Lambda Probe Readout For Carburettor Tuning

A lambda probe (or oxygen sensor) can be found on the exhaust system of most cars running on unleaded fuel. Having reached its normal operating temperature (of about 600 degrees Celsius!) the lambda probe supplies an output voltage proportional to the amount of residual oxygen measured in the exhaust gas. This information is indicative of, among others, the air/fuel ratio supplied by the carburetor(s) and hence the combustion efficiency. In modern car (and motorcycle) engines, this information is used to (electronically) adjust engine parameters like ignition timing and fuel injection. The indicator described here is intended for permanent installation on a motorcycle of which the air/fuel ratio needed to be watched, with the obvious aim engine power tuning after fitting a different set of carburetors.

Apart from this obvious technical use the unit’s bright LEDs will no doubt attract the attention of curious motorcyclists. At the local junkyard a single-wire lambda probe may be salvaged from a wrecked car. Once a suitable nut has been found, the probe can screwed into the exhaust pipe of the motorcycle, at about 30 cm from the cylinders. Since we’re talking of welding and drilling in an expensive (chrome-plated) exhaust pipe, you may find that actually fitting the probe is best left to specialists! The starting point for the design of a suitable electronic indicator is that in the noble art of carburetor tuning an air/fuel ratio of 14.7 to 1 is generally considered ‘perfect’, the range covering 16.2 to 1 (‘lean’) to 11.7 to 1 (‘rich’).

The perfect ratio typically corresponds to a probe output voltage of 0.45 V. Referring to the circuit diagram, that is the input level at which 5 of the 10 LEDs will light, including the green one, D5. If one of the red LEDs lights, the mixture is definitely too rich. Note that in general it is better to have a mixture that is a little to rich than one that’s on the lean side, hence a yellow LED lights between the green LED and the first red one. Also note that the engine needs to be at its normal operating temperature before a meaningful indication is obtained.

Car Interior Lights Delay

Most cars do not have delayed interior lights. The circuit presented can put this right. It switches the interior lights of a car on and off gradually. This makes it a lot easier, for instance, to find the ignition keyhole when the lights have gone off after the car door has been closed. Since the circuit must be operated by the door switch, a slight intervention in the wiring of this switch is unavoidable. When the car door is opened, the door switch closes the lights circuit to earth. When the door is closed (and the switch is open), transistor T1, whose base is linked to the switch, cuts off T2, so that the interior light remains off. When the switch closes (when the door is opened), the base of T1 is at earth level and the transistor is off.

Capacitor C1 is charged fairly rapidly via R3 and D1, whereupon T2 comes on so that the interior light is switched on. When the door is closed again, T1 conducts and stops the charging of C1. However, the capacitor is discharged fairly slowly via R5, so that T2 is not turned off immediately. This ensures that the interior light remains on for a little while and then goes out slowly. The time delays may be varied quite substantially by altering the values of R3, R5, and C1. Circuit IC2 may be one of many types of n-channel power MOSFET, but it should be able to handle drain-source voltages greater than 50 V. In the proto-type, a BUZ74 is used which can handle D-S voltages of up to 500 V.

Park-Aid Modification

This modification was designed on request: some people prefer an audible alert instead of looking at the LED display, making easier the parking operation. The original Park-aid circuit was retained, but please note that the input pins of IC2B, IC2C and IC2D are reversed. LEDs D5, D6 and D7, as also resistors R12, R13 and R14 are omitted. IC2B, IC2C and IC2D outputs drive resistors R15, R16 and R17 through D8, D9 and D10 respectively, in order to change the time constant of a low frequency oscillator based on the 555 timer IC4. This allows the Piezo sounder to start beeping at about 2 times per second when bumper-wall distance is about 20 cm., then to increase the beeps to about 3 per second when bumper-wall distance is about 10 cm. and finally to increase further the beeps frequency to more than 4 beeps per second when the distance is about 6 cm. or less.

