Electronic Tacho Modificability

piranha-bro2

piranha-bro2

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OK, any electronics nerds on here who can tell me whether it's possible to double the signal to an electronic tacho? Or whether it can be done from the Ignitech TCIP4 tacho output?

I have a ZXZ250 tacho with a redline of 19,000RPM (only a leeeetle bit high for a SF-based special!). If I run it directly from my Igni box it won't go past about '9am' on the Kwaka gauge. I plan to fit a new face to it but if I can get it to double the signal it will redline at about '2pm'.

No smart-arse comments about the analog(y) about analog clocks please. I'm way ahead of you!
 
yes, you can definitely do this with the Ignitech. in the 'Bike' setup page there is a setting for tach  output ratio and also a correction if needed. I did exactly this. I also used lettering to change the dial face.
 
Piranha Brother 2 said:
No smart-arse comments about the analog(y) about analog clocks please. I'm way ahead of you!
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Bugger. I was about to make a smart-arse comment about am/pm.  :(

Yep. Chuck is right about the Ignitech tacho output. You can program the pulses per revolution from 0 to 6. It only accepts integer values, so if you want something in between you have to use the % correction function.  A while back I needed to slow the tacho pulses down to one pulse per 2 revolutions (tach was designed for an input from the camshaft), but I couldn't set the number of pulses per revolution to 0.5. So I emailed Ignitech to ask if it could be done and they said to set it at 1 and put -50% in the % correction box.

I really like those Ignitech systems. There's not much you can't do with them.
No smart-arse comments about getting Ignitech boxes to do things like make a cup of coffee please. I'm way ahead of you!
 
Dellortoman said:
I really like those Ignitech systems. There's not much you can't do with them.
No smart-arse comments about getting Ignitech boxes to do things like make a cup of coffee please. I'm way ahead of you!
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:D You are way ahead.
I hadn't even thought of a nice cup of coffee after the Ingnitech gave me a BJ.
 
Fukken bewdy. Thanks guys. Ignitech really does do some tricky stuff.

The SFQ spesh is getting an analog instrument cluster, fairing and twin headlight assembly off an early ZXR250. I'll probably put a clock in the temp gauge hole  :D

Suzuki GSX-R J model twin headlight stuff will most likely go onto bike #2 now. The little ZXR stuff looks awesome on the spesh. Not sure what I'll do with the little air inlet ducts yet! Indicators???

Now to solve the speedo prob - no mech drive any more ... GPS or digital with pickups somewhere?

Thank you for abstaining, Chris ... almost!
 
Piranha Brother 2 said:
I'll probably put a clock in the temp gauge hole  :D
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How about a voltmeter? More useful than a clock, and probably cheaper.  I've got one on my Jota. It proved its worth one day when the charging cable from the RR fell off the spade connector at the fuse box. When I noticed that the voltage had dropped below 12V I pulled over to investigate. Took a couple of minutes to find the problem and 10 seconds to fix it.
The previous time when I had a charging system failure I wasn't aware of it until the bike conked out and wouldn't re-start. It was at night, miles out in the boondocks  ::)

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/12V-24V-Car-Marine-Motorcycle-LED-Digital-Voltage-Meter-Gauge-DC-Voltmeter/392127381092?hash=item5b4c9cfe64:m:mSipLo-2TBhTz-sMBe99PDw
 
That's a flamin' ripoff, Cam. $4.25 and free shipping!!! How dare they!! Seriously, how can anyone sell something for $4.25 and off free shipping from Hong Kong to Oz and not lose money on it???!!! :o

Not a bad idea, BTW.
 
Is it designed to be driven from an extra ignition box signal? That can be tricky as it needs electronics.

If the trigger is just an inductive pickup from a bit of wire wrapped around the plug leads then two pickup wires with diodes as an OR gate into the meter usually works.

You can also get aftermarket electronic Z1000 gauges that look very similar to the ND items that use the inductive pickup system.

