From: "Todd Bartrim bartrim@gmail.com" <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
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Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2020 23:10:44 -0700
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Subject: Re: [FlyRotary] EC3 debugging. Code wanted.
To: Rotary motors in aircraft <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
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Hi Finn;  I'm sorry I can't help you with the code, but how is Tracy? He's
been off-line since after his RV8 accident but I'm quite curious how that
rebuild is going.
I'll always regret never making it down to the Rotary Roundup at Shady
Bend. I always figured there was always next year. Until there wasn't. So I
think once this whole current mess is behind us I'm going to make every
effort to make it down to the fly-in at Slobovia Outernational and meet a
few other rotorheads, to see what they're doing.
  But tell Tracy that his presence on the list is missed and we'd
appreciate some updates on his rebuild, even if they are not yet rotary
related. Any plane that is powered by a rotary is of interest to me even if
he's still doing airframe repairs.

Todd Bartrim


On Fri, Jun 12, 2020 at 3:46 PM Finn Lassen finn.lassen@verizon.net <
flyrotary@lancaironline.net> wrote:

> Yesterday Tracy took pity on me and came down and did some troubleshooting.
>
> At first listen he said it sounded like I was only running on one rotor.
> We ruled that out by disconnecting power to rotor 1 coils, then rotor 2
> coils. Engine didn't stop.
>
> Tracy said it sounded like timing was way late - not the sharp pop he'd
> expect from the rotary exhaust. (I would never have heard that).
>
> Rechecked CAS wiring - OK.
>
> Found and marked TDC on starter ring gear with white paint in between
> two teeth, and put on a timing light. Timing was off and random to the
> point he only got a glimpse of the mark once.
>
> He thought he heard it run right once at very low RPM when I pulled back
> on throttle to shut down.
>
> I removed the EC3 and he took it home. He confirmed that at very low
> idle RPMs it works right (timing is calculated differently there) but at
> higher RPMs coils never got the signal to fire! Only reason they fired
> at all is safety built into coils (and EC3) that fires themselves after
> max allowed dwell time.
>
> He gave me a couple of hardware changes to make: clamping circuit on CAS
> input and shorting a diode from A supply to the Vcc3 supply. Doubtful
> that they will handle my issue.
>
> So now it's up to me to debug the program. We verified the essential
> configuration bits. He lent me an Arduino based RX-8 CAS simulator (I'll
> post info on how to make your own later.)
>
> The lazy person's (me) way to find out what changed is to compare the
> source code from when it last worked (for a Renesis) and the current
> source code.
>
> If anyone has a copy of the EC3CL8.ASM file from several years ago, I
> would appreciate it.
>
> However, it's probably not a bad idea to have someone other than Tracy
> who's also familiar with the EC3 program. So I might as well dig in.
>
> I'll keep you briefed on what we find.
>
> Finn
>
>
> --
> Homepage:  http://www.flyrotary.com/
> Archive and UnSub:
> http://mail.lancaironline.net:81/lists/flyrotary/List.html
>

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<div dir=3D"ltr">Hi Finn;=C2=A0 I&#39;m sorry I can&#39;t help you with the=
 code, but how is Tracy? He&#39;s been off-line since after his RV8 acciden=
t but I&#39;m quite curious how that rebuild is going.<div>I&#39;ll always =
regret never making it down to the Rotary Roundup at Shady Bend. I always f=
igured there was always next year. Until there wasn&#39;t. So I think once =
this whole current mess is behind us I&#39;m going to make every effort to =
make it down to the fly-in at Slobovia Outernational and meet a few other r=
otorheads, to see what they&#39;re doing.</div><div>=C2=A0 But tell Tracy t=
hat his presence=C2=A0on the list is missed and we&#39;d appreciate some up=
dates on his rebuild, even if they are not yet rotary related. Any plane th=
at is powered by a rotary is of interest to me even if he&#39;s still doing=
 airframe repairs.</div><div><br></div><div>Todd Bartrim<br><br></div></div=
><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Fr=
i, Jun 12, 2020 at 3:46 PM Finn Lassen <a href=3D"mailto:finn.lassen@verizo=
n.net">finn.lassen@verizon.net</a> &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:flyrotary@lancairo=
nline.net">flyrotary@lancaironline.net</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote =
class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px sol=
id rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">Yesterday Tracy took pity on me and c=
ame down and did some troubleshooting.<br>
<br>
At first listen he said it sounded like I was only running on one rotor. <b=
r>
We ruled that out by disconnecting power to rotor 1 coils, then rotor 2 <br=
>
coils. Engine didn&#39;t stop.<br>
<br>
Tracy said it sounded like timing was way late - not the sharp pop he&#39;d=
 <br>
expect from the rotary exhaust. (I would never have heard that).<br>
<br>
Rechecked CAS wiring - OK.<br>
<br>
Found and marked TDC on starter ring gear with white paint in between <br>
two teeth, and put on a timing light. Timing was off and random to the <br>
point he only got a glimpse of the mark once.<br>
<br>
He thought he heard it run right once at very low RPM when I pulled back <b=
r>
on throttle to shut down.<br>
<br>
I removed the EC3 and he took it home. He confirmed that at very low <br>
idle RPMs it works right (timing is calculated differently there) but at <b=
r>
higher RPMs coils never got the signal to fire! Only reason they fired <br>
at all is safety built into coils (and EC3) that fires themselves after <br=
>
max allowed dwell time.<br>
<br>
He gave me a couple of hardware changes to make: clamping circuit on CAS <b=
r>
input and shorting a diode from A supply to the Vcc3 supply. Doubtful <br>
that they will handle my issue.<br>
<br>
So now it&#39;s up to me to debug the program. We verified the essential <b=
r>
configuration bits. He lent me an Arduino based RX-8 CAS simulator (I&#39;l=
l <br>
post info on how to make your own later.)<br>
<br>
The lazy person&#39;s (me) way to find out what changed is to compare the <=
br>
source code from when it last worked (for a Renesis) and the current <br>
source code.<br>
<br>
If anyone has a copy of the EC3CL8.ASM file from several years ago, I <br>
would appreciate it.<br>
<br>
However, it&#39;s probably not a bad idea to have someone other than Tracy =
<br>
who&#39;s also familiar with the EC3 program. So I might as well dig in.<br=
>
<br>
I&#39;ll keep you briefed on what we find.<br>
<br>
Finn<br>
<br>
<br>
--<br>
Homepage:=C2=A0 <a href=3D"http://www.flyrotary.com/" rel=3D"noreferrer" ta=
rget=3D"_blank">http://www.flyrotary.com/</a><br>
Archive and UnSub:=C2=A0 =C2=A0<a href=3D"http://mail.lancaironline.net:81/=
lists/flyrotary/List.html" rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">http://mail=
.lancaironline.net:81/lists/flyrotary/List.html</a><br>
</blockquote></div>

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