Wow, hi there Mike, enjoy your videos.
Thanks guys, I was thinking about it the other day and determined that while of course it COULD be done, there probably wouldn't be much point to using an FPGA other than for bragging rights (which I'm gonna get anyway, right??) and a microcontroller/processor will be better suited for the application.
jebcom, My motorcycle, a 2010 Suzuki DR650SE. came out of the factory with a Mikuni BST40 carburetor installed. For purposes of throttle response, more power with minimal fuel economy drop, better fuel delivery, better running condition and no bog, I have installed a Keihin FCR-MX 39 carburetor, an extremely popular upgrade. While the engine runs adequately enough at revs, picks them up more quickly and accelerates more freely and with less hesitation, the running condition of the engine is far from perfect due to tuning issues inherent with a non-standard fueling system installed and idling issues due to an air leak *somewhere*.
Now, there is a decent-sized thread on the DR650 discussion forums about tuning the DR650 with an Innovate air/fuel meter (for some reason the Australian delivered DR650s require different jetting than the USA ones and the USA ones seem to benefit from the needle we're using besides). So there are stoich-scale numbers provided for each level of throttle opening/revs or something. I'm aiming to get within each of the numbers specified by the guy who runs the biggest DR650 parts, accessories and servicing business in the industry but obviously I will require a digital read out to tune the carburetor to give the best compromise of more power at large throttle openings and less fuel at cruising throttle openings. I refuse to pissfart around with 'seat-of-the-pants' style tuning.
So in a nutshell, my motorcycle is carburetted so it does not have an o2 sensor. I am going to buy a wideband o2 sensor which I will have my friend who is a boilermaker weld in a bung in the header pipe for, and make a fancy air/fuel gauge to go with it so that I can tune my carburetor DIY. So yes, my motorcycle
will have a wideband oxygen sensor installed. It will bring me lots of satisfaction, nobody else will have the gauge that I will have (since I'm making it custom) and I will impress my friends.
What I would really love to know guys is,
which low-cost budget microcontroller will be best suited for the application? I've heard the terms pic chip and A/D converter used (I know what an analog to digital converter is). So will any old relatively powerful (how much power do I need?) pic chip with an A/D converter work? Again, has to be a cheap one cause I'm a young tight-arse and I would like to brag about how little this will end up costing me to make. However, I want
real time updating, durability (don't forget, this is going onto a 647cc single cylinder motorcycle!), and enough functionality/flexibility for me to be able to do this relatively easily.
I'd like to again point out that I am very new to all of this so I wouldn't know where to begin with comparing various microcontrollers to decide which microcontroller will be the cheapest one I can get with enough power for real time updating and enough durability to withstand vibrations over a long period of time.
Mike, the main advantage to using an FPGA is that I could get like 50 of them for $100 or so and be able to do this and use the other 49 to make a few air/fuel gauges for friends and use in other projects. Since microcontrollers have more specific functionality, I will probably only get about 5 or so and make a few of these air/fuel gauges to sell to my mates or whoever wants one. Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying FPGAs are cheaper than microcontrollers because they're not, it's just that I want lots of chips to do lots of projects. Or should I get 10 or 20 of the same microcontroller and do a few projects with those? Am I more likely to be able to do 10 or 20 A/D PIC chip microcontroller projects than I am 50 FPGA projects as a beginner? I don't know, inform me! What should I spend my money on!