FSX s Wideband Air/Fuel Meter With Data Logging. By: Frank Mirabelli

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1 FSX s Wideband Air/Fuel Meter With Data Logging By: Frank Mirabelli

2 Fuel combustion engines need a precise mix of air and fuel into the motor to crate the proper combustion allowing the engine to reach maxim potential. Most commonly, the perfect air to fuel ratio for an engine operating normal conditions is 14.7:1. With fuel injection engines this ratio of air and fuel is usually monitored by what is known as a Narrowband O2 sensor. This sensor relays a voltage to the ECU telling the computer if the engine is running outside of this ratio. To lean and the computer adds more fuel, to rich and the computer compensates by taking away fuel. However, the standard narrowband sensors do not take accurate reading when an engine is running outside of normal conditions and in the case of high performance forced induction; the engine is no where near normal operating conditions. Forced induction is the addition of extra air beyond what an engine takes in on its own. With more air then more fuel is needed and the narrowband s small range can no longer be used. This is where wideband gets its name for a wider range of reading ability and becomes a must for proper tuning. This relatively new sensor will allow the user the ability to properly tune their forced induction engine due to accurate reading from the wideband sensor. Proper tuning means more power and a more reliable and long lasting engine. There are eight major parts to the wideband system with data logging. The system intakes five different readings and has one output with multiple options viewing options. It will utilize a Bosch LSU wideband sensor to collect the proper readings from the exhaust manifold of the engine and relay this reading to the microcontroller via a varying voltage. However, for the sensor to work property the system must also power and heat it to the proper operating temperature via what is known as a heater circuit. The microcontroller will also take voltage reading from a type k thermocouple measuring exhaust gas temperatures as well as throttle position readings and RPM readings from the sensors already built into a fuel injected motor. 2

3 Once all the data is collected it will be analyzed and output to a LCD screen located inside the vehicle. The air to fuel ratio can also be output in other lighted displays that change the light when the engine is running the proper ratio. The data logging featured will allow the user to save this data in the session he so chooses. That data can later be access via a computer where the user can go back and check the data. Images and block diagram can be found on pages 6 8. In today s eco friendly times, high performance and economy are not usually put together in the same sentence. It s true the wideband system is mainly used to monitor and tune a high performance engine but more vehicle manufactures are putting these systems in replacing the narrowband O2 system. This is due to the reduced cost of what used to be an overly expensive system as well as more accurate tuning. To the normal daily commuter this system will allow them to understand where this car is running outside of the optimal air to fuel ratio and have the car serviced before any damage is done. Furthermore, if the car is running rich the system can help driver save gas by letting the driver know its using more fuel then it should. Lastly, this system runs complete on the power produced by the vehicles alternator, meaning no batteries and the waste external power sources create. A Wideband system will help the vehicles on the road stay property tuned meaning the saving of money on maintenance as well as gas. The FSX Wideband system is a complete monitoring system for tuned vehicles helping the tuner community grow do to easier accessibility to the data. This is a small but yet growing market due to the increased accessibility of the needed equipment as well as the lower costs of the technology. The global impact of this system may be small at first but as more wideband systems are untilized the increased fuel savings and reduced carbon emissions will present on the global scale. Lastly, it brings no new 3

4 stress on the energy field as no external power is needed outside of what the vehicle already produces on its own from the alternator while the car is running. There are many Wideband systems hitting the market today and some are better then others, but all are very capable systems. However, this system does more for less allowing more options and data to be stored and displayed for the lower price range units. Both AEM and Autometer have introductory wideband systems starting at around $300. These systems only offer the air to fuel ratio data in 52mm round gauge forum. In the gauge it displays the numerical value of the air to fuel ratio and it has a band of lights around the out side to show you where you are in the spectrum of ratios. Furthermore, these systems don t allow data logging options to their user. Innovative is a new and up coming system that brings data logging in at the $300 price range. It was also voted best wideband system last year due to the larger amount of options it provides while still maintaining a reasonable cost. Nevertheless, it too only has the simple 52mm gauge display option at the price range but other displays versions are available at additional cost. Lastly comes the Just Another Wideband (JAW) system by 14Point7. This system is very inexpensive compared to the AEM, Autometer, and Innovative systems coming in at $200. The reason for this is the lack of visual refinement that other systems offer. The JAW has a simple LCD display that only shows the numerical vale of the air to fuel ratio on a simple board display that must be mounted by the user. With the $200 price tag and still offering the data logging option, many people over look its flashiness for the savings. FSX Wideband offers even data and display options to the user at a similar cost of the other systems already on the market. Tuners today want as much data as they can to help them properly tune their engine. The one piece of data all these systems lack that tuners want today is exhaust gas temperature (EGT). With the competing systems you have to buy that gauge 4

5 separately costing even more money, more dash board space and that data is never saved. The FSX system offers this EGT data as a part of the system display as well as in its data logging feature, allowing better review of the data, which results in a better tune. Lastly, FSX Wideband is expandable in its display options where its competitors are not due to its open source style hardware. With these market systems you can only run the display purchased with the system but with the FSX system you can buy or even create your own display and add it on. FSX supplies you with the standard light spectrum display that can be mounted anywhere or modified by the user for a custom install. Furthermore, it will have a full LCD screen displaying all the data that it is reading. This includes the numerical air to fuel ratio that all systems display as well as throttle position, RPM, and EGT. Part sourcing for this wideband system is fairly simple due to the wide availability of its sensors and no specific parts. Both Bosch wideband sensors and type K thermal couples are very easy to find and they are becoming less expensive. Furthermore, the system doesn t require any other specialty parts other then simple circuitry and microcontroller. Enable to display the system working in its true environment to a classroom is very difficult. Displaying the wideband comes in two forms, the true display of it in a working vehicle, which will have to be shown either by taking the viewers for a test drive, or simply by a video of it in action. In addition, it can be shown in the classroom setting with a dummy program running and a dashboard cutout. A dash board of a car can be brought in with the FSX Wideband installed and a test routine can be run. The test routine will simply show a varying throttle and rpm response and a set of expected normal corresponding air to fuel ratio and EGT on the displays. Doing this will show the user the multiple display options and how each one has its own impact and usability vital to the user. 5

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8 Heater Circuit Wideband sensor Data Port for data logging Throttle Position Microcontroller Sensor Crank Sensor LED Spectrum display LCD display Type K thermocouple 8