 Parts:

R15_____________3K3 1/4W Resistor
R16___________330K 1/4W Resistor
R17___________470K 1/4W Resistor
R18___________150K 1/4W Resistor
C6______________1µF 63V Electrolytic or Polyester Capacitor
D8,D9,D10____1N4148 75V 150mA Diodes
IC4_____________555 Timer IC
BZ1___________Piezo sounder (incorporating 3KHz oscillator)

Speed-Limit Alert

This circuit has been designed to alert the vehicle driver that he/she has reached the maximum fixed speed limit (i.e. in a motorway). It eliminates the necessity of looking at the tachometer and to be distracted from driving. There is a strict relation between engine's RPM and vehicle speed, so this device controls RPM, starting to beep and flashing a LED once per second, when maximum fixed speed is reached. Its outstanding feature lies in the fact that no connection is required from circuit to engine.

 Parts:

R1,R2,R19_______1K 1/4W Resistors
R3-R6,R13,R17_100K 1/4W Resistors
R7,R15__________1M 1/4W Resistors
R8_____________50K 1/2W Trimmer Cermet
R9____________470R 1/4W Resistor
R10___________470K 1/4W Resistor
R11___________100K 1/2W Trimmer Cermet (see notes)
R12___________220K 1/4W Resistor (see notes)
R14,R16________68K 1/4W Resistors
R18____________22K 1/4W Resistor
R20___________150R 1/4W Resistor (see notes)
C1,C7_________100µF 25V Electrolytic Capacitors
C2,C3_________330nF 63V Polyester Capacitors
C4-C6___________4µ7 25V Electrolytic Capacitors
D1,D5______Red LEDs 3 or 5mm.
D2,D3________1N4148 75V 150mA Diodes
D4________BZX79C7V5 7.5V 500mW Zener Diode
IC1__________CA3140 or TL061 Op-amp IC
IC2____________4069 Hex Inverter IC
IC3____________4098 or 4528 Dual Monostable Multivibrator IC
Q1,Q2_________BC238 25V 100mA NPN Transistors
L1_____________10mH miniature Inductor (see notes)
BZ1___________Piezo sounder (incorporating 3KHz oscillator)
SW1____________SPST Slider Switch
B1_______________9V PP3 Battery (see notes) Clip for PP3 Battery

Circuit operation:

IC1 forms a differential amplifier for the electromagnetic pulses generated by the engine sparking-plugs, picked-up by sensor coil L1. IC2A further amplifies the pulses and IC2B to IC2F inverters provide clean pulse squaring. The monostable multivibrator IC3A is used as a frequency discriminator, its pin 6 going firmly high when speed limit (settled by R11) is reached. IC3B, the transistors and associate components provide timings for the signaling part, formed by LED D5 and piezo sounder BZ1. D3 introduces a small amount of hysteresis.

Notes:

• D1 is necessary at set-up to monitor the sparking-plugs emission, thus allowing to find easily the best placement for the device on the dashboard or close to it. After the setting is done, D1 & R9 can be omitted or switched-off, with battery savings.
• During the preceding operation R8 must be adjusted for better results. The best setting of this trimmer is usually obtained when its value lies between 10 and 20K.
• You must do this first setting when the engine is on but the vehicle is stationary.
• The final simplest setting can be made with the help of a second person. Drive the vehicle and reach the speed needed. The helper must adjust the trimmer R11 until the device operates the beeper and D5. Reducing vehicle's speed the beep must stop.
• L1 can be a 10mH small inductor usually sold in the form of a tiny rectangular plastic box. If you need an higher sensitivity you can build a special coil, winding 130 to 150 turns of 0.2 mm. enameled wire on a 5 cm. diameter former (e.g. a can). Extract the coil from the former and tape it with insulating tape making thus a stand-alone coil.
• Current drawing is about 10mA. If you intend to use the car 12V battery, you can connect the device to the lighter socket. In this case R20 must be 330R.
• Depending on the engine's cylinders number, R11 can be unable to set the device properly. In some cases you must use R11=200K and R12=100K or less.
• If you need to set-up the device on the bench, a sine or square wave variable generator is required.
• To calculate the frequency relation to RPM in a four strokes engine you can use the following formula: Hz= (Number of cylinders * RPM) / 120.
• For a two strokes engine the formula is: Hz= (Number of cylinders * RPM) / 60.
• Thus, for a car with a four strokes engine and four cylinders the resulting frequency @ 3000 RPM is 100Hz.
• Temporarily disconnect C2 from IC1 pin 6. Connect the generator output across C2 and Ground. Set the generator frequency to e.g. 100Hz and trim R11 until you will hear the beeps and LED D5 will start flashing. Reducing the frequency to 99 or 98 Hz, beeping and flashing must stop.
• Please note that this circuit is not suited to Diesel engines.

