Rover MEMS

Modular Engine Management System

MEMS 1.6 units, one with its cover removed
Manufacturer	Rover Group / Motorola
Type	Electronic automobile engine management
Release date	1989

The Modular Engine Management System, or MEMS, is an electronic control system used on engines in passenger cars built by Rover Group in the 1990s. As its name implies, it was adaptable for a variety of engine management demands, including electronically controlled carburetion as well as single- and multi-point fuel injection (both with and without electronic ignition control.) The abbreviations "SPi" and "MPi" refer to the single-point and multi-point injection configurations, respectively.

A related system, developed in parallel with MEMS, was fitted to carbureted engines. This system is referred to as "ERIC", which stands for "Electronically Regulated Ignition and Carburetion". It is noteworthy that the development of the MEMS and ERIC systems became the first in-house units for ignition and fuel-control, areas which had previously been undertaken by Lucas Engine Management Systems, a division of Lucas Industries.

In 1985, Rover Group made the decision to develop a new electronic engine management system in-house, and from its inception, the system was intended to be flexible enough for use with future engine designs. It was also intended to improve quality and reliability, and to consume less power and occupy less underbonnet space than previous engine management systems. The system first became available in 1989, when it was fitted to the Austin Montego 2.0L. Over the next seven years, the system appeared on cars across Rover's model lineup, including the Mk VI and Mk VII Mini and the MG F / MG TF. It was also paired with Rover engines used by other marques, such as the Series 1 Lotus Elise and several Caterham models using the Rover K-series engine.

The ECU design was a joint venture between Rover and Motorola Automotive and Industrial Electronics Group (AIEG), who were responsible for the ECU manufacturing. The software run on the ECU was designed and written by Rover Group engineers. The "Modular" characteristic of the ECU was represented in the hardware design, which featured a common core with multiple optional add-on modules. In 1990, these modular features included the following: