Automotive Control Solutions

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Automotive Control Solutions
Automotive Control Solutions Russell Potter
CTO, President Alex Gutica - CFO Brian Nelson
- CTO

• The AF Optimizer
• - An ENSC440 project -

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Contents

• The ACS Team
• The AF Optimizer
• The 440 project
• In-car Demo
• Now
• The future
• Conclusion
• Questions?

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Automotive Control Solutions

• A cutting-edge development team
• specialize in control of automotive performance
  through electronic air/fuel optimization
• Appeal to owners of any car, particularly older
  vehicles with simple electronic control

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Who Are We?

• User Interface Firmware Lead
• Russell Potter
• DSP Firmware Lead
• Alex Gutica
• Hardware Lead
• Brian Nelson

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Internal Combustion Engine

• Requires a correct mixture of fuel and air in
  order to function
• Fuel is mixed with the air, compressed, and
  ignited.
• When ignited, the air/fuel mixture drives pistons
  down, which turns a crankshaft.

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Fuel Delivery

• The most efficient burn mixture has an 14.71
  air-fuel ratio.
• The lean condition
• The air-fuel ratio is too high
• Results in detonation, power loss, increased
  emissions
• The rich condition
• The air-fuel ratio is too low
• Results in reduced economy, increased emissions,
  power loss

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Fuel Injection System

• Proper fuel delivery is electronically controlled
  through a fuel injection and ignition timing
  system

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Fuel Delivery

• Based on a 2-variable present map in the ECU
• Load/Airflow meter
• RPM

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The Problem

• Fuel maps and fuel delivery are designed for
  compromise
• By modifying fuel delivery and consequently
  air-fuel ratios, improvements can be made
• Performance
• Economy
• Improved Emissions

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Why Modify an Already Tuned System?

• Are the original engineers incompetent?
• No but, the original characteristics of the motor
  can be changed
• Performance enhancements
• Changing the amount of air\fuel flowing into the
  motor
• General engine wear
• Perhaps a different compromise is desired

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Current Solutions for Modifying Air-Fuel Ratios

• Modifying the computer new fuel maps
• Model-specific
• Costly
• Lack of user-specific ability to tune
• Standalone systems
• Complete computer replacement is very intrusive
• Requires extensive, expensive tuning
• Mechanical solutions
• Rudimentary
• APEXi SAFC
• Our direct competition

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The AF Optimizer

• Its functionality and potential market
• Its competitive edge
• Features
• System Design and Implementation
• Hardware and firmware

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The AF Optimizer

• What does it do?
• Recalibrates air flow sensor data, while
  monitoring car
• Allows for flexible tuning of air fuel ratios
• Moves to different location on original fuel map
• Monitors automobile sensors with real-time visual
  display to users

• Why would one buy it?
• To inexpensively and safely optimize delivery of
  fuel to their engine

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Target Market

• Customer needs to tune their fuel system
• Desires better performance
• Wants a simple, noninvasive install
• 29 Billion Dollar aftermarket part industry
• Our target demographic is young people
• With older cars
• Who demand an inexpensive, feature packed fuel
  control system

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Compatibility

• Compatible with wide range of manufacturers
• Required
• Fuel injection
• MAP or VAF sensor
• 0-5V Scale
• Reality Older, simple computer is better

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AF Optimizer Advantages

• First and foremost, price
• Versatile for use on many different vehicles
• Easy to install and remove
• Un-intrusive to the vehicle
• Real-time monitoring
• Works on older cars

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Feature Overview

• Airflow tuning features
• Shift Light Features
• Monitoring Features

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Tuning Features

• Many Tuning points provides more tunability
• based on RPM and Throttle
• RPM Tuning
• 2000-8750 RPM - 250 RPM increments
• 75 to 125 - 1 increments
• Linearly Interpolates between tuning points

3000 3250 3500 3750 gt102
110 109 107 98 100 97 98
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Tuning Features

• Throttle Percentage Tuning
• 2 Calibration Curves High / Low Throttle
• User defined - based on throttle thresholds
• Throttle Thresholds
• Low e.g. lt30 throttle
• High e.g. gt90 throttle
• Linearly interpolates between the thresholds

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Tuning Features

• Overall 2-Dimensional interpolation
• RPM and Throttle are variables

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Shift Light Features

• 2000-10000 RPM in 100 RPM increments
• 5 Sequentially lit LEDs
• LEDs light up every 100 RPM as you approach your
  desired shift point
• Increasing brightness
• Example where shift light set to 5000 RPM