By the way, I will contact you about the front wheel.

Cheers,

Rob

 
Piranha Brother 2 said:
That's a flamin' ripoff, Cam. $4.25 and free shipping!!! How dare they!! Seriously, how can anyone sell something for $4.25 and off free shipping from Hong Kong to Oz and not lose money on it???!!! :o

Not a bad idea, BTW.
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I know a bloke that makes solar water pumps. He buys 1000 capacitors, for next to nothing. But he has to test each one, because out of 1000 there may be 250 duds, hence the cheap price.

But, as the above example, he can get 750 cheaper than he can buy 20 in Australia.
 
Basketcase said:
Is it designed to be driven from an extra ignition box signal? That can be tricky as it needs electronics.
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Not a problem with Ignitech ignition units Rob. They have an output pin (pin 15) especially for driving a tacho. As mentioned previously, the pulse rate is set by the user. It produces a 12V square wave output signal with equal on and off times (50% duty cycle).

Quentin, be aware that the Ignitech's output transistor for the tacho signal can be damaged if pin 15 is connected to +12V (OK if connected to ground), so make sure you don't inadvertently connect it to the wrong wire.
 
Cam, do you know if the signal from pin 15 can be tested with ac voltmeter? I have had no success with my electronic tacho function in either of my digital instruments, the tacho has either jumped around, flashing over rev warning or reading nothing at random, all connections checked good. I have tried from plug leads, coil neg, with diode bridges and resistors etc, and with pin 15 it worked perfectly for a few days then went crazy and then nothing. I now bought a Koso tacho signal filter and will try it from pin 15 or the other options when I get the bike out after hibernation when winter is over, it's not like an SF needs a tacho but nachos do taste good. (I left that autospell in but corrected tacho from taco, macho and nacho  >:D )
 
Dellortoman said:
Quentin, be aware that the Ignitech's output transistor for the tacho signal can be damaged if pin 15 is connected to +12V (OK if connected to ground), so make sure you don't inadvertently connect it to the wrong wire.
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Thanks Cam. Good to know. So ... when I finally connect it, I need to locate the input wire on the tacho correctly. I think there are numbers for each input. Is there a way of determining what's what (generally)?
 
Piranha Brother 2 said:
Thanks Cam. Good to know. So ... when I finally connect it, I need to locate the input wire on the tacho correctly. I think there are numbers for each input. Is there a way of determining what's what (generally)?
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On the Ignitech end, the pins are numbered. It's all in the installation instructions that you can download from the Ignitech website (if you didn't get it with the unit).

As far as the tacho is concerned, I suppose the wires will be colour coded. I'd guess it has 4 wires hanging out of it - power, earth, signal input and illumination. I'd suggest you get hold of a wiring diagram for the donor bike.


Tippie said:
Cam, do you know if the signal from pin 15 can be tested with ac voltmeter?
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Yes. You can use either the AC or DC voltmeter scales (DC will work because the voltage doesn't go negative). The output either 12V or 0. With the engine running, the meter should read the RMS value of 6V.  With the engine stopped, it'll be either 0 or 12V depending where in the phase cycle it stops.

The above info came to me in an email exchange with Ignitech after I was trying to diagnose a non-functioning tacho on a mate's Guzzi after I'd installed an Ignitech on it for him. It turned out that there was a fault in the Ignitech unit and there was no signal on pin 15. They offered to fix or replace the unit, but they wanted it sent back to their factory for testing first. He didn't want the bike off the road for the postage turn-around time to the Czech Republic and back, so declined the offer. I ended up using the coil negative terminal as the tacho input. It's basically the same signal, 0 - 12V and had coincidentally the correct pulse rate of 1 per rev that the tacho needed (wasted spark type ignition setup).  If your Ignitech unit is also malfunctioning, you may be able to do the same, provided the coil pulses are the right frequency for your tacho.

If you're still getting spurious tacho readings, then I'd guess it's interference from somewhere. The filter may be the answer.

 
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