Testing Hall Sensor

[suprant0010]

I just finished assembling my MS. It runs good on the stim, I figured the next logical step is to get it connected on a car battery and try to get a real hall signal.

After connecting to Tunerstudio and running on a car battery, I wired up a hall sensor. I don't have it hooked up on a crankshaft yet, but I was just playing the sensor, getting it to cycle by running a magnet past the sensor. I cannot seem to figure out how to test that the MS is recognizes the change in voltage from the sensor as a tooth.

I'm still getting used to Tunerstudio, but I tried the tooth logging function hoping to see some kind of blip on the screen when I cycled the sensor, which it didn't. Am I doing something wrong?

[notimaginative]

I had to adjust the potentiometer on the board for the signal strength of my sensor. Sounds like you might too.

[trakkies]

A hall sensor converts the pulse it receives from the tooth into a straight on/off voltage, so it would be normal to use the opto input.

[Matt Cramer]

Test the voltage coming out of the Hall sensor, then check the voltage at TSEL and see if it flip-flops when the Hall sensor voltage changes.

[suprant0010]

I had to adjust the potentiometer on the board for the signal strength of my sensor. Sounds like you might too.

aren't the potentiometers only for a VR sensor circuit

Test the voltage coming out of the Hall sensor, then check the voltage at TSEL and see if it flip-flops when the Hall sensor voltage changes.

Just tested it, TSEL shows 5v volts while the sensor is closed or even with the sensor disconnected, then when I cycle the sensor it changes to about 3.2v. Is this normal?

I'm not sure what other hall sensors are doing, but the signal output on mine is negative.

[suprant0010]

correction to my last post, just noticed my battery was running low so the last test was not accurate, redid it after recharging

it seems that TSEL shows a positive 5v with or without the hall being active...testing the sensor it shows no voltage while closed, and negative 5v when I pass the magnet in front of it, so it appears to work, but has no effect on the TSEL voltage

one thing i noticed that was strange, the tach input wire (pin 24 on the db37), reads negative 4.2v when the MS is powered on...is it normal for that pin to have an output voltage?

[notimaginative]

aren't the potentiometers only for a VR sensor circuit

Yep, I got the two mixed up.

[Matt Cramer]

How exactly do you have your input circuit set up?

[trakkies]

The opto circuit - as far as input goes - is simply an LED. It is polarity sensitive and normally expects a positive voltage input to 'light' it, but you can also use a negative one by applying positive volts to OPTOIN and the negative trigger to XG1. Other components in that chain may need altering too according to the voltage. You could also look at the 'extra' manuals for more details of how to do this for various triggers.

[suprant0010]

How exactly do you have your input circuit set up?

I wired it up according to what the manual said for hall sensors.

I followed all the steps on step 50, as well as the jumpers:
TSEL to OPOOUT jumper
XG1 to XG2 jumper
OPOIN to TACHSELECT jumper

I skipped the optional VR circuit as I had no intentions of using one. I haven't done any of the Hall circuit mods yet.

The opto circuit - as far as input goes - is simply an LED. It is polarity sensitive and normally expects a positive voltage input to 'light' it, but you can also use a negative one by applying positive volts to OPTOIN and the negative trigger to XG1. Other components in that chain may need altering too according to the voltage. You could also look at the 'extra' manuals for more details of how to do this for various triggers.

So my sensor putting out negative current could be problem then? Probably a stupid question, but will a hall sensor function on reverse polarity? I was thinking I could reverse the ground and 5v ref and maybe get a positive output.

[trakkies]

They are a solid state device and IMHO won't work if you reverse the polarity. Indeed may fail if you do.

[suprant0010]

I was doing some more messing around today and got some interesting results...

Seeing as how my MS does run on the stim, I tried powering the MS with the stim, and set the stim rpm to 0. Then I hooked my hall sensor to the tach pin on the stim. I moved my magnet in front of the hall sensor a few times while the Tunerstudio tooth logger was running, and to my surprise I saw several blue bars show up on the screen.

So my sensor works while the stim is powering the MS, but not the battery. Would this have something to do with me not having any other sensors wired in while on the battery? I noticed while not having anything connected to those pins, my tps is reading 30% and my coolant temp is jumping around erratically.

[Matt Cramer]

Maybe the Hall effect sensor isn't getting power on the car?

[suprant0010]

Its is, I've tested the current at all the wires, it seems the MS just doesn't do anything with the hall signal unless the stim is powering it all.

I'm going to hook up the tps and maybe a few sensors then check for changes.

[Garniche31]

Hi

I think I have kinda same issues with my Hall sensor (distributor) not making any tach signal on Tunerstudio when cranking (MS II connected to car)

have you found any solution from your side, since that time ? I hope so

cheers

Francois

My project : Saab 900 T16 Hall sensor triggering negative side of a single coil via the High current driver circuit