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Microsquirt


zeiss150

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Hi everyone!  👋🏻  I’m about to buy a microsquirt ecu but I want to make sure it works with what I have planned...

L28 with P90 head N42 intake 70mm throttle body with TPS, MAP sensor on the intake, 440cc injectors low impedance, HY35 turbo 15lbs of boost, EDIS with Chrysler coil for spark, stock 72 240Z tack, wide band O2, 

 

does any of that sound like it won’t work with microsquirt?  

 

Also... should I buy the relay board? What benefit would the relay provide me?  

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Personally, I'd stay away from the Relay board. Many builders elect to design their own system using separate relays. . It gives you more Options in Power distribution. 

 

Plus, the  PCB board traces are a bit too small IMHO for high amperage Cooling fans and High Volume Fuel Pumps. Fuel pumps should be wired from the Battery with 12 gauge wire , through a 40 AMP relay and all the way to the Fuel Pump with 12 gauge wire. Ground side also has to be 12 gauge. The small PCB traces limit current on the Relay board. Weakest link in the chain deal.... just my .02c. 

 

I like keeping all DC motors on separate Relays ( Fuel Pump and Cooling fans ) because they are danged noisy electrically. I put a Common Bus Fuse Box before the realays, and then feed the Relays off of that. Blue Sea makes some very nice Marine Common Bus Fuse Boxes.  The Positive and Negative Bus models are very handy when wiring a standalone EFI system. 

 

I wire it Battery Positive > Common Bus Fuse Box > Relays

 

#1 Relay = ECU and CAS/Hall sensors ( 30 amp Relay )

#2 Relay = Fuel Pump  ( 40 AMP Relay )

#3 Relay = Injectors  ( 40 Amp Relay ) 

#4 Relay = Cooling Fan ( 40 AMP Relay) 

 

This method isolates the electrically noisy  DC motors and Injector solenoids. The ECU and CAS/Hall sensors get their own Power circuit with clean isolated power.  Use quality relays such as Bosch. The higher rated relays have larger contacts and are usually better made with Capacitors  ( On Terminal 30 ) to cut arcing on the contacts. 

 

https://www.bluesea.com/products/category/16/61/Fuse_Blocks/ST_Blade

 

5025.jpg

Edited by Chickenman
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With Microsquirt you must use dropping resistors with Low Impedance resistors. It has no Pulse Width Current Limiting injector drivers to drive Low-Z injectors like the MS2 and MS3. Or you can use High Impedance Injectors of course

 

Personally, I find the Microsquirts has limited expansion capabilities.  It's the cheapest for a reason. I would choose a MS2 assembled unit over a Microsquirt, especially on a Turbo car.  Mainly for the expansion capabilities. But that's just me..... 

Edited by Chickenman
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Well that’s what I wanted to know. I already have low impedance injectors ... sooooo I don’t wanna buy new injectors.  And I don’t know what dropping resistors are so it would be had for me to install one.    I guess I’ll be buying megasquirt II. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Thanks chickenman 👍🏻

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See Softopz on the Vendors forum. He's a Hybrid Z member and is a MegaSquirt and 14Point7 distributor. Plus he builds awesome Custom harnesses. 

 

When you get it all ready to go, give me a PM. I do Remote Tuning and create Custom tunes for each individual cars, Very reasonable rates. 

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Ok ... Lets start over.  Tell me what to buy.  The more I read and look into megasquirt the more I get confused.  I think I want MS2 board 3.0 or 3.57? but I don't think that I can control low impedance Fuel injectors with out "dropping resistors"  What the F is a dropping resistor and how would I add that to MS2????  I just wanna be able to run my L28 turbo 440cc low impedance batch fire FI, wide band O2, air temp, coolant temp, knock sensor, EDIS ignition timing, TPS, MAP, cooling fans, and fuel pump.  I've even been emailing with a DIYautotune rep and he just confused the sh*t out of me.  and he said that it would be 2-4 weeks to build one that would work form my application :-l.  Can I just buy a used one that someone moved on from or can I just buy a new one from DIYautotune?  I found an MS2 that has an RX7 daughter card with it... will that work?????  I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE F IM DOING WITH ECU'S   HELP ME!!!!!   HEEEEEEEEEEEELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! 

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Just buy a regular MS 2 from DIY or a Local builder like Softopz. . I prefer the 3.57 board as it is all surface mount technology ( Robot soldering ) . Less chance for human error. Mega Squirt 2 has two  high current Injector drivers built in that use Pulse Width Current Limiting.  So you can drive low-impedance injectors without dropping resistors. 

 

The MS2 is compatible with the Ford EDIS ignition system. Just mention to the Vendor that you want to run EDIS just to make sure it is jumpered and built correctly.  I assume the Chrysler coil is a Triple Coil pack running Waste Spark. Is that why you want to run EDIS?

 

The MS2 3.57 board will do everything that you want. 

 

https://www.diyautotune.com/product/megasquirt-ii-ems-system-smd-pcb3-57-assembled-ecu/

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

I have Microsquirt in my 280zx race car and it works well,  it's more durable for weather ( race car = no windows = water everywhere during heavy rains).

But I had to add the MAP sensor. I am also running high imp injectors. I am not missing anything that MS2 has. The only thing I am missing is more ADC but MS2 doesn't have that.

 

I have heard that the Microsquirt (uS) has better designed HW (or PCB layout?) and more noise resistant. It's a later design I think. But I am no expert on that.

Having said that my uS broke and had to be replaced under warranty, so they are not indestructible. (The 280zx coil fired a component in Opto- path when running fuel only).

 

If you have decided on those injectors then do MS2, saves you some headache.

 

 

On 4/23/2018 at 10:07 PM, Chickenman said:

, especially on a Turbo car.  Mainly for the expansion capabilities. But that's just me..... 

 

Why especially on a Trubo car? Because you loose 1 output on Microsquirt to the solenoid?

 

 

 

 

 

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Micro squirt is great dont get me wrong but with 1 high output its very limited. I will choose a Megasquirt 2 ECU especially nowadays when fan control is not the only output you want.  To the original poster I can get you everything you need to either build an ms2 system ( same price as DIY , from a kit ie sensors, connector plugs, wiring loom, relay board or custom fusebox) Or I could make a turnkey package for you. Either way PM me I could help you choose a package. 

 

For EDIS ignition system you can run the module and dont need to do any board mods. You have to use a Ford CAS.  There is benefits to this ie: less work to do and a limp mode feature incase shit. Drawbacks is you have to use the Ford CAS and its limited in the trigger offset *unless code has changed*

 

OR add high current drivers to the ECU, Run any wasted COP or multi fire coil packs. Also benefits and drawbacks to this. 
 

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23 hours ago, turbogrill said:

 

Whats the drawback? Isnt this the preferred way?

I believe historically OEMs have avoided integrating high current drivers directly into the ECU so that when they burn out you don't have to replace or repair your ECU, just a separate ignition module. Many manufacturers use either an external ignition module or integrate them into their "smart" coil packs.

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1 hour ago, ZHoob2004 said:

I believe historically OEMs have avoided integrating high current drivers directly into the ECU so that when they burn out you don't have to replace or repair your ECU, just a separate ignition module. Many manufacturers use either an external ignition module or integrate them into their "smart" coil packs.

 

That is a very good point :)

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17 hours ago, ZHoob2004 said:

I believe historically OEMs have avoided integrating high current drivers directly into the ECU so that when they burn out you don't have to replace or repair your ECU, just a separate ignition module. Many manufacturers use either an external ignition module or integrate them into their "smart" coil packs.

 

And high current coil drivers ( ignitors ) also create  EMI.  Some more than others depending on design. Another reason to keep them out of the ECU box.

 

Megasquirt seems to be one of the few Standalone manufacturers who put the High Current coil drivers ( BIP-373 ) inside the ECU case. Some builders add extra shielding around the BIP-373's or put them in an external enclosure. Especially if you use multiple BIP-373's.

 

Probably the BIP-373 is on the low end of EMI emissions compared to other types of High Current coil drivers. I'm not sure. But off hand, I can't think of any other standalone ECU's that include internal High Current coil drivers. Most, if not all,  use external Ignitor modules of some sort. Every OEM manufacturer does this as well. 

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8 hours ago, Chickenman said:

 

And high current coil drivers ( ignitors ) also create  EMI.  Some more than others depending on design. Another reason to keep them out of the ECU box.

 

Megasquirt seems to be one of the few Standalone manufacturers who put the High Current coil drivers ( BIP-373 ) inside the ECU case. Some builders add extra shielding around the BIP-373's or put them in an external enclosure. Especially if you use multiple BIP-373's.

 

Probably the BIP-373 is on the low end of EMI emissions compared to other types of High Current coil drivers. I'm not sure. But off hand, I can't think of any other standalone ECU's that include internal High Current coil drivers. Most, if not all,  use external Ignitor modules of some sort. Every OEM manufacturer does this as well. 

 

So external logic ignition modules such as LS coils must be best then? (From an emi perpsective)

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