Further guidance
The operation of the Coil-on-Plug Unit is essentially the same as any other ignition system.
Distributorless ignition systems are fitted only to vehicles that have an even number of cylinders such as 2, 4, 6 or 8. This is because two cylinders are connected to one coil that can produce a spark in both cylinders at the same time. This is commonly known as a wasted spark system. The two spark plugs are arranged so that one spark plug is fired on the power stroke of the engine and the other is fired on the exhaust stroke of the opposing cylinder, offset by 360 degrees. After a complete rotation of the engine, the two cylinders are now on the opposing strokes and the two spark plugs fire again but with opposite roles to before.
On a four-cylinder engine, there are 2 coils with individual drivers that tend to operate cylinders 1 and 4, and 2 and 3. This means there is a dual spark every 180 degrees, with one of those sparks wasted on an exhaust stroke of the opposing cylinder which is firing on the power stroke.
The only real difference between COP and other ignition systems is that each COP coil is mounted directly onto the spark plug, so the voltage goes directly to the plug electrodes without having to pass through a distributor or plug leads. This direct connection method delivers the strongest spark possible and improves the durability of the ignition system.
Coil technical information
Primary driver - digital switching signal
The switch-on (zero rising to 5 volts) and switch-off (5 volts to zero) points of the coil are determined by the vehicle's Electronic Control Module (ECM). The time between these points is called either the dwell period or the coil saturation time. The dwell period on an engine with electronic ignition is controlled by the current-limiting circuit in the amplifier or ECM.
Live
Historically, the supply voltage was present as soon as the ignition switch was turned to the 'on' position. Modern systems, however, do not provide a supply until the key is turned to the 'crank' position and the engine turns. A simple fault such as a non-functioning crank angle sensor may result in a loss of supply voltage, simply because the electronic control circuits do not recognize that the engine is rotating.
Earth
The earth connection is essential to the operation of any electrical circuit in an engine. As the current increases in any electrical circuit, so does the voltage drop. An earth return circuit can only be tested while the circuit is under load, so simple continuity testing to earth with a multimeter is inaccurate. As the coil's primary circuit is only complete during the dwell period, the voltage drop should be monitored during this period. The voltage ramp on the earth signal should not exceed 0.5 volts. The flatter the waveform the better: a waveform with virtually no rise shows that the amplifier or module has a perfect earth. If the ramp is too high, the earth connections need to be investigated to identify the offending connection.
Primary Driver - Current
The example waveform shows the current limiting circuit in operation. The current in the primary circuit switches on as the dwell period starts, rises to about 10 amps, and remains constant until it is released at the moment of ignition.
As engine speed increases, the dwell angle expands to maintain a constant coil saturation time and therefore constant energy. The coil saturation time can be measured by placing one time ruler at the beginning of the dwell period and the other at the end of the current ramp. The distance between the rulers will remain exactly the same regardless of engine speed.
