Author Topic: Jo's Box  (Read 6728 times)

Offline Don1966

  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6817
  • Columbia, MS
Re: Jo's Box
« Reply #15 on: July 07, 2014, 09:44:48 PM »
Jo, the way this unit is built it just a matter of using the signal terminal and ground terminal. The red power terminal is used with the Hall Sensor to power the semiconductor but the Hall sensor still uses ground to control the spark. One of the nice feature of this box is the dwell and speed can be read off the meter. The other great option is you can set your timing with the optional timing probe. The HV can be switched off while doing all the timing.

Don

Offline Jo

  • Administrator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15294
  • Hampshire, england.
Re: Jo's Box
« Reply #16 on: July 07, 2014, 10:08:58 PM »
Thanks  :ThumbsUp:

I sweet talked the very nice man into throwing the timing strobe in with the bundle  ;D

Jo
Enjoyment is more important than achievement.

Offline PStechPaul

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 688
  • Cockeysville, MD 21030
Re: Jo's Box
« Reply #17 on: July 08, 2014, 12:36:54 AM »
I would be interested in seeing the schematics for the circuit boards. I came up with a design for an electronic ignition that would work on points or a Hall sensor, and would have voltage limiting for the spark by using a TVS on the primary. However, I have not built it yet because I've been working on other things and don't have an ICE to use it on. My intent was to bring it to CF and have someone try it on their model to see if it improved performance.
 
A capacitive discharge type ignition should have better control of the spark, in terms of voltage and duration. The spark voltage should be determined by just the ratio of the coil windings and the primary voltage, which can be adjusted using a boost converter. Unlike the inductive energy storage type, the duration of the spark can be set by turning off the primary voltage and shunting the stored energy back to the storage capacitor (or just dissipating it).
 
If I were to become really interested in a project like this, I would be tempted to build it with a PIC microcontroller and a serial (Bluetooth) or USB link to a computer, which could do all sorts of things for controlling the spark timing and performing diagnostics, perhaps even showing a storage scope display of the spark voltage and/or current. It would be a major project, and quite a challenge, but the concepts are fairly straightforward. I enjoy the initial design phase of things like this, but the actual implementation becomes tedious and I'll probably never get around to building anything more than the simplest version.
 
Good luck with the build!  :zap:

Offline Jo

  • Administrator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15294
  • Hampshire, england.
Re: Jo's Box
« Reply #18 on: July 08, 2014, 09:29:02 AM »
Sorry Paul the ignition is potted.

The front panel has been assembled as per the instructions and the earth grubscrew via that really fiddly little 2.25mm spring buzzed out  :ThumbsUp:

My soldering iron is having a little heat up

Jo
Enjoyment is more important than achievement.

Offline Stuart

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1785
  • Tilchestune UK
Re: Jo's Box
« Reply #19 on: July 08, 2014, 10:06:09 AM »
Jo

dont do what I did when I was still at school  ( it was a really good one because it was approved  :cartwheel: )  at home tinkering as usual with electronics I left my soldering iron plunged it and forgot went to pick it up a while later guess which end I grabbed the hot end of course

made a nasty smell nice brand at the time but no lasting scars  :pink elephant:


Nice build and boy that looks a nice unit for you infernal combustion types  :zap:

Stuart
My aim is for a accurate part with a good finish

Offline Jo

  • Administrator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15294
  • Hampshire, england.
Re: Jo's Box
« Reply #20 on: July 08, 2014, 12:36:53 PM »
Wiring done, now to buzz it out  ;D

Or it would have been but the family has just phoned up to say they are on their way. :noidea:

Jo
Enjoyment is more important than achievement.

Offline Jo

  • Administrator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15294
  • Hampshire, england.
Re: Jo's Box
« Reply #21 on: July 08, 2014, 01:40:37 PM »
 :whoohoo: Its passed all its tests  :whoohoo:

Ok I had to remove the washers behind the meter PCB as it was shorting the meter  :shrug: And I still think it would be better with a separate earth stud rather than using the one the coil is mounted on.

But we have sparks and the emergency spark also works  :whoohoo:

So now I have relatives and then this bit  :naughty:

Jo
Enjoyment is more important than achievement.

Offline Jo

  • Administrator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15294
  • Hampshire, england.
Re: Jo's Box
« Reply #22 on: July 08, 2014, 07:00:31 PM »
The body for the strobe was supposed to be drilled 10 mm then bored to 11mm. It wasn't happy, it was getting hot, wobbling, so I ended up reaming it the 11mm.

The end cap is a simple turning with a slot for the board.  :Love:

Then it is a case of soldering on the three wires to the board they provide and putting the case on. Pluging it into its socket on the ignition box and turning the switch on the strobe on so that it flashes when the plug sparks.

So a full set of the small engine ignition box all finished and working.  :whoohoo:
-   -    -   
Now the challenge, I mentioned my visitors, that was my Mum and Dad. They brought this for me but they were disappointed when they couldn't see it run an engine. So I have been told... no problem we will be back on your birthday you can show us then  :toilet_claw:

Jo
Enjoyment is more important than achievement.

Online Jasonb

  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9465
  • Surrey, UK
Re: Jo's Box
« Reply #23 on: July 08, 2014, 07:39:47 PM »
Did they say which birthday :LittleDevil:

Does look a lot of plastic sticking out the chuck to be boring, could you not have used a 5c with just a little sticking out the end as this would support the plastic and dissipate the heat.

Offline Don1966

  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6817
  • Columbia, MS
Re: Jo's Box
« Reply #24 on: July 08, 2014, 07:51:02 PM »
You made short work of that project. Nice work Jo.


Don

Offline Jo

  • Administrator
  • Full Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15294
  • Hampshire, england.
Re: Jo's Box
« Reply #25 on: July 08, 2014, 08:30:00 PM »
Thanks Don, I am really pleased with it.  ;D

Did they say which birthday :LittleDevil:

Yes the one about a month after yours  ;)


Does look a lot of plastic sticking out the chuck to be boring, could you not have used a 5c with just a little sticking out the end as this would support the plastic and dissipate the heat.

 :disappointed: that was my idea but it is 13mm diameter and as yet I don't have a 5C that size :-\ and as you bore it the pressure of the chuck distorts the material so the final cut has to be done clear of the chuck.  I could have used a DA100 in a 5C, I keep forgetting those, but it is all done now.

Jo
Enjoyment is more important than achievement.

 

SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal