Variable Cam Control Tuning: Base Table Configuration
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Base Table Configuration
03.20
| 00:00 | - The next step of our process involves our base table configuration inside the ECU. |
| 00:05 | For those dealing with vernier cam wheels you can skip this step entirely and instead head directly to the wide open throttle optimisation step as the remaining steps aren't relevant to you. |
| 00:16 | The process we'll go through will depend on whether you're running a switched or continuous cam control engine so let's start with switched cam control as it's a little simpler. |
| 00:26 | We've already discussed the fact that we can choose to use a single table for fuel and ignition or use dual tables and switch at the cam changeover point. |
| 00:34 | We've explained the pros and cons and at this stage it's simply up to you to decide how you want to proceed. |
| 00:40 | There may also be some limitations depending on your particular ECU brand. |
| 00:44 | If you're using a single table then it can be beneficial to add a little tighter resolution around the cam switching point. |
| 00:51 | Often I'll add a break point 50 RPM either side of the switchover point for better control. |
| 00:56 | This isn't usually necessary on the ignition table since we see less variation in the ignition timing values across such a small RPM range. |
| 01:06 | Of course at this stage you likely won't know what RPM the switchover will want to occur at and that's absolutely fine. |
| 01:13 | You can always add this extra resolution in later once you've fine tuned the cam switching RPM. |
| 01:19 | Understandably there's no need for tight RPM resolution at high RPM on the low speed cam table and vice versa if you're using dual maps so you can apply a little common sense here to make your life easier. |
| 01:31 | Lastly you'll need to configure the output control to switch based on RPM or RPM and load if you're going to use windowing. |
| 01:39 | Most ECUs will offer a dedicated output for this style of control which will also incorporate a hysteresis value. |
| 01:47 | A hysteresis of 50 RPM should be absolutely fine for almost all instances. |
| 01:52 | Just remember that if you're running off a single table, this hysteresis will inevitably result in some minor fuelling inaccuracies. |
| 01:59 | If you're using dual tables then you'll need to make sure that they're switching correctly based on the status of your cam control output too. |
| 02:06 | For continuous cam control systems you're almost certainly going to be using a single fuel and ignition table with an aftermarket standalone ECU. |
| 02:15 | However you will need to configure your cam target tables to suit. |
| 02:19 | This is pretty straightforward and really the only aspect to be wary of is making sure that the load axis uses the same parameter as the main fuel and ignition tables. |
| 02:29 | In most instances this will be manifold absolute pressure. |
| 02:33 | Once you have the tables configured, it's best to start by populating the tables with values of zero until you've configured the PID control and actually started optimising the calibration. |
| 02:44 | Another mistake that a lot of novice tuners make is to add too much resolution into the cam target maps. |
| 02:50 | In almost all instances you're going to find that the optimal cam target maps follow reasonably smooth trends so a lot of resolution isn't necessary and will just make more work. |
| 03:01 | I'd suggest break points of 500 to 1000 RPM and 20 to 25 kPa or 10% TPS on Alpha N setups should be sufficient. |
| 03:11 | Remember that once you get into the calibration, you can always quickly and easily add more break points if necessary. |
