Ignition Home Screen

From EMIT Controls

Ignition Home Screen

The Ignition Home screen (Pg. 400) provides all the necessary information and functionality to quickly observe the system state and access additional diagnostic and setup features. The very top of the screen provides the overall status of the ignition system. The timing box below displays the active timing, and the timing display can be clicked to make adjustments. The center box shows RPM. The lights at the bottom of the screen show the system and timing status, and can be clicked to see diagnostic information. The right box shows spark durations. A security mode of Setup or Engineering is required to access any of the setup and testing features.

File:Ignition Home Screen.jpg

Ignition Home Screen

STATUS

Displays the current status of the ignition system. Possible statuses include:

  • “Configuration/Setup Required” – Configuration and setup have not been completed
  • “Ready to Start” – The ignition system is waiting for timing inputs from the engine
  • “Engine Operation Detected” – Timing inputs have been detected and the ignition is preparing to start
  • “Ignition Started” – Ignition is firing, but the engine is not yet at full running speed
  • “Engine Running” – The engine and ignition are running properly
  • “Engine Running with Warnings” – The engine is running, but warnings are present
  • “Ignition Stopped – Critical Alarm” – The engine has been stopped due to a critical alarm
  • The alarm must be acknowledged in the Alarms screen (Pg. 40) in order to re-start the ignition
  • “External Shutdown” – The shutdown input is grounded
  • “Compression Test Mode” – The ignition is locked out and will not start during cranking
  • “Firing Order Test Mode” – The ignition is firing desired coils with the engine off to verify wiring and operation
  • “Bad Configuration” – There is a setup or configuration issue

TIMING BOX

The timing box on the Ignition Home screen (Pg. 400) displays the active total timing. The timing display can be clicked to go to a larger timing display screen (Pg. 443) to see the three timing components of total timing- rpm advance, load advance, and base timing. The base timing can be adjusted here as well. Values displayed on this secondary screen are:

  • “Total Timing” – Current and active timing of the ignition system
  • Sum of the “Base Timing”, “RPM Advance”, and “Load Advance” timing values
  • “Base Timing” – User adjustable fixed timing
  • Adjusted through the “Advance Base Timing” and “Retard Base Timing” buttons
  • Increments are +/- 0.25°
  • “RPM Advance” – Amount of timing advance added to the total timing for changes in RPM
  • RPM advance timing is configured during the setup process
  • “Load Advance” – Amount of timing advance or retard added to the total timing for changes in manifold pressure
  • Load advance timing is optional and requires a manifold pressure transducer for operation
  • Timing is typically retarded for increases in load or manifold pressure

STATUS LIGHTS

At the bottom of the Ignition Home screen are three status lights- “System”, “Timing”, and “Alarm”. These lamps give a quick snapshot of system status. Clicking on this area will go to the Engine Running Diagnostics and Testing screen (Pg. 420 or 422), to see runtime diagnostics.

Status Light

  • Displays green if the Ignition is connected and powered on, and configuration is complete.

Timing Light

  • Off (white) when the engine is not turning
  • Illuminates green if engine is turning and timing is valid
  • Illuminates in yellow for minor timing issues while the engine is running
  • Illuminates in red if the engine is not running and there are unexpected faults

Alarm Light

  • Off (white) if there are no critical alarms
  • On (red) if there are currently critical alarms

SPARK DURATIONS

The right side of the Ignition Home screen shows the current spark durations. If not relatively steady and similar values, this could indicate a problem with a plug or coil.

Selecting this graph will go to the Cylinder Information screen.