Camshaft Position Sensor: Description and Operation

Crank-Angle And Top Dead Center Sensor:

Sensor Operation
The Crank Angle Sensor and the Top Dead Center Sensor are located within the module housing. These sensors are incorporated into one module, being a disc and a pick-up module. The disc is affixed to the main shaft and the light-transmitting module is mounted stationary in the housing.

Crank Angle And #1 TDC Sensor:

The disc contains 4 large slits around its circumference to indicate the crankshaft angle. An additional light-transmission slit located inward from the edge is used to indicate number one cylinder's top dead center position.

The pick-up module assembly uses two luminous diodes and two photo diodes, in order to detect the two different slits. There is a very slight clearance between the luminous diodes and the photo diodes, and the disc rotates within this space.

As the main shaft rotates the slits at the discs edge pass between the light and the optical reading part of the module. The light emitted from the luminous diodes pass through the slits to the photo sensing diodes. When the photo diodes receive the light, they become conductive and generate a signal, which is sent to the Control Module.

Photoelectric Signal Pattern:

Camshaft (TDC) Signal:
Top dead center is detected by the signal obtained through the one inner slit of the disc. The ECM, based upon this signal, determines which of the four pulses from crank angle sensor is the signal for the #1 cylinder.

Crankshaft Position Signal:
The four slits located at the outer circumference of the disc serve to detect the position of the crankshaft (and, therefore, the piston) relative to top dead center. The ECM, based on this signal, determines the fuel injection timing, and also calculates the amount of intake-air, the timing of the ignition signal, etc. for each revolution of the engine.