MSD 6520 Digital 6-Plus Ignition Control Installation - Manual

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS 1
M S D
• W W W . M S D P E R F O R M A N C E . C O M • ( 9 1 5 ) 8 5 7 - 5 2 0 0 • F A X ( 9 1 5 ) 8 5 7 - 3 3 4 4
M S D
• W W W . M S D P E R F O R M A N C E . C O M • ( 9 1 5 ) 8 5 7 - 5 2 0 0 • F A X ( 9 1 5 ) 8 5 7 - 3 3 4 4
Parts Included:
1 - MSD Ignition 1 - Harness, PN 8860 1 - Parts Bag, ASY 19864
WARNING: During installation, disconnect the battery cables. When disconnecting the battery always remove
the Negative cable first and install it last.
Note: Solid Core spark plug wires cannot be used with an MSD Ignition.
Important: When installing a Digital Series Ignition, the timing must be checked and reset to your engine's
specifications.
REV LIMITER
This Ignition features a built-in Soft Touch Rev Control with two different rpm limits. The Soft Touch circuitry
provides a smooth and accurate rev limit by dropping the spark to individual cylinders. The Soft Touch
produces a load-free rev limit that is within 1% of the selected rpm.
You can select two rev limits; one for a low limit that can be used when staging the car, and another limit
for top end overrev protection. Both rpm limits are adjusted in 100 rpm increments with the sealed rotary
switches on the side of the ignition. Using and programming the Two Step is explained in detail on page 6.
OPERATION AND FEATURES
Note: Do not use digital or dial back timing lights.
DIGITAL OPERATION
The MSD Digital 6 Plus uses a high speed RISC microcontroller to control the ignition’s output while
constantly analyzing the various inputs such as supply voltage, trigger signals and rpm. The high speed
controller can make extremely quick compensations to the output voltage, multiple spark series, timing and
rpm limits while maintaining accurate timing signals to within 1° and 1% of the rpm limits. The circuits and
controller of the Digital 6 Plus have been thoroughly debounced and isolated to create protection against
Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI).
CAPACITIVE DISCHARGE
The MSD Digital 6 Plus features a capacitive discharge ignition design. The majority of stock ignition systems
are inductive ignitions. In an inductive ignition, the coil must store and step up the voltage to maximum
strength in between each firing. At higher rpm, since there is less time to charge the coil to full capacity, the
voltage falls short of reaching maximum energy which results in a loss of power or top end miss.
The MSD Ignition features a capacitor which is quickly charged with 520 - 535 volts and stores it until the
ignition is triggered. With the CD design, the voltage sent to the coil is always at full power even at high rpm.
MULTIPLE SPARKS
The MSD produces full power multiple sparks for each firing of a plug. The number of multiple sparks that
occur decreases as rpm increases, however the spark series always lasts for 20° of crankshaft rotation.
Above 3,300 rpm there is simply not enough “time” to fire the spark plug more than once, so there is only
one powerful spark.
MSD Digital 6 Plus Ignition Control
PN 6520
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