operation when cylinder 20 was operating in a power mode fuel would be injected into cylinder 20 at some point during the compression stroke of piston 21 for instance for a traditional engine 10 fuel injection would occur as piston 21 nears the top dead center position for its compression stroke conversely for a homogeneous charge compression engine fuel injection would occur much sooner during the advance of piston 21 such as when piston 21 is closer to its bottom dead center position than its top dead center position however when cylinder 20 is to be operated in a braking mode engine brake 40 is activated by electronic control module 17 during the compression stroke of piston 21 just prior to the start of engine braking by cylinder 20 solenoid 42 is activated by electronic control module 17 and armature 45 pulls poppet valve member 46 upward against the force of biasing spring 43 to close high pressure seat 47 pressure communication passage 52 is now blocked from high pressure passage 49 and fluidly connected to low pressure passage 50 with low pressure fluid acting on control surface 64 in spool cavity 65 via pressure communication passage 52 the high pressure acting.