car computer history

7/30/2019 Car Computer History

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Computers Come of AgeFrom the

automobile's inceptionto the late 1960s, car

engines were manufacturedwith simple designs and mechanical control parts,such as distributors and ignition timing controls.Emissions were not relevant, as efficiency gave way to

horsepower and speed. As the 1970s began, federalmandates regarding a car's emissions were beginningto appear, and the fuel crisis of 1973 to 1974 showedmany that larger and more powerful motors were notas important as economy


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Most cars of this time period were fueled bycarburetors, and very few ran with mechanical fuelinjection, so the need for on-board computers evolved

slowly. The actual physical requirements for an on-board computer had not been miniaturized to the pointwhere they would fit into automobiles by the mid-1970s;it would take another decade before the microchip

would be small enough to become practical.


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Ignition Control ModulesAs the gas shortages continued into the late 1970s,

car manufacturers began to implement small, solid statecircuit boards to control the ignition timing and spark,usually mounted into the engine compartment at thefirewall. The hand-sized box would normally burn out

within several years, requiring replacement. Severalmanufacturers experimented with computer-controlledcarburetors into the early 1980s, using a crude microchipto meter the rate of fuel mixture and advancement of

timing, but these proved unreliable and difficult to repair.The future of computer-controlled ignition resided in fuelinjection, not carburetors, and through the middle of the1980s almost all car makers pushed for an industry-widechangeover to integrated circuit controlled fuel injection.


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Fuel InjectionThe now complex carburetor gave way to fuel injection,

mainly because of the ability of the computer to preciselymeasure the fuel into the engine. Carburetors had a number ofdisadvantages, such as vapor lock and altitude mixtureproblems, that a computer could solve with adjustments to the

fuel injection system. As the microchip evolved, it becamesmaller and more powerful, and advancements in shieldingcould protect it from heat and moisture. Early automotivecomputers could be accessed with astandardized port in the dashboard,called OBD, or On-Board Diagnostics.This system utilized several sensorsplaced throughout the engine to relayproblems to the technician,

streamlining repairs.


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OBD Comes of AgeAs the 1980s gave way to the 1990s, on-board

computers were deigned with more and responsibilities.

The computer became anintegral part of the machine,upgradeable and customizable,giving the backyard mechanicincredible control over thepowertrain's abilities. Using a

laptop computer to interfacewith the OBD port, theprogramming of the car'smicrochips became second

nature to racers.


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In the beginning of the 21st century, computersbecome relied up to do much more than monitor andcontrol the engine. With navigation systems, advancedclimate controls, communications and entertainment

devices, the on-board computer has become the mostimportant part of the car's electrical system


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Most automobiles have more computing power than a1980's desktop computer and can monitor everything fromcoolant temperature to the ambient temperature of the

interior cabin and make automatic adjustments. As vehiclemakers improve on the internal-combustion engine, thefuture of the on-board computer is only just beginning;computers will be required in automobiles, gasoline poweredor not, for decades to come.


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more information in video


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Checiches Vlad

Luchian Alex

Niculescu Cristian

car computer history

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