Abstract: A controlled energy ignition system for an internal combustion engine includes an ignition coil having a primary coil and a secondary coil coupled to first and second electrodes of an ignition plug defining a spark gap therebetween, wherein the primary coil is responsive to activation of a control signal to produce a spark voltage across the secondary coil and across the spark gap. The secondary coil is responsive to the spark voltage to produce a discharge current across the spark gap of the ignition plug. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, means are provided to draw discharge current away from the ignition plug to thereby limit the discharge current to below a threshold current value within some predefined time period after activation of the control signal.

Abstract: The electrostatic potential supply comprises an operating potential source (+V.sub.cc), a transformer (122) having primary (156) and secondary (172) windings, and a resonant frequency, and a high potential rectifier and multiplier (124). The electrostatic potential supply also includes a phase comparator (110) and a voltage controlled oscillator (114) having a free running frequency of substantially the transformer (122) resonant frequency. The phase comparator (110) generates a control signal related to the frequency difference between the signal from the secondary winding (172) and the signal from the primary circuit (110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 102-1, 2) to synchronize the voltage controlled oscillator (114) output frequency substantially with the frequency of the signal from the secondary winding (172). The voltage controlled oscillator (114) is coupled to the primary winding (156) to maintain the operating frequency of the transformer (122) substantially at its resonant frequency.

Abstract: A temperature compensating circuit for a Charge Coupled Photodiode array ch monitors a composite video output signal from a video processor and generates an error signal proportional to the square wave resulting from an unbalanced condition. The error signal is used to generate bias voltages which are applied to the Charge Coupled Photodiode array and a degenerative feedback loop is formed which nulls the error signal and automatically balances the array odd and even video outputs.