Just a decade ago, engine management was a relatively simple
affair. Spark advance and fuel injection quantities were the key
parameters, and the determination of both was a relatively
simple matter of determining engine speed and load and using
those values to index a lookup table. Nowadays, however,
technology to improve power, drivability, and fuel consumption -
such as variable valve timing and lift, intake tuning, and
variable displacement - have greatly complicated the task of
calibrating an engine control unit (ECU). Steve Magner from Ford
was at the 2006 SAE Convergence electronics show to speak on
this topic and discuss what steps might be taken in the future
to improve engine performance and decrease time-to-market. He
used the term "high degree of freedom" (HDOF) to describe the
typical modern powerplant, and explained that the table-based
method ("full factorial mapping") of calibrating ECUs has
basically reached its limit. Where as it's desirable to complete
the calibration of a new engine in abo