EZDev Developmental Control System  

EMS has developed a customizable engine control system ideally suited for applications from the engine test laboratory through the field demonstration environments.  The control system hardware and software are highly flexible and allow implementation of a custom control system solution at a competitive cost. 

The EZDev control system can be applied in one of two basic configurations, a development configuration or a demonstration configuration.  Depending on the intended control system use and environment, one or both of the control system configurations may be appropriate. 

In the development configuration, the required control system hardware comprises an Engine Control Interface Unit (ECiU), a conventional personal computer (PC), and a CAN communications adapter for the PC.  The development configuration is ideal for the engine test laboratory environment.  The ECiU is designed to provide the interface between the engine hardware (i.e. engine sensors and actuators) and the PC.  The ECiU is typically mounted near the engine and allows, in many cases, use of the production engine wiring harness.  In the development mode, the PC is “in the real-time control loop” and the PC-based control system code is developed exploiting the floating point processing capability of the PC.  By doing so, control code can be developed in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. The PC-based software provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for control system calibration, data monitoring, plotting, and datalogging.  Communication between the PC and ECiU is accomplished via a high speed CAN interface, with a data transfer rate of 1 Mbit/sec.  Typically, the development configuration is used for engineering development in the engine test laboratory, and represents the most efficient means of accomplishing this.  

In the demonstration configuration, the required control system hardware comprises only the ECiU.  A PC and CAN adapter are used only for control system data monitoring and calibration.  In this configuration, the ECiU behaves just as a conventional ECU, with all control code and calibration data stored and processed on board the ECiU.  As such, the PC is not “in the control loop”.  As in the development mode, the PC-based software provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for control system calibration, data monitoring, plotting, and datalogging.  Communication between the PC and ECiU again is accomplished via a CAN interface.  The demonstration configuration is typically used for demonstration applications in end-use-type environments, or in applications where having a PC as an integral part of the control system is undesirable.  PC-based control code developed in the development mode can be converted for execution on the ECiU platform with relatively small engineering effort.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

ECiU Technical Description

The ECiU hardware is a common part of the EZDev control system, regardless of the control system configuration desired. The ECiU is based on a Infineon C167CR microcontroller and is designed for off-engine mounting.  The ECiU has been designed with the following functionality:

• Analog Signal Sampling (Up to 28 channels)  

• Wide-Range Oxygen Sensor Interfaces (Up to 2 sensors).  Featuring complete control of the oxygen pump and sense cells, and heater  

• Engine Speed or Frequency Input Sampling (Up to 4 channels). Compatible with either variable reluctance or Hall Effect sensors  

• Knock Sensor Processing (fully programmable and compatible with nearly any piezo-type knock sensor)  

• Digital Inputs (Up to 4 channels)  

• Engine Synchronous, PWM, or Digital Outputs with Configurable Drivers (15   channels) ***  

• Additional PWM or Digital Outputs with Configurable Drivers (3 channels) ***  

• High Speed CAN interface with the PC

• 256K Flash Memory and 64K SRAM for Program and Data Storage  

*** - Expandable via additional driver board if needed

ECiU driver channels can be individually configured for interface with most common automotive actuators such as gasoline and diesel-type fuel injectors, ignition coils, proportional valves, relays, logic level outputs, and others.  Peak-and-hold as well as saturation-type driver channels are individually selectable.

Analog inputs are individually jumper selectable for pull-up or pull-down configuration.  Speed and frequency inputs are individually jumper selectable for use with variable reluctance, (i.e. magnetic pickup), or Hall Effect sensors.