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arduino boost controller anyone?

Arduinos are are about as simple as it gets for embedded stuff. There are even enough projects, guides, and code samples out there that you can get away without much of any programming or electronics knowledge.

Do you have any programming experience?
 
I used one of these as a reef controller. Im sure it could be used for boost control. Not sure how tho.
 
Arduinos are are about as simple as it gets for embedded stuff. There are even enough projects, guides, and code samples out there that you can get away without much of any programming or electronics knowledge.

Do you have any programming experience?

Absolutely none. I think its about time I gain some though.
 
I think you're off to a good start. Getting in to this kind of thing becomes much more fun and much easier if you have a project with a goal.

Come on in. The water is warm.
 
The only mildly difficult part is getting the hysteresis right. Trial and error should get you there.

Or maybe I'm totally wrong. It happens.
 
There is a much easier and IMO superior solution to this which already exists. It's the Saab APC unit, which you can purchase for around $50.

It includes an ECU, which monitors and controls the boost pressure. The ECU can also be opened up and modified easily, changing the boost rise rate (F), maximum pressure (P) and knock sensitivity (K).
It includes a pressure transducer, which basically reads the vacuum/boost pressure and turns it to an electronic signal that the ECU can work with.
It includes a solenoid valve, the same as the GM 3-way valve used in your example. It has 3 vacuum connections on it, W to control the turbo waste gate. C to the compressor housing and R is returned to the intake after the AMM to be 'recycled.'
It also includes a wiring harness which is very easy to setup.

The way that it works is just like the setup described in your link, however.. There's a few key improvements over that one and reasons I swear by the Saab APC system.

1. The APC is connected to your engine's knock sensor (or you can add another knock sensor just for the APC) and the boost level is based entirely on the sensor's reading. The APC system will provide your engine with the maximum boost level until it starts to sense detonation, at which point it will begin backing off the pressure at 1.5PSI intervals until the knock sensor is happy. So your boost level is ALWAYS set at the maximum pressure that is SAFE for your engine at the current MOMENT.

2. Since it is connected to the knock sensor, it also supports a knock light which can be mounted in the cabin.

3. Like I said before, the system can be modified very easily (and quickly if the ECU is mounted somewhere you can access it) to adjust the maximum boost, the boost rise rate and the knock sensitivity.

4. The APC system defaults to the waste gate when the brakes are pressed in the Saab, this can be simulated by grounding one of the pins on the ECU and can be controlled if hooked up to a switch. So you can turn the boost control on and off easily from the cabin. So you can switch between your car's original boost level for MPG and the APC system for performance on the fly.

I'm a tech junkie, so if it's the experience of building your own system that you're after; I totally get it. Not trying to dissuade you from acquiring a new skill, just pointing out some very cool features that can be implemented on the setup you've described. However, if it's an affordable electronic boost controller that you're after, there you go. Either way, it's a system you should consider looking into if you're wanting to build something similar.

I bought mine, entire APC system including everything for $40 shipped here on TurboBricks a few years back.
 
There is a much easier and IMO superior solution to this which already exists. It's the Saab APC unit, which you can purchase for around $50.

It includes an ECU, which monitors and controls the boost pressure. The ECU can also be opened up and modified easily, changing the boost rise rate (F), maximum pressure (P) and knock sensitivity (K).
It includes a pressure transducer, which basically reads the vacuum/boost pressure and turns it to an electronic signal that the ECU can work with.
It includes a solenoid valve, the same as the GM 3-way valve used in your example. It has 3 vacuum connections on it, W to control the turbo waste gate. C to the compressor housing and R is returned to the intake after the AMM to be 'recycled.'
It also includes a wiring harness which is very easy to setup.

The way that it works is just like the setup described in your link, however.. There's a few key improvements over that one and reasons I swear by the Saab APC system.

