Engine ignition timing setting apparatus

An engine control apparatus for an engine including an ignition device, said engine control apparatus comprising

• a pulse generator which generates a crank pulse corresponding to a crank angle of the engine;
• an angular speed calculating section, which receives input signals from said pulse generator, and which calculates a first crank angular speed and a second crank angular speed based on the length of time of sensed signal received from the pulse generator;
• crank angular speed variation calculating section which calculates a crank angular speed variation between the first crank angular speed and the second crank angular speed;
• an engine load estimating section which estimates an indicated mean effective pressure from the crank angular speed variation;
• an engine temperature sensor for sensing engine temperaure;
• an ignition timing determining section which determines an ignition timing advance quantity based the estimated indicated mean effective pressure, an engine temperature received from the enigne temperature sensor, and an engine speed;
• and
• an ignition device driver which receives signals from said ignition timing determining section, and which provides an ignition timing signal to an ignition device of the engine.

An engine control unit operatively connected with a plurality of sensors which monitor operation parameters of an engine, said plurality of sensors comprising a pulse generator which generates a crank pulse corresponding to a crank angle of the engine, and an engine temperature sensor which senses an operating temperature of the engine,

• said engine control unit comprising:
• a crank angular speed variation calculating section which calculates a crank angular speed variation based on an interval of the crank pulse;
• an engine load estimating section which estimates an indicated mean effective pressure from the crank angular speed variation;
• and
• an ignition timing determining section which determines an ignition advance quantity in accordance with the estimated indicated mean effective pressure and sensed temperature of the engine.