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Monitoring Features

• Real-time monitoring of engines sensors
• RPM
• Throttle
• Battery Voltage
• O2 Sensor Voltage
• Airflow and calibration monitoring
• Calibration
• Pre and Post Airflow Voltages

RPM 3250rpm Throttle 80
Battery 14V O2 Sensor 220mV
Airflow 106 Pre 2050mV
Post 2184mV
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System Overview
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AF Optimizer Hardware

• Part Sourcing
• PIC 16F Microcontroller
• Maxim 10-bit DAC
• Noritake 4-line x 20 character VFD
• 5Volt Regulator
• Input Circuitry

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Hardware Challenges

• PIC Microcontroller
• Need to service the display, inputs and DAC fast
• Fast speed for calculations
• DAC Accuracy
• Power Management
• I/O conditioning
• Noisy car signals, voltage scaling
• Creating a stable, fast analog output with DAC

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AF Optimizer Firmware

• Performed two functions
• Sample inputs, calculate, output
• Handle interaction with user
• Buttons
• Display
• Written in C
• High level functionality
• Easy writing, debugging
• Memory Processor Usage

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Firmware Challenges

• Debugging and Simulation
• Simulator has limited functionality
• PIC was new to us
• Timing
• We had strict timing demands
• Needed all three hardware timers
• Required very careful time management

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Final Product Performance 1

• Successful integration into the vehicle was
  dependent upon system response speed
• Response to a 16Hz sine as airflow input
  (unrealistic, but illustrates system performance)

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Final Product Performance 2

• A more realistic response to a square wave
• 1.5 ms system delay
• Small capacitor used to eliminate discontinuities

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Integration Challenges

• Very smooth integrating into the car
• Research of sensor signals
• In-car signal testing with oscilloscope
• Great lab setup for proper simulation
• Start up and Connection issues
• Starter draws current and dropped the battery
  voltage
• FIX Cap and diode
• Bad connections with breadboard and car wiring
• FIX Soldered car wiring harness PCB
• Car has a bad O2 Sensor

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Demo Time

• Things to demonstrate
• Monitoring
• How to setup throttle values
• Shift light
• How to set airflow calibrations
• Car running and driving
• Out to B-LOT everyone

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Dyno Results

• Very Impressive Results!!
• Running too rich loses power.
• Running too lean loses power
• We are able to change the air fuel ratios
• Here are the results

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Baseline Run
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Rich Run

• Tried 120 but threw Check Engine Light
• Tuned to 110 from 2000-6700 RPM (redline)
• Results

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Rich Run
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Lean Run

• Running too lean lost power in low RPMs
• Original ECU runs too rich at high RPMs
• Use AF Optimizer to lean high RPMs
• Results

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Engineering Considerations

• Positive system feedback due to vehicle velocity
• Does not affect airflow into engine
• Dynamometer is appropriate for vehicle tuning
• System memory considerations (derivatives)
• Precautions were taken to prevent derivative
  reversal
• Airflow signal adjustability range limited to 75
  - 125
• High and low throttle curves at least 20 of
  entire throttle range apart
• Testing indicates airflow signal changes much
  faster than throttle

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Budget

• Proposed Budget 665
• Actual Spending 200
• Difference -465
• Summary
• We UNDERSPENT!
• Due to building only 1 prototype, cheap dyno time

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AF Optimizer Schedule
Predicted Completion Dates February 27 March
6 March 13 March 24
Actual Completion Dates March 15 March 6 March
17 April 4
Firmware Hardware System Integration Final
Testing
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AF Optimizer Now

• Have a fully functional prototype!
• Weve priced many parts in quantities
• The display dominates
• Accounts for as much cost as all others combined
• Produced prototype PCB and casing
• Plans underway for production model
• Designed to use 1 PIC for cost

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AF Optimizer The Future

• Small distribution at first
• Use online car clubs for marketing
• Will hopefully get feedback
• If all goes well, incorporate!
• Outsource manufacture to overseas
• Build relationships with distributors
• Maybe make a few

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Future Design Considerations

• Split it up into modules
• Display and buttons
• Main PC Board and wiring to cars wiring
• Shift light (remotely mounted)
• Optimize PCB designs

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ACS Team Summary

• This was a great learning experience
• Conclusions
• Acknowledgements

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Lessons Learned

• Time and hard work invested early pays off
• Research allows for easier problem solving
• Documentation is important for complicated
  projects

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Conclusions

• We chose a great project
• Because we love cars
• It was complex, but workable
• We honed our skills learned in 4 years
• This product can make money

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Acknowledgements

• Scott, Lucky, Fred
• Dave Atchison, for experience with PIC and Dyno
  time
• ESSEF funding

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Questions?