Creating vehicles that are as “green” and “eco-friendly” as possible has become an extremely important issue nowadays, given the fact that our planet's climate is still deteriorating at a very fast pace. However, in order to make their vehicles less polluting, manufacturers require advanced electronics and control systems, and this is exactly where Freescale Semiconductor comes into play, because it has just revealed that it has managed to combine a highly integrated analog device with a 16-bit microcontroller (MCU) to provide a cost-effective platform solution for small engine control.

The platform consists of the MCZ33812, an advanced analog integrated circuit (IC) optimized to control fuel and spark in EFI and electronic carburetion (e-carb) systems, and a Freescale S12 MCU. This comprehensive small engine control platform helps lower harmful emissions and reduces system complexity, bill of materials and manufacturing cost, while accelerating time to market.

The MCZ33812 small engine control circuit features 1 fuel injector low-side driver (current limit – 4.0 A typical), 1 relay, fuel pump or second injector low-side driver (current limit – 4.0 A typical), 1 lamp low-side driver (current limit – 1.5 A typical) and 1 ignition pre-driver with independent high- and low-side outputs.

Target applications for Freescale’s small engine control platform include small-displacement, two- and four-stroke engines used in motorcycles, mopeds, scooters and three-wheeled taxis. The platform can also be employed in the case of small engine designs in a wide range of outdoor power equipment, such as lawnmowers, garden tractors, trimmers, edgers, chainsaws, snow and leaf blowers, tillers, electrical generators and outboard motors.

“State-of-the-art electronic control helps small engines produce more horsepower and less pollution than their carbureted predecessors,” said Steve Nelson, global manager of automotive marketing at Freescale Semiconductor. “Emissions regulations are influencing small engine design, and the evolution from mechanical to electronic control is transforming the small-displacement motorcycle and scooter market. Freescale has long been a pioneer in advanced engine technology for automobiles, and our new platform solution is an important step on the path to greener small engines.”

The MCZ33812 is a commercial grade device available now for production at a suggested resale price of $1.70 (USD) in 10,000-unit quantities, while the company is also sampling the MCZ33812A automotive grade device, which is slated to arrive on the market in Q4 2009.


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