Validação de centrais automotivas utilizando Hardware in the loop : estudo de caso do BCM e iluminação

Abstract

The technological development in using new materials constantly changes the hardware, and with this comes new criticality for designers in delivering the component with quality and safety. This work has the mission to share and encourage good validation and verification practices using xIL platforms, starting from a technology already recognized and deployed but not fully explored, where its flexibility and standardization have no limits to growth in the automotive industry, so it was thought and represented here regarding the topic of testing automotive electronic switches. This technology is part of the use of xIL tools, MIL, SIL, and HIL being applied in this work, to test automotive electronic control units, in which the ECU BCM will be cited in this work, which performs individual component or systemic tests with the integration of one or more electronic control units. Electrification changed the premise of vehicle development, bringing design and performance. Above all, it returned to society the warning about the impacts caused to the earth by excessive consumption of fossil fuels. The industrial race for efficiency and safety is changing the availability of vehicles with lower carbon emissions compared to the already renowned propulsion vehicles, bringing automation to several car components. The consumer increasingly demands energy autonomy, driving the development of automotive power plants with communication speed, low power consumption, and reliability. The evolution of vehicle bulbs, from bulb headlights and lanterns to led, has changed the simple electronics circuit to fast control drives, intensity change, and high-speed communication between vehicle networks. These technological changes have caused vehicle manufacturers to change how they test their vehicles and find cost-effective solutions to avoid potential design problems. The validation of automotive central units and their components is fundamental to vehicle development; because of the many changes during the design phase and the integration of components from different suppliers, the work is complex, e.g., the development of the headlight and tail lamp and the BCM central unit. It was one of the most critical components of the development due to its development phase and dependencies on compatible software. The hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation tool enables new testing strategies, verification of component diagnostics, integration with other control panels for analysis and performance, and analysis of CAN communication can be tested in real-time. HIL testing can reduce development problems and avoid design losses, being the initial tool in the testing phase. Today's vehicles have many controllers, and exchanging information between the ECUs and sensors/actuators and sharing messages require speed and security. In order to meet the growing demand and consumer needs, paying attention to the emission legislation and creating low-impact strategies while maintaining quality and comfort. The Load Box developed in this paper demonstrates its functionalities and the importance of the tests performed in the development phase.