Vehicle Integration Electrics & Electronics

Besides the development of complete complex systems, vehicle integration has been expanded into a major part of our electronics services at FEV. Our production development process work is increasingly conducted on site at our customers' premises. Production readiness teams, consisting of project managers, application engineers and EE developers, support our customers through vehicle integration in categories such as Controller Area Network (CAN), FlexRay and On-Board Diagnostics (OBD). For example, the projects include compiling test specifications, implementing communication and diagnosis structures, conducting tests, documentation, data management, integration and project management. Test plans are defined for end-of-line testing through after-sales service. FEV also offers technical support for the customer's vehicle fleet tests.

EE-Components and Release Management

The content of combustion engine electronic components depends on the following conditions:

• Fuel type and strategy
• Legislation
• Boundary conditions
• Performance and reliability

FEV supports the development and optimization of vehicle electronic systems. During the entire development process from concept through the start of production, FEV coordinates the project information flow and all actions that are necessary to fulfill the targets.. FEV defines Cost Packs describing each EE component in detail. RFQs and Cost Packs are the basis for the production supplier's quotations. FEV investigates the package, function, performance and lifetime of the EE components, within the research process for the design, combustion development, calibration work and during several engine and vehicle studies. Based on the investigation results at FEV and on successfully passing design validation at the supplier, the reliable function of all EE components is ensured and the components become released for production. A complete documentation of the EE system development is part of FEV's development tasks.

Data Communication

Today's vehicles are characterized by a wide variety of control units that communicate using data bus systems, such as a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus (low speed/high speed), Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) and Local Interconnect Network (LIN). For vehicle applications, the definition, implementation and the testing of a variety of data bus topologies is very important. FEV covers these requirements in order to verify and validate gateway functionalities within complex communication systems. Diagnosis and validation of communication buses is supported by simulation of protocol messages and ensuring intended methodologies are supported accordingly.

Functional Safety

In recent years the number of electronic features within vehicles has increased dramatically. The effort to guarantee a product's quality, let alone the occupant's safety, has increased proportionally.

FEV provides assistance to the automotive industry in the creation and application of safe, reliable solutions for vehicle systems (powertrain, chassis), in reference to International Electrical Congress (IEC) standard IEC 61508. In this context, FEV accompanies the project's complete safety lifecycle with an individual safety program plan. Safety management is to be regarded as a comprehensive measure containing several steps. The process starts with an overall hazard risk analysis, which has points of contact with the development of a complete system Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), it contains a distinctive Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), development of a failure handling matrix and an overall warning concept. Another component of the safety concept covered by FEV is the realization of a well defined software development process and test methods for the different phases of the development cycle.

Diagnosis

In addition to base functionalities like drivability, emission calibration and acoustics, there are a multitude of diagnostic functionalities that have to be implemented, calibrated, verified and validated. The following verification, analysis/troubleshooting and calibration tasks are covered by FEV experts, with the aid of the appropriate tools:

• CAN message diagnosis (i.e. timeout, alive counter, check sum)
• OBD (On Board Diagnosis) communication (SAE J1699-3 standard tests)
• Diagnostic tester communication, which is used for after-sales service
• Electric diagnosis
• Fault memory entries
• Diagnostic parameters

Whether diagnostics are developed internally into a powertrain, body or chassis control module or into an external off-board tester, FEV has the capability and knowledge required to perform the design, development, integration and validation on gasoline, diesel and hybrid vehicles throughout the transportation industry.

Preparation and Management of Vehicle Testing

Every OEM and/or Tier 2 supplier goes through a process by which their component, subsystem or system requires testing in the final end product. In close cooperation with the customer, FEV organizes and performs all of the necessary vehicle testing. As vehicles are tested, frequent changes are required on the vehicles as they progress from concept through production. This includes components, subsystems, calibrations, strategies and sometimes complete powertrains. In this regard, all changes are done in the workshops, test trips are prepared and the logistics of parts and vehicles are completed.

In the course of the vehicle development process the following tasks are covered by FEV experts:

• Flashing of modified program code and data into the control units
• Coding of vehicle variant specific data, such as component variety and maximum vehicle speed
• Coordination of software changes (bug fixing, modified and new functionalities)
• Software and flashing tests are made at the hardware-in-the-loop test rigs prior to start-up in the vehicle

Automatic telemetry data acquisition in customer tests is supported by data configuration and analysis. This data is made available to FEV experts and the customer for analysis, recommendation and agreement on desired/expected results. This in turn can validate completion of the changes, or reroute the process to begin a sequential round of testing.

E-Gas Safety Calibration

FEV takes responsibility in the calibration of safety functions, which include vehicle reaction tests with defined errors. Breakout-boxes and the manipulation of sensor signals are used for this purpose.

The safety/monitoring concepts (redundant software layers such as E-Gas level 2 and 3) require an adaptation of calibration and verification for each software and data release. FEV has developed a software tool to adapt the safety relevant data, depending on the base calibration. This tool can be modified for new ECU platforms and vehicle models.

Software Release and Quality Management

ECU software and calibration data is released for every integration step. The release and the distribution are coordinated with the supplier and the manufacturer (including change management and documentation). Calibration data is also provided for engine and vehicle endurance tests.

FEV is integrated into a customer's product quality system within the product developing process. Problem tracking and analysis are part of FEV services as well as the coordination of all related changes.