Inductive adaptor/generator for diesel engines

Abstract

An adaptor system which includes a transducer for developing a signal from the engine representative of an event to be timed during each combustion cycle of the cylinder being monitored. An input circuit coupled to that transducer processes the transducer output signal and repetitively excites an electromagnetic field generator, typically a multi-turn inductive coil, which is adapted to induce a pulse in the inductive pickup of an associated timing instrument or tachometer. In one embodiment of the invention the generating coil is excited substantially instantaneously upon the detection of the selected injection or combustion event by the transducer. The combustion event being monitored is preferably the injection of fuel into the fuel line to the number one cylinder by the injection pump. Alternatively, the event to be monitored may be the instant of combustion, or firing within the cylinder. To isolate the desired combustion or injection event from the overall transducer output signal, various amplifiers, filters and other signal processing circuits are used. The output of these processing circuits may either drive the field generator coil directly or drive the coil through a delay circuit which is adjustable so as to allow the user to manually adjust the 'apparent' timing visible at the engine timing marks without actually adjusting the timing. Actual timing can then be read from the manual adjustment once the 'apparent' timing has been reduced to zero degrees. A tachometer is provided in still a further variation of the adaptor.