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Zener diode to control back EMF on Fuel Injector — Parallax Forums

Zener diode to control back EMF on Fuel Injector

ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
edited 2003-02-06 19:52 in General Discussion
Hi all, I have a quick question, I was discussing driving electronic
fuel injectors with some of you guys. My stamp is currently being
shipped back to Parallax for repair. I'm building some circuits to
try when it gets back.

Assuming that the injector did fry it back through my NPN driver
transistor, might a 12V zener diode across the injector protect the
stamp from the bigger spikes without affecting turn off time
normally like a straight diode would? Or am I going in the wrong
direction?

Thank you,

Bill

Comments

  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2003-02-06 18:45
    i would highly recomend using a optoisolator and keep
    the stamp totaly isolated from the driver transitor
    there are high speed versions that should work
    --- "billakay <billak@f...>" <billak@f...>
    wrote:
    > Hi all, I have a quick question, I was discussing
    > driving electronic
    > fuel injectors with some of you guys. My stamp is
    > currently being
    > shipped back to Parallax for repair. I'm building
    > some circuits to
    > try when it gets back.
    >
    > Assuming that the injector did fry it back through
    > my NPN driver
    > transistor, might a 12V zener diode across the
    > injector protect the
    > stamp from the bigger spikes without affecting turn
    > off time
    > normally like a straight diode would? Or am I going
    > in the wrong
    > direction?
    >
    > Thank you,
    >
    > Bill
    >
    >
    >
    >
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    >


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  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2003-02-06 19:49
    In a message dated 2/6/2003 10:46:34 AM Pacific Standard Time,
    kenneth_m_73149@y... writes:

    > i would highly recomend using a optoisolator and keep
    > the stamp totaly isolated from the driver transitor
    > there are high speed versions that should work
    >

    The opto-isolator is definately the hot ticket....but all of it's gains can
    be lost if your stamp and the injector circuit share the same ground.

    To get true isolation with the opto-isolator, you will need to power the
    stamp from the output of a DC to DC converter. The input power and ground of
    the DC to DC converter is isolated from it's output. In this way, you are
    completely isolated.....


    [noparse][[/noparse]Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2003-02-06 19:52
    The convention is to use a conventional diode not a zener. Ideally you want
    infinite impedance in the forward direction so all the current flows through
    the injector coil and zero impedance in the reverse current flow direction
    so the collapsing current shorts to ground rather than back into your stamp.
    The zener's variable impedance in the forward direction just complicates
    things and I'm pretty sure they generally have a higher reverse impedance
    which could leak more current back to the stamp.

    I wasn't paying that much attention to the start of this discussion. But
    you may want to look at the ULN2003 or similar as a driver. If nothing
    else, look at the circuit equivalency diagram in their datasheet and you
    will see a conventional diode.

    -- Al Margolis, founder
    www.hobbyengineering.com
    The WEB's newest source for robotics supplies and information


    Original Message
    From: billakay <billak@f...> [noparse]/noparse]mailto:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=iUA75sxTaGyj1BH42vYGDyl7BVWKD_yVrmVqZvjVIa7Vu6DsOZF2hgqdR0j-IGyERk-WiyQg7A]billak@f...[/url
    Sent: Thursday, February 06, 2003 9:59 AM
    To: basicstamps@yahoogroups.com
    Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Zener diode to control back EMF on Fuel Injector


    Hi all, I have a quick question, I was discussing driving electronic
    fuel injectors with some of you guys. My stamp is currently being
    shipped back to Parallax for repair. I'm building some circuits to
    try when it gets back.

    Assuming that the injector did fry it back through my NPN driver
    transistor, might a 12V zener diode across the injector protect the
    stamp from the bigger spikes without affecting turn off time
    normally like a straight diode would? Or am I going in the wrong
    direction?

    Thank you,

    Bill




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