DIY_EFI Digest Saturday, 20 April 1996 Volume 01 : Number 115 In this issue: Re: EEC-IV Questions Re: polar gap plugs [Alfa info] FPGA packages See the end of the digest for information on subscribing to the DIY_EFI or DIY_EFI-Digest mailing lists. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: atsakiri@xxx.com Date: Fri, 19 Apr 96 08:22:49 -0400 Subject: Re: EEC-IV Questions > >2) Do Ford dealers have the capability to check an EEC-IV "on the bench" > >(out of the vehicle)? > > > >As stated above, I've tried to diagnose the vehicle using the internal > >diagnostics, but I get no reply. The vehicle appears to be running in > >"limp home" mode, and the sensors I've checked look okay (It's pretty > >tight in an Escort's engine compartment) > > > In reply, yes a Ford dealer can check the EEC-IV out of the car with > a device known as a breaker box, and did you try checking the air meter( I > think these have one.. you did'nt mention the year). These will implement > the limp home mode anytime. I'm unable to go into details due to corporate policy, but I'd hate to see you chase sensor or actuator failures as a source of your limp-home failure. All of what follows is available in publicly accessible (though not necessarily free) documentation anyway. Sensor or actuator failures will initiate failure mode actions by the powertrain control module (PCM), but these actions are not the same as limp-home mode. For example, when a sensor fails, the PCM may use the inputs from other similar or related sensors to estimate the value which can no longer be directly measured. Limp-home mode is a response to a fault inside the PCM, like a CPU or memory failure. I don't know of any bench testing capability at dealerships. I'm sure they have what are called "breakout boxes," but these merely provide easy access to the PCM I/O signals. The breakout box does not generate or simulate signals produced by sensors or actuators. The PCM is not a dealer serviceable part (just replaceable). One last thing, a MAF sensor failure will definitely _not_ put the PCM into limp-home mode. (I'm very familiar with the EEC algorithms for the MAF sensor; This one I'm sure about.) Anthony Tsakiris The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of my employer. ------------------------------ From: Carter Hendricks Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 07:16:16 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Re: polar gap plugs [Alfa info] On Tue, 16 Apr 1996, orlin steven jared wrote: > > >engines at Autolite they can't even be made to pre-ignite. They > > >would also foul out pretty quickly after a few cold starts in > > >a street motor. > > > > Not necessarily . . . they were original equipment in Alfa Romeo 4 cylinders > > when the cars were still imported. Maybe the Autolite plugs were colder than > > the Lodge used in the Alfa. > > Possibly, but I'd be interested to know exactly what plugs were OEM for > those engines, to see exactly how cold they are. I don't think they > used a standard surface gap, but I could be wrong. Also, the alfa's may > have leaner starts not so hard on the plug.. > > Steve If the question "those engines" means the Alfa engines, the Lodge spark plugs have been oem for Alfa for some time... As I understand it, there is a long and boring historical link between Lodge and others in England and Alfa Romeo. The plugs are now built by [or for] Spica, an Alfa subsidiary [though all of it has been digested by the Fiat]. The plugs. They aren't like the Champion Indy car plugs with a retracted electrode. The center of the plug is pretty conventional with four flat prongs alongside and almost touching the porcelain. The standard plug is the HL, which is/was abt the same heat range as a N9Y Champion. There is a colder 2HL, which is advised for sustained high speed but which is still no race plug think N7Y. In my shop, where we work just on Alfas [and some older Lancias, a few 12 cyl things], the Lodge plugs have been our plug of choice. Its original; but it also helps stabilize Alfa idle emissions compared to other plugs. The older mechanical injection Alfas go through a linear warmup cycle and the idle stability when warmed up is weak [though 100's times better than the alternative [ca 1969 >] Weber carburators. --Carter ------------------------------ From: SRavet@xxx.com Date: Fri, 19 Apr 96 16:45:42 CDT Subject: FPGA packages Does anyone have any comments on the PLD software packages available from Cypress or Lattice? Here's what I've found: The one from Lattice (ispStart) works with their ISP logic devices, which only requires a serial cable to program the chips. The package costs $99, and it includes MS windows software, a programming cable, and 3 devices (isp2032, GAL22V10, ispGDS14-7). The 2023 has 32 macrocells. the GDS device is a programmable digital switch matrix that routs signals between 2 banks of I/O pins. Pro's are that it is a complete package, including a sample device. Cons are that it only supports 2 chips (2032 with 32 macrocells, 1016 with 64 macrocells), doesn't appear to have a simulator, and it doesn't really say what the interface is (text or graphical layout). Check out the details at their WWW site, www.latticesemi.com. Go to the FTP section, get an account and password, and look at the ispStarter kit info. It's an Acrobat file (.pdf) The one from Cypress (Warp 2, part number CYCY3121) is a VHDL compiler and supports a broad range of Cypress parts: GAL type parts, MAX 340 CPLDs, and Flash370 CPLDs. 32 to 192 macrocells. This package includes the VHLD compiler, optimizer/fitter, etc. It does not include devices or a programmer. The documentation specifies a Cypress Impulse3 programmer, or any qualified third party programmer. Of course, programmers are expensive and Cypress doesn't seem to include programming info in their data sheets. Has anyone ever used either of these two packages? I'd prefer the Cypress one if a device programmer can be had at a reasonable price. I'd prefer to learn VHDL than whatever Lattice's proprietary language is. Any comments? I went ahead and sent this to both the diy-efi list and the efi-332 list, sorry for the duplicates. - --steve Steve Ravet sravet@xxx.com Baby you're a genius when it comes to cooking up some chili sauce... ------------------------------ End of DIY_EFI Digest V1 #115 ***************************** To subscribe to DIY_EFI-Digest, send the command: subscribe diy_efi-digest in the body of a message to "Majordomo@xxx. A non-digest (direct mail) version of this list is also available; to subscribe to that instead, replace "diy_efi-digest" in the command above with "diy_efi".