1. The APC is connected to your engine's knock sensor (or you can add another knock sensor just for the APC) and the boost level is based entirely on the sensor's reading. The APC system will provide your engine with the maximum boost level until it starts to sense detonation, at which point it will begin backing off the pressure at 1.5PSI intervals until the knock sensor is happy. So your boost level is ALWAYS set at the maximum pressure that is SAFE for your engine at the current MOMENT.

2. Since it is connected to the knock sensor, it also supports a knock light which can be mounted in the cabin.

3. Like I said before, the system can be modified very easily (and quickly if the ECU is mounted somewhere you can access it) to adjust the maximum boost, the boost rise rate and the knock sensitivity.

4. The APC system defaults to the waste gate when the brakes are pressed in the Saab, this can be simulated by grounding one of the pins on the ECU and can be controlled if hooked up to a switch. So you can turn the boost control on and off easily from the cabin. So you can switch between your car's original boost level for MPG and the APC system for performance on the fly.

I'm a tech junkie, so if it's the experience of building your own system that you're after; I totally get it. Not trying to dissuade you from acquiring a new skill, just pointing out some very cool features that can be implemented on the setup you've described. However, if it's an affordable electronic boost controller that you're after, there you go. Either way, it's a system you should consider looking into if you're wanting to build something similar.

I bought mine, entire APC system including everything for $40 shipped here on TurboBricks a few years back.

Agreed, but the arduino unit has a much smaller footprint. I can see buy the time you buy all the other stuff to go with it. Snatching an entire apc system for 40 buck does make sense.
Arduino will offer you simple code for led flahers etc. You will still need a full understanding of its syntax to use it properly. The high level more user friendly code makes it slower than if you can program it in a low level language.
 
Run time should be really fast even with an Uno. You will need a pressure transducer and a PWM (pulse width) operated valve.

There are a lot of ways to do it, but the simplest way would only take about 15 lines of code.

Pseudo code for single port WG actuator:

read sensor
if sensor reading < max pressure - error threshold;
close valve
else if sensor reading = max pressure +- error threshold;
return;
else if sensor reading > max pressure + error threshold;
open valve
end if

That code would theoretically, allow no intake pressure to the wastegate actuator and keep the wastegate closed until it hits the max desired pressure. You would probably want this to be more gradual, which would add two or three more lines of code.

If you do go for electronic boost control, you would have more control with a dual port WG actuator.
 
I worked on a project like this and posted about it over on BS. Simple PID code and it works well. I'll have to see if I can dig up the sketch and post it up.
 
BTW you can get GM 3 bar MAP sensors for ~$20, and a PWM air solenoid for about $20-30 if bought from a distributor (AKA not a car related shop).
 
Code:

/*Electronic Boost Controller for classical Turbo Charged endgines (without an active Boost Control)
written for an Volvo B230FK an B230FT engine to raise the Boost for a better performance and increase
horse Power and torque (org 136 HP / 230NM to 190HP and about 290-300NM).

Google: Volvo Dani boost controller for the code.
 
Saab apc can be easily replaced by a good alcohol setup In My Honest Experience. Of course the later is more expensive, but way cooler! See what i did there?
 
TI option

Not meant to hijack away from Arduino, but there are some other cheap options that may give you some more headroom (probably don't need it but if you're still in the initial design phase there's time to research)

Arduino IDE is probably the easiest to get started with but Texas Instruments also has some inexpensive development boards with similar goals as the Arduino Uno (cheap, lots of user base although probably not as much as Arduino, etc.) from the Launchpad series.

They've got three boards out, one with a traditional 16bit microcontroller - MSP430, only $5
http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/MSP-EXP430G2/296-27570-ND/2331789

a C2000 32bit processor from the Piccolo series, more like a DSP but still only 17$
http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/LAUNCHXL-F28027/296-34797-ND/3518846

and the third Stellaris launchpad for $13
http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/EK-LM4F120XL/296-34897-ND/3601071

the Launchpad's Arduino-like "shields" are called BoosterPacks
 
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