Consumer Electronics

ELECTRONIC IGNITION

Development of electronic fuel supply and ignition controls has been given an extra boost by the introduction of strict laws governing the amount of polluting gases that may be present in the exhaust. The limits can be met only by controlling ignition timing and fuel delivery far more accurately than had previously been the case.

Many cars now have electronic ignition. Although most are still timed mechanically, a number of more recent systems have begun to incorporate microprocessors to improve the accuracy with which the ignition is timed to fire the spark plug. Data is supplied to the microprocessor concerning engine speed, the position of the piston (taken from the crankshaft position) and the load on the engine. The microprocessor ...