Data aquisition and outputs

[dans302]

Hi Guys,

i'll just quickly start off by saying i am new to both these forums and electronic engine managment, most of my history is plain old mechanical with some basics in industrial automation.
i will apologise if this has been covered before but i did put in some search time before posting this.......back to the topic at hand.


I have nearly finished my latest project an old Cortina with a ford 250ci crossflow motor (aussie motor).
It's still carby mixed, but I have been looking into adding some sensors to do some data-aquisition for me as well as have some outputs to control some of the car's functions.
primarly when i take a few 1/4 passes so i can get an idea of how the engine's doing with my current tune. hoping i can build something to take the guess-work out of the mix.

what i have in mind is to add several inputs such as MAP,o2, exhaust gas temps, ambient temp, altitude, barometer, throttle position (may have to just wack a rotary pot on the carby), tach, crank angle, various temps and pressures ect.
as for the output side of the fence, it'l be pretty simple, electronic fuel pump (digital on/off), thermo fan and water pump control, perhaps fuel pressure regulator control,

i realise i have a lot of homework ahead of me and i'm starting down that road shortly but i was wondering if using a megasquirt system would meet what i'm trying to do or am i better just knocking up a program and wack a input/output to usb box together and hide the o'l laptop under the seat.

[Matt Cramer]

Welcome! A MegaSquirt can certainly be used for data logging and fuel pump control; I'd need to know more about the pressure regulator to see if it could do anything with that.

[dans302]

Hi Matt,

thanks for the reply,and sorry for the delay in mine, no internet at home.....

the fuel pressure regulator i am using is a Holley PART #: 12-803BP,
to tune it's pressure output it has a hex locking nut located on a socket head grub screw, i was thinking of removing the locking nut and machining up an adapter boss and then putting a rotary actuator on there to drive it, i have modified my regulator from standard to operate at higher pressures but this is only a very tiny bit of extra torque required during adjustment, im confident a small rotary actuator will have enough power for the job.

i'm waiting on several actauator manufacturers to reply to my requests on their controler input/output arrangement (not sure if they use a potentiometer, pulse count, or a transducer)

[Matt Cramer]

This doesn't sound doable with current firmware.

The MS3 (covered on MSExtra.com) has a closed loop fuel pressure control feature that pulses the fuel pump to control pressure.