Saab Direct Ignition

Saab Direct Ignition is a capacitor discharge ignition developed by Saab Automobile, then known as Saab-Scania, and Mecel AB during the 1980s.

One of the first instances of using the system was for a Formula Three racing engine (on B202 basis) developed with the help of engine builder John Nicholson, first shown in the spring of 1985.

The ignition system together with the ignition coils form a single transformer oil filled cassette (or two cassettes in the case of a V6 engine) which is placed directly on the spark plugs, without the need for a distributor.

The system puts a low voltage over the spark plugs when they are not fired to measure ionization in the cylinders.

The spark plugs are directly coupled to the "DIC" (or "IDM") which houses the ignition coils and electronics that measure cylinder ionization for use by the Trionic engine management system.