....
Technology is catching up, and there are more and more schematics and test floating around.
Cheap microcontrollers can completely replace the ECM, and once software starts getting shared, tuning a new truck will be simple as ordering a kit and visiting a forum to download software tunes.

Can you run a diesel from a 25$ chip?
http://dmn.kuulalaakeri.org/dmn-edc/
Arduino Duemilanove USB Microcontroller Module - RobotShop
He is...

And there are designs being tossed around to drive common rail injectors and pumps also.
Within a short amount of time, I believe we will be amazed at what is available.

 

No expensive hardware, no limits.

With these microcontrollers, you could run 3 VGT turbo's, nitrous, meth, anything you can imagine.

Only the physical hardware holds you back.

 

Looks promising. There needs to be something for HEUI. I need to take over the ECM limitations on the DT466E's.

 

You're not going to replace a modern diesel computer with an Arduino. Modern diesel computers are monsters (in comparison) running at >200MHz, with tons of RAM, and ROM.

Running a common rail system is much more complicated then controlling a Bosch VP style pump. I doubt an Arduino even has enough power to run an HEUI engine to it's full potential.

The Megasquirt project has far more capable hardware, and I'd bet on them to be the first to support some kind of diesel.

 

They're almost there.

Lots of talk, and designs for a daughterboard capable of running common rail piezo injectors.
I doubt HEUI injectors will be tough.


It's coming !!!!

Even stand alone electronic transmission controllers up to 8 speeds !!

 

Actually it doesn't take much computing power at all, the injectors just need to be commanded with RISC processors and the rest is low speed.

 

If it didn't take much computing power, modern engine controls would not processor speeds in the hundred MHz range.

Common micro-controllers like the Arduino run around 16MHz. The EEC-IV ran around that speed and did not have enough power to run a 7.3 Power Stroke. It takes a lot of complicated computations in order to properly fuel a modern Diesel, especially if you want things like pilot injection. Not to mention that CR injectors are individually calibrated in the computer for varying injector tolerances and characteristics.

I'm not saying that it can't happen, but just that we're probably 3-5 years out before anything really useable will be around. The hardest part will be the software.

 

Just running the injectors doesn't take much hardware at all.

However, handling error conditions under ALL operating modes is complicated.

90% of modern engine ECM code is error handling and diagnostics, not engine management.

-blaine

 

Yes, that is correct.

Cheap RISC chips and PWM amp circuits will drive the injectors for cheap.
With a RISC based board running the injectors and monitoring engine speed, a 2nd processor could be used for less time sensitive operations.

Things like throttle position, calculating fueling, turbo actuator, and that type of stuff, only needs to be calculated what 20-50 times per second?
So the 2nd CPU could easily be something android based.

I believe that megasquirt was looking at some designs for daughterboards to run piezo injectors with the current EFI technology they have.


I'd rather see a standalone injector controller unit, that could be controlled with a serial connection or something, so an endless amount of devices would work with it.

I wish I knew how to design such an electrical device, seriously,

 

SOB, blow me down,

Swamps already devised a standalone injector driver for the 6.4....
And they're looking at driving it with a megasquirt 3 board!!!!!!!!

The future is close......

 

I talked with a Megasquirt tech guy a little over a year ago, and he said it can be done, but the main issue is driving the HEUI injectors with the parts they have on hand. It didnt sound too tough, but I'd be afraid of reliability, not that I distrust my own work. I learned how to solder at age 6.

 

The HEUI injectors are apparently easy to drive.
(you can drive the factory IDM with megasquirt I think )

The piezo injectors are way more tricky, driving them too fast can cause the piezo stack to rupture.

 

Actually Dale,
You made me think of something....
A little off topic, but didn't the 7.3 injectors and DT injectors share the same outer physical dimensions?
Because swaps has adapters to put common rail 6.4 injectors into the 7.3, and run it with the 7.3 PCM, (The IDM does the tuning I believe?) , then the same technology should be able to support putting common rail injectors in a HEUI DT engine and running it off the factory computer.
This is of course just thinking out loud.....