Development of the upper-layer electronic control unit based on a production-type unit for a commercial vehicle

Abstract

The development of a modern vehicle is associated with the need to co-operate with a variety of components from different manufacturers, due to the fact that companies mainly specialize in the manufacture of specific equipment (powertrain, steering, braking system, dashboard, etc.). Majority of manufacturers of automotive electronic units do not allow changes to their finished products, therefore, when integrating components into a single vehicle, there is a problem with the coordination of control signals and communication protocols. In response to this problem, it is required to use an additional electronic unit - the electronic control unit of the upper layer (ECU). This device generates signals for each component in accordance with the requirements of manufacturers. This unit may have different components and different functionality depending on the requirements. The unit is based on a microcontroller with a control program. To control the power discrete output, power transistor MOSFET keys are used. Optocouplers or specialized microchips are used for processing discrete digital signals. Moreover, the unit is equipped with specialized microcircuits, which allow the exchange of information with other electronic units via digital protocols.