12 replies to this topic

[David128]

Hi I wondered if anyone here is using the Accuspark blackbox ?

Does the software work on Windows 10?

How good is the system?

 

Thanks in Advance

 

David

[jaydee]

http://www.ausmini.c...php?f=2&t=83483

 

Remember its a 2D map, fixed advance with no vacuum.

I wonder whether the mech vacuum advance in the dizzy is still usable or not

Will try one personally as I just have one of these box' ready to fit to a car.

[David128]

It made me think about the vacuum to, as some people seem not to use the vacuum advance side. I'm really trying to understand if it is totally necessary? and when its best to blank it off. Would be interested at looking at the software.

[jaydee]

I wouldnt even think of running a road car without vacuum advance

On a track-hillclimb weapon i would ditch it

[David128]

Fair comment. Let me know how you get on with the stealth. 

[David128]

Reading that aus mini forum some thoughts on there that you can still use vacuum, even though mechanical advance has been locked.

[jaydee]

Just fitted one, on a non standard engine. Still have to test drive to optimize the ignition map.

The long and short..It works as it should, its a cheap box so dont expect real time data, map archieve or other features like you have with aldon and megajolt ecus. Cant still comment on realiability.

 

installation is not as straightforward as i thought:

It uses a COMM port and not a proper usb port, that means you need to use win XP or 7 otherwise the driver (supplied with the accuspark software) will not work.

Check that you have decimal point in your currency settings otherwise the software wont be able to update the correct data.

Once you've spent your time making it communicate correctly with win for the first time, then it works sweet, programming new curves is very quick and havent encountered any bug or freeze, shame theres no real time data but you get what you pay for.

 

I would not connect the box +ve feed to the same circuit of the coil +ve.

I still have to work out what the 'RPM SYNC' actually does.

Anyhow, after checking timing accuracy with timing light, it is as accurate as a more expensive 123 dizzy.

 

 

Now I've fitted the box to a vacuum dizzy, but the vacuum applied didnt made any change on the map, i still have to investigate on this, at a guess after locking the mech advance the vacuum does not move the plate.

[David128]

Thanks for that.. Im still considering this as an option. Let me know how it goes.

[jaydee]

Now lets spend a few lines about dwell mapping..Dwell is the time you charge the coil before letting it spark (will deal with how it works further).

Stealth blackbox offers mappable dwell.

I think thats just because programming an auto-dwell feature was an expensive developement for a 'entry level' controller.

So they just gave the option to map dwell claiming it as an extra feature. In all honestly, on the aldon system with auto-dwell, i wouldnt even think of switching the auto-dwell off.

Accuspark software loads a 'standard map' which is pretty much safe, so if you dont know what you are doing, just use that.

 

 

Taken from the aussie forum, heres a breakdown of charge times:

 

RPM........Distributor RPM.........RPSec......... Each Rev........... time For 4 cyl (90 degrees)
1000.........500..........................8.33.........120mS...................30mS
2000.........1000...........................................60...................... 15
3000.........1500..........................25............. 40.......................10
4000..........2000...........................................30.....................7.5
5000.........2500.........................41.67...........24...................... 6
6000..........3000............................................20......................5
7000..........3500...........................................17......................4.2
8000..........4000............................................15.................... 3.8

90 degrees = 100% (ED.. I note that your dwell is in degrees. I must have the old software as mine is in %ages)
Rules as per the instructions. Not less that 25%. Not more than 75%

RPM For 4 cyl (90 degrees) % on graph Coil charge time achieved (Optimal 7mS)
1000................30mS ................25%(min)............................7.5mS
2000................15.....................47%.....................................7mS
3000................10.....................70%.....................................7mS
4000................7.5....................75%(max).............................5.6mS
5000................6...................... 75%(max)............................4.5mS
6000................5 ......................75%(max)............................3.75
7000................4.2.....................75%(max).............................3.15
8000................3.8.....................75%(max).............................2.85


Sports Coil 7mS to draw peek 2.5-3amps
5mS will draw just over 2 amps which is over an 80% total charge.

 

 

Now is correct BUT:

- accuspark dwell map is in degrees, not % (as pointed in the edit comment)

- thats the breakdown of CHARGE time, without taking in account DISCHARGE time.

- 7ms sounds a lot to me, optimal charge time its usually between 3 and 5 milliseconds.

 

The discharge time of a coil is the product of ohms and farads of the coil, and this means for a certain charge time, you have a different discharge time.

If you start charging the coil BEFORE its full chrage-discharge time, you will simply stop the ignition spark, you will have a shorter spark time.

You have to start charging the coil when its laying at idle.

I dont have the equipment to make chrage-discharge mesurements, so i will take as full discharge time a safe room of 1/4 to 1/2 the charge time.

Take in example 4000 rpm, a cycle duration is 7.5ms and you set a dwell time of 5.6ms

5.6 + 1/4(5.6) is 7ms

5.6 + 1/2(5.6) is 8.4ms

I take the conclusion youre on the limit.

And without the proper testing hardware, it is very hard to define charge-discharge of a coil, they are NOT all the same, you can just guess what is good and what is not.

 

Some says you will burn coils with the wrong dwell map. This is far from correct. Overcharging the coil might happen at low revs when there is enough time to over-saturate the coil.

We ran contact breakers ignition for ages with dwell set between 55 and 60 degs, which offers the correct charge only between 2500 and 3000 rpm, and we never burnt a coil letting the engine idle in the traffic with such dwell.

The truth is that its more likely that you will have 'weaker' sparks than burn the coil.

 

Heres my own map, in degrees.

RPM        DWELL

10              25

1000          25

2000          42

3000          60

4000          64

5000          64

7000          67

 

Hope its clear enough, i'm far from good at explaining things..

Comments are welcome, as always.

[David128]

Have you tried using XP as a virtual drive to run the software?

[jaydee]

Yes it does work on XP, but i prefer to use 7, just because the OS its faster.

[David128]

I'm on windows  10 so my only option is to set up virtual hard  drive. Running xp from there hopefully the drivers will work. I might have to try and get a copy of the software to see if it will run.

[jaydee]

This is the driver for the port used in the 'box, it 'may' work..

http://www.prolific...._id=225&pcid=41

 

To run the accuspark software first time, you need to switch 'Run as ad aministrator' mode.