What can we measure ?

[Steve Baldwin]

I mentioned before that we should determine what we wanted a controller
to do before we specified what should do it.
Perhaps prior to that, we might discuss what parameters can be be
measured, and what the relative usefulness is.
For example, the exhaust pipe O2 sensor. What is available is pretty
well restricted in its range of uses. I'll be using leaded fuel, so that
rules that out. What about in an alky engine. Is an O2 sensor any use ?

As I understand it, the O2 sensor gives us an indication of the
efficiency of combustion but with a fairly slow response time. What
other measurable parameters are there that could be used over a wider
range of fuel types ?

My interest in DIY_EFI is not to re-invent the standard factory device
by effectively cloning it out of a mixture of other peoples bits. We
have a slightly different perspective than the auto manufacturer. ie. We
are not solely driven by the emmisions vs. $$$ equation. Yes, it has to
be realistic in the $ department and we don't want to be belching black
smoke, but we have some lattitude in the way the money is spent. I don't
mind having a thermocouple in each exhaust port if that is going to give
me more information about what's going on inside.

Anybody care to discuss the relative merits of the sensors available ?

Steve.