Mitsubishi Electric says it has perfected technology for use on cam and crank sensors that improves ignition sequence timing and engine operation efficiency. The company claims that Giant Magneto Resistance (GMR) technology is a technological advancement over traditional systems.
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The new GMR sensors will be offered to OEMs worldwide and will be manufactured in Japan. The first cam and crank production will begin for the 2003 model year.
To properly time the ignition sequence in a car and keep it running smoothly, the engine control unit (ECU) needs to know where the cam and crankshaft are in the revolution cycle. Metal targets are incorporated in the cam and crankshaft design, which provide variances in the magnetic field for the sensor to read. The sensor reads and digitises these changes and sends the information to the car’s ECU. The ECU uses the data to make timing adjustments to the next ignition spark. Mitsubishi Electric says that GMR technology is more accurate and less sensitive to installation variations compared to current technologies.
“Mitsubishi Electric’s GMR technology provides the quickest and most accurate data collection option now available to OEMs,” says Dave McLenaghan, Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America’s account manager to General Motors Corporation. “The characteristics of the GMR element produce a sensor that is more accurate and much less susceptible to errors caused by engine system build variation, compared to current technologies.”
Mitsubishi Electric says that it is the first to develop GMR technology for automotive applications. It says it has seen an increase in GMR sensor orders from several OEMs, including some for near-future General Motors Corporation vehicle applications.
