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Embedded System in Automotive Sector

 




In early days the car machinery contained large number of hydraulic and pneumatic systems, in areas ranging from braking to steering control. However, they were rigid in nature and needed considerable labor even for the simplest of tasks. 

On entering digital era, many changes have come up on this front. Automobiles of the present and future will be controlled by various sensors and actuators. These in turn would be monitored by various embedded systems or central processing hub.   

They are commonly referred to as Electronic Control Unit (ECU). Originally intended for the engine power ratio, they have branched out into areas such as braking and air bag deployment. Now a single vehicle contains 100 or more ECU each providing multiple input/output signals. Sometimes field programmable gate arrays are also used. Some main areas of interest are


Air Bag Control Unit

One of the most important safety features, airbags are deployed to cushion the effect of a crash. This helps the passenger from sustaining life-threatening injuries. But when to deploy the same, requires an amalgamation of sensor inputs. Present in the front of the vehicle, they assess the impact frequency, and radius of collision. This is then passed to the ECU which assess whether to deploy and if so, calculate the restraint factor. Also crash data is stored such as speed limit, turn ratio etc. which can later be analyzed.

ABS

Automatic Braking System is used to prevent the wheels from locking up. This prevents skidding specially in slippery roads. Here sensors monitor the wheel pressure and point of contact. This is then fed to the microcontroller which controls the brake fluid pumps. After analysis, the fluid is released in different ratio based on the above readings    


ESC

Electronic Stability Control is used in case the driver loses control of the steering wheel. This can lead to two instances. Understeer where the front wheel loses traction and the car plunges forward. Oversteer where the back wheels lose traction and the car whirs uncontrollably.

To prevent this scenario, the ECU applies brake separately on either wheel, calculating the grip momentum.




Other instances of tech include Steer by Wire system replacing traditional hydraulic systems with embedded control units. There is no physical connection between steering wheel and Tyres. 

Electronic Throttle Control is where the accelerator pedal is regulated by sensors which in turn controls the throttle. This helps in maintaining a steady speed and is useful in rush hour traffic.

Tesla is one such example which uses both these systems in conjunction. 


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