Thundermax calibration of O2 sensors
http://wbo2.com/lsu/lsuworks.htm
From the above reference website:
The manufacturing variation problem, which results in sensors of varying sensitivities (differing pump currents for the same Lambda), is solved by adding a calibration component. A resistor (Rcal) is laser trimmed after the sensor is constructed and tested. The laser burns away material and increases the value of the resistor until a standard Ip current is produced at a known Lambda value.
If this circuit is reproduced in the controller itself then each sensor will be automatically calibrated without further calibration. Obviously, as each sensor is factory calibrated, and the calibration component is usually in the sensor connector itself, if someone removes the connector, then the sensor has become uncalibrated!
Many controllers do not have this circuit and they must go through a free-air calibration phase to work accurately. Note also that all pump-cell wideband sensors will have at least 5 wires from the sensor. Six or 7 wires will come from the connector (some sensors use a calibration resistor in the connector that has both ends free).
It's my understanding that the TMax AutoTune controller unit incorporates the "calibration circuitry" mentioned above.
A portion of cost of the wide-range sensor is related to calibration; typically, the calibration is performed off-line by the sensor manufacturer, and active or passive elements in the sensor wiring harness are selected or programmed to provide a standard output voltage vs. air/fuel ratio transfer function. A related disadvantage of the wide-range sensor is that the sensor characteristics may tend to drift with age and/or other factors, leading to fuel control errors since the one-time calibration cannot account for the drift.
This information was printed May of 2001, so it may not reflect current technology.
Ron
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders




