Keywords:
electronic control unit
ECU
automotive testing
Anyone who has driven a modern automobile cannot help but be impressed by the complexity and scope of the vehicle's electronic systems content, all working together to make the motoring experience safer and more pleasurable. Cars can now protect you, entertain you, anticipate your every move and even pretend to be Homer Simpson when they give you directions. The intrusion of electronics is no longer subtle—electronics is in virtually every systems application that applies to the vehicle's operations.
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) predicts that by 2010, 40 per cent of the sell price of an average car will be the electronic content. In terms of dollars, the semiconductor content alone was about $20 billion in 2008, according to research firm Databeans Inc. While this will drop understandably in 2009, this is only temporary as vehicles can no longer be made without electronics. Emissions, fuel economy, navigation and safety are all controlled by electronics.
So as test engineers, how do we address the testing complexity of next-generation electronic control units (ECUs) before it is installed in your favourite sedan? What test systems—and I do emphasise systems as no one ATE platform can do it all any more—are right for the task? In this short article, I will try and make you aware of applications and test strategies. The bottom line is I hope you think very carefully on the questions you need to ask your system integrator and/or ATE vendors to help you make the right choices.
View the PDF document for more information.
votes:
Design 101