AFX Slot Car Lap Counter

AFX slot car sets are very enjoyable but you can increase the fun with a lap counter. This circuit will count from 00 to 99, with independent counters for each track. The sensing device used is a Hall effect sensor (UGN3503; available from Dick Smith Electronics). One of these sensors is glued under a section of each track (printed side up); between the slot and one of the track rails is the best spot. In this position, it will allow the ground effects magnets on the cars to pass over them. The sensor will provide a voltage of about 3V when a car passes over it and about 2V without a magnetic field. Both counter circuits are identical, with dual op amp IC5 handling the signals from both sensors.

 

IC5a and IC5b are wired as comparators, with a 2.5V reference derived from zener diode ZD1 via the 10kO and 12kO resistors. Each time the output of IC5a goes high it clocks IC1a, a 4518 BCD counter. NAND gates IC2a & IC2b provide a carry out to the other half of IC1 for a 2-digit display. More counters may be cascaded this way to provide extra digits. The BCD outputs of IC1 drive 7-segment decoders IC3 & IC4 which drive common cathode LED displays. Push-button S1 resets the counters to 00 for both tracks for the start of a new race.

12V Speed Controller/Dimmer

This handy circuit can be used as a speed controller for a 12V motor rated up to 5A (continuous) or as a dimmer for a 12V halogen or standard incandescent lamp rated up to 50W. It varies the power to the load (motor or lamp) using pulse width modulation (PWM) at a pulse frequency of around 220Hz. SILICON CHIP has produced a number of DC speed controllers over the years, the most recent being our high-power 24V 40A design featured in the March & April 2008 issues. Another very popular design is our 12V/24V 20A design featured in the June 1997 issue and we have also featured a number of reversible 12V designs.

Circuit looks like:

For many applications though, most of these designs are over-kill and a much simpler circuit will suffice. Which is why we are presenting this basic design which uses a 7555 timer IC, a Mosfet and not much else. Being a simple design, it does not monitor motor back-EMF to provide improved speed regulation and nor does it have any fancy overload protection apart from a fuse. However, it is a very efficient circuit and the kit cost is quite low.

Parts layout:

There are many applications for this circuit which will all be based on 12V motors, fans or lamps. You can use it in cars, boats, and recreational vehicles, in model boats and model railways and so on. Want to control a 12V fan in a car, caravan or computer? This circuit will do it for you.

Circuit diagram:

The circuit uses a 7555 timer (IC1) to generate variable width pulses at about 210Hz. This drives Mosfet Q3 (via transistors Q1 & Q2) to control the speed of a motor or to dim an incandescent lamp.
Halogen lamps: 

 
While the circuit can dim 12V halogen lamps, we should point out that dimming halogen lamps is very wasteful. In situations where you need dimmable 12V lamps, you will be much better off substituting 12V LED lamps which are now readily available in standard bayonet, miniature Edison screw (MES) and MR16 halogen bases. Not only are these LED replacement lamps much more efficient than halogen lamps, they do not get anywhere near as hot and will also last a great deal longer.