Method and apparatus to control a multi spark ignition system for an internal combustion engine

An ignition system including a spark plug control unit adapted to control at least one coil stage, said coil stage(s) so as to successively energise and de-energise said coil stage(s) to provide a current to a spark plug, each of said coil stage(s) including a primary winding inductively coupled to a secondary winding, wherein one or more parameter(s) used by said control unit to control the operation of the coil stages is sent to the control unit from the engine control unit via the the engine spark timing line, said one or more parameter(s) is sent additionally to the dwell time and coupled multi-charge mode time.