7MGTE Ignitor Operation & Alternative Ignition Coils

grimreaper

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Jul 2, 2008
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Stock ignitor operation:

-IGT is the signal from the ecu telling the ignitor to fire the coil at a precise crank angle. This is the trigger for the ignition event and is the timing angle control signal from the ecu to the ignition coils. If the ecu calls for 30 degrees of timing, this signal is sent to the ignitor before the crank reaches this point. The signal goes high (+5v) and is held high until 30 degrees BTDC is reached. At 30 degrees the signal is pulled low (0v) and the ignition event/coil is triggered to spark. So.. square wave, 0-5v, triggers ignition on the negative slope.

-IGA/IGB are the ‘data’ signals that tell the ignitor which coil is to be fired. Simple truth table with four possibilities bouncing through these two wires. Jetjock has explained this in depth before and the toyo tech papers explain it well enough in the tsrm. Main thing to remember is they are 0-5v square waves. A binary 1 = 5v, 0 = 0v. Input from both signals is needed to properly select each coil. They change state at the triggering of each ignition event (the falling edge of IGT).
View attachment NewFile6.bmp
IGA/B signals


-3 transistors in parallel handle the high current. 1 per coil. Coils are charged until 7-7.5amps and then current limited until IGT triggers the ignition event. The dwell time that the coil is allowed to charge for varies between 3.5-6+ ms depending on rpm. Rarely is more than 4ms available though. Some form of built in rpm vs dwell is calculated in the ignitor. Assuming this is calculated based on the previous IGT or IGA/IGB signals.
View attachment NewFile2.bmp
Stock coil.
Blue is coil voltage showing dwell, current limiting and ignition event/burn time.
Yellow is current ramp, 100mv=1amp


-IGF appears to be triggered by an avalanche diode, once the coil voltage spikes above 50v or so, IGF goes high (+5v). Interestingly the Tach signal triggers at the same time. Probably why you see the tach jump around when there is a misfire.
View attachment NewFile7.bmp
Tach signal
Blue is Tach signal
Yellow is IGT signal

View attachment NewFile8.bmp
IGF signal
Blue is IGF signal
Yellow is IGT signal


Most ecu’s control the ignition coil dwell directly through the IGT signal. As the IGT signal goes high (+5v, turns on), coil charging begins. This is not the case at any point in the 7mgte ecu. IGT has no direct effect on coil dwell. The coils are allowed to charge before IGT is ever received. Even at idle, the longest possible duration for the dwell period, IGT is several 100uS late to the prom..
View attachment cccccccc.bmp
IGT and Coil signal
Blue is IGT
Yellow is coil


So the whole cycle looks like this:
IGA/IGB select coil to be fired - Coil begins to charge – IGT turns on – coil reaches 7amps and is held there – IGT turns off, ignition event triggered – IGA/IGB select next coil- etc..

The short story, its an integral part of the ignition system. Removal requires some rather simple Boolean algebra but potentially complicated dwell calculator. I haven’t spent time studying the transient events to see how dwell is handled. Once that’s understood a way to replicate it shouldn’t be to hard. My goal is true Coil on Plug with smart coils, 1zz or VAG style.

Next up, is300/ford/stock coil comparisons..
 

grimreaper

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Now for the goods on the ignitor dwell and coil charge.
Stock 7mgte coil:

View attachment ddddddd2.bmp
Charge time is between 2.9-3.1ms but fluctuates a bit depending on temp.

View attachment NewFile2.bmp
charging ramp/curve. 100mv = 1amp.
Yellow = current
Blue= voltage

View attachment NewFile3.bmp
burn time at idle.


IS300 coil:

View attachment cccccccc.bmp
Charge time is rather stable at 3.1-3.2ms
Yellow= coil voltage
Blue= IGT signal

Ford COP Coils: 2 coils wired in series

View attachment dddddddd.bmp
Charge time varies around 4-4.2ms

View attachment fordile2.bmp
View attachment NewFile4.bmp
Current ramp/curve
yellow = current, 100mv=1Amp
Blue = voltage

View attachment NewFile10.bmp
Burn time and odd oscillations at the end.

FORD vs STOCK Primary voltage
View attachment NewFile9.bmp
Yellow = stock
Blue = Ford
 
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7M4EVR

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Oct 8, 2012
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fah, fah away
Haha just beginning to grasp EFI itself and these "outside the box" things come up and hit me in the face, thats all. This is explained very well though.
 

Nick M

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Fair enough. One thought though....

7M4EVR;1982404 said:
these "outside the box" things come up and hit me in the face.

To me, this is inside the box. He isn't fabricating what could be, he is doing what is.
 

supraguy@aol

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Dec 30, 2005
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I think he means that Grim has gone into deeper depths of investigation than we commonly see here on a day-to-day basis.
 

7M4EVR

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fah, fah away
^ Thanks, that's probably better wording, however I would consider trying to come up with "true coil on plug with smart coils" for the 7M outside the box...

One thing I was wondering that caught my attention which is a little off topic, but related...How many other things can affect a "bouncy" tach needle other than something ignition timing related (misfire)? Randomly throughout the rpm band my needle will bounce around. Would it be safe to say that ignition timing is not perfect, or are there other things that cause this?
 

grimreaper

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Thanks for the support guys. As a few have mentioned, it's more proof of what is. Visualization helps connect the theory to reality, at least for me. One of my profs used to hammer it home that learning is done through emulation and understanding. See the outcome, understand why and how then go create something new once your certain. A lot of regurgitation in the products we use every day.

My main purpose was the timing between all of these signals. It's precise to say the least and begs the question why aftermarket ecus can't work well with the stock ignitor.

Also coil dwell and control to see what alternatives may exists now or in the future. Plus it's fun!
 

grimreaper

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I assumed the tach signal is triggered by the kickback of the coil, like igf. The rise of the signal had a very similar slope as igf. I'll overlap these and see if they are triggered at the same time. I'll see if I can get a misfire while keeping the engine going. One cylinder down is stable enough. Not sure how two down will react.
If they are, it's safe to assume a misfire is one cause of tach drop out.
 
Oct 11, 2005
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Fun indeed! I always thought the ECU IGT signal set dwell since they take some care to make it happen 30/60 degrees before the firing signal, but clearly it is not working that way. Would be good to pull apart an ignitor and map out the circuitry.
 

Nick M

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Sep 9, 2005
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grimreaper;1982320 said:
Stock ignitor operation:...
So the whole cycle looks like this:
IGA/IGB select coil to be fired - Coil begins to charge – IGT turns on – coil reaches 7amps and is held there – IGT turns off, ignition event triggered – IGA/IGB select next coil- etc....

Nice work.