing retards, gear shift controls and revolutions per minute switching. The hand-held programmer or computer provides a menu driven interface which directs the user through the engine control parameters using easy to recognize terms. The programmable electronic ignition system can employ a cylinder location sensor to identify a predetermined cylinder for controlling individual cylinder ignition timing retards.

User interface for electronic controller and timing sensor

A programmable electronic ignition system is provided including a hand-held programmer, or in the alternative a computer, for controlling engine control parameters including revolutions per minutes limiters, ignition timing retards, gear shift controls, revolutions per minute switching, and fuel addition. The hand-held programmer or computer provides a menu driven interface which directs the user through the engine control parameters using easy to recognize terms. The programmable electronic ignition system can employ a cylinder location sensor to identify a predetermined cylinder for controlling individual cylinder ignition timing retards.

Method and apparatus for controlling a motorcycle engine

User interface for electronic controller

A seismic prospecting roll along switching system using a relatively small number of switches to provide roll along prospecting while also providing variable gapping with minimum loss of active channels. In a simple form two sets of switches are provided with each set having one switch provided for each geophone input and with switch outputs connected in pairs, appropriately selected, to the inputs of signal processing channels. The two sets of switches are connected to the processing channels in a skewed or staggered manner with the amount of skew corresponding to a selectable gap. A controller is provided for electronically closing the appropriate switches from each set in accordance with the desired gap. Additional switch sets may be employed to provide additional selectable gaps while maintaining complete utilization of processing channels.

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El Paso, TX, United States of America

Douglas B Waits