OPTIMUM Power Technology is an American company based in Pittsburgh who, in conjunction with Queens University Belfast (QUB), operate a team in the world 250cc Grand Prix motorcycle series. Last season they finished second of the privateers and are not only currently leading the privateers championships for 1998, but are sixth in the world ahead of various works teams.

OPTIMUM understands the importance of innovation in racing and so they approached Pi Technology to help them try and close the performance gap to the factory teams by developing an engine controller to replace and improve upon their standard customer-specification unit. The controls group at Pi Technology worked closely with OPTIMUM and QUB to define the control algorithms and then implemented them using its MRC product as the ECU for the bike system. The Pi Technology MRC is a motor-racing bred product intended as a general-purpose data acquisition and control unit. To support the MRC, the controls group also developed compact electronics to drive several of the components used in the system. The system eventually developed has control strategies for the engine's ignition timing (up to four cylinders), power jet and power valve. The power jet allows extra fuel to be delivered to the engine by opening an extra jet in the carburettor, while the power valve acts to tune the exhaust system, both of which provide additional power when required.

From the earliest track tests, the MRC has equalled or exceeded the standard ECU right through the power curve and has proved reliable for race distances. An additional benefit provided by the MRC is better diagnostic capabilities, which facilitates quicker detection of faults in the bike's electronics than was possible with the original factory unit. As part of the on-going relationship with Pi Technology additional work is now underway to improve engine strategies for even more performance, increase flexibility and make compensation for environmental changes between tracks easier. There is also a plan to provide calibration tools for the unit derived from our Pi ToolBench Technology. OPTIMUM have recently acquired a Pi AutoSim and is in the process of developing an engine model to allow testing of new control algorithms and regression testing. They aim to use the tool to provide a greater level of testing in a shorter time than would be possible by more traditional means, thereby improving reliability and overall quality. Pi Technology's relationship with OPTIMUM Power has worked so well that we are now actively discussing turning this into an aftermarket product aimed at club racing and off-road riders.