EFI musings

[Tom Cloud]

>George M. Dailey wrote:
>
>> Question Ed, Why is the early Ford ignition module so big when 
>> compared to the GM HEI IC?
>
>I don't know. I've seen lots of things we do that are bulkier than the
>competition's stuff(ie, GM). I also don't know how how reliable GM's IC
>is.

the circuit inside the DuraSpark ('82 version) is a mix of
hybrid circuit board and discrete components.  It is therefore
fairly easy to repair -- except you can't get to it, so might
as well as go ahead and make most of it monolithic.  I s'pect
the GM unit is built like the integrated audio power amps
common today.  They have been refined and are quite reliable
and are definitely more compact than the old discrete PA's
found in audio amps of ten years ago or so (probably longer
than that, time is starting to be a blur for me  ;-)

Tom Cloud <cloud at peaches.ph.utexas.edu>