John,

 That's basically the way the car mfg does it,(At least Ford I know).
 But the firing of the ignition is dependent on many factors..ie
 Engine Speed, Engine Load, Whether Accelerating or Decellerating,
 Temperature of Engine, etc., etc.  So, it's not just a matter of
 adding a fixed value time period.  It's a rather complicated
 process.  It's doable, but it will take a little more calculation
 and thinking to come up with a lookup table that will help and not
 hinder.   I've had some experience in this area, but I don't claim
 to be an expert by any stretch of the term.   And my experience is
 limited at that.   I'd be glad to help out where I can, but I will
 tell you now that I don't have the knowledge or expertise to do it
 all by myself if I were asked to.  Anyway, let me know what you
 decide.


                                      Regards,


                                        Jim



On Mon, 01 May 2000, John Pearson wrote:

>
> I am thinking of ways to control the ignition timing advance curve of a
> car. I was thinking that I might time the amount of time between cylinder
> firings and divide that number by 360. Then I would know when to fire the
> next cylinder after checking with a lookup table for the programmed curve.
>
> Is there a better or easier way?
>
> Thanks
>
> John

jim@jpes.com