Engine management of petrol engines

The engine control unit is the central control element for an engine. In modern vehicles, all the engine functionality is stacked together in this one controller; it implements the entire engine management functionality. The controller obtains all the necessary information by means of its own sensors. It utilises the IPO model (input-process-output) to assess incoming data and then send out signals to operate the necessary actuators. It is necessary for trainees to understand not only the individual components but also the complex control loops involved.  Understanding an engine management system is a basis for more advanced investigation of a given engine as a whole.