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From: phil@amdcad.UUCP (Phil Ngai)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: eliminating distributors
Message-ID: <458@amdcad.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 31-Dec-84 00:13:33 EST
Article-I.D.: amdcad.458
Posted: Mon Dec 31 00:13:33 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 31-Dec-84 07:35:14 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: AMDCAD, Sunnyvale, CA
Lines: 34

Many years ago I eliminated the points on my car with an electronic
ignition and have had trouble free service from that part of the
system ever since.

Yesterday my car wouldn't start and it took me an hour to figure
out that dew had shorted out my distributor.

It would be quite easy to get rid of the distributor with four
ignition coils and a little electronics which could not fail
in the way I experienced yesterday. It would also eliminate
the need to check and change the rotor.

The problem of course is expense. Existing ignition coils are
expensive. But so was computing power. Semiconductors have
changed the way modern engines are controlled. Semiconductors
can change the way engines obtain spark. Part of the reason for the
cost of ignition coils is the need to step up from 12v to 12,000v.
But with modern electronics and power transistors it would be
easy to drive a coil with 1,000v. Then the ignition coil would
only need to step up by a factor of 12.

Anyway, I hope an automotive engineer (if beer makers are on the
net, why isn't GM, Ford, or Chrysler?) will read this and think
about it.


Maybe I should talk to our product planning people about such an IC...

-- 
 AMD assumes no responsibility for anything I may say here.

 Phil Ngai (408) 749-5790
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