Low Side Ignition with IGBT to fire ignition coil

Support forum for users of the M1 Tune

Low Side Ignition with IGBT to fire ignition coil

Postby danipisca07 on Thu Feb 06, 2025 10:51 pm

Hello everybody.
I've printed a pcb to make an adapter for my OEM wiring harness (there isn't a PNP kit).

I have everything working correctly but after about 30 seconds of functioning the IGBT I have used to drive te coils seems to burn, stops working and starts buzzing (at which point I have disconnected everything to prevent damage to the ecu).

I have setup the coils like this:
Image

And I have used this IGBT: STGB20NB41LZT4 (https://www.st.com/resource/en/datasheet/stgb20nb41lzt4.pdf)

Which I control using the IGN_LS1 output from the ecu.
The engine is a 4 cylinder but have 2 coils with a wasted spark.

I have setup dwell times around 5/6 ms which I know to work perfectly with other adapters and the same ecu on the same coils/engine.
The igbt doesn't seem to get hot (touching it by end) right away, but at some point it stops warking (spark not happening) and starts to heat up until burning hot and buzzing.
Something strange I noticed is that IGN_LS1 when active doesn't provide 12V (battery pos) but hovers around 6/7 V. Is that normal? Anyway that should be more than enough to saturate the IGBT.

Did I do something wrong?
Thank you beforehand to anyone that will try to help.
danipisca07
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue May 02, 2023 8:39 am

Re: Low Side Ignition with IGBT to fire ignition coil

Postby SprinterTRD on Fri Feb 07, 2025 3:59 pm

"Something strange I noticed is that IGN_LS1 when active doesn't provide 12V (battery pos) but hovers around 6/7 V. Is that normal? Anyway that should be more than enough to saturate the IGBT."

Yes this is normal and it is not connected to 12V. The output is a constant current one not a constant voltage one.
SprinterTRD
Pro User
 
Posts: 378
Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:24 am

Re: Low Side Ignition with IGBT to fire ignition coil

Postby danipisca07 on Fri Feb 07, 2025 8:25 pm

Thank you for the info sprinter, didn't know that, it make sense.
Anyway I still don't understand why the igbt "fryies".

This is what i'm using: https://www.st.com/resource/en/datasheet/stgb20nb41lzt4.pdf

From what I understand of it's characteristics it should enable correctly with a 40mA current...
danipisca07
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue May 02, 2023 8:39 am

Re: Low Side Ignition with IGBT to fire ignition coil

Postby Stephen Dean on Thu Mar 13, 2025 11:07 am

When it is not getting a control signal, i.e. the ECU is not either supplying 0mA or 40mA, what is happening with the output? It may be that if it is not under control by the ECU then the output is floating, which leads to the coil constantly dwelling and cooking itself.
Stephen Dean
MoTeC Research Centre Melbourne, Australia
User avatar
Stephen Dean
Site Admin
 
Posts: 1763
Joined: Tue Dec 02, 2014 10:29 am
Location: Melbourne


Return to M1 Tune

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests