Capacitor discharge ignition Capacitor discharge ignition Capacitor discharge ignition (CDI) or thyristor ignition is a type of automotive electronic ignition system which is widely used in outboard motors, motorcycles, lawn mowers, chainsaws, small engines, turbine-powered aircraft, and some cars. It was originally developed to overcome the long charging times associated with high inductance coils used in inductive discharge ignition (IDI) systems, making the ignition system more suitable for high engine speeds (for small engines, racing engines and rotary engines). The capacitive-discharge ignition uses capacitor discharge current to the coil to fire the spark plugs. The history of the capacitor discharge ignition system can
Delco ignition system Delco ignition system The Delco ignition system, also known as the Kettering ignition system, is a type of Inductive discharge ignition system invented by Charles F. Kettering. It was first sold commercially on the 1910 Cadillac and was manufactured by Delco. Over time, this system was used extensively by all automobile and truck manufacturers until the development of capacitor discharge ignition (electronic ignition) systems in the 1960s. Delco ignition systems were also used by a number of early aircraft engines. This ignition system uses an ignition coil wound as an autotransformer to step up the voltage from the 12 volts