Electronics

Multiple controllers add to the complexity of electric vehicle design Model-based design has revolutionized the way products are developed, and perhaps in some surprising ways. Read full story

Safety and driver assist via Subaru's EyeSight A next-generation stereo camera that networks with a vehicle's dynamic control, steering, braking, and other systems debuts as part of an option package on 2013 MY Subaru Outback and Legacy models sold in the U.S. and Canada. Read full story

Continental develops electronics for engine and EV efficiency Its Engine Management System 3 is described as a platform for new generation engine and drive controls as well as for hybrid applications, able to look after fuel injection and ignition functions but also coordinate EV motors while monitoring their battery charge state. Read full story

Fully automated driving nears reality Autonomous vehicles may be here sooner than anyone thought, according to a new report by KPMG and the Center for Automotive Research, but ABI Research Vice President and Practice Director Dominique Bonte believes that synergies among three connectivity categories will need to be established. Read full story

Will DOT force trucks to talk? After roughly a decade of research into dedicated short range communications (DSRC), U.S. government agencies are preparing to decide whether to mandate adoption. Read full story

Rethinking lead-acid for mild- and micro-hybrids After years in lithium-ion battery development—and fed up over material costs that remain punishingly high—Subash Dhar decided the original automotive battery chemistry still has big potential for hybrid vehicles. Read full story

Countering the counterfeiters Counterfeit electronic parts affect safety and national security, pose long-term reliability risks, and drive up sustainment costs.Those and related issues will be discussed at the SAE 2012 Counterfeit Parts Avoidance Symposium, co-located with the SAE 2012 Aerospace Electronics and Avionics Systems and Power Systems Conferences slated for Oct. 30 to Nov. 1 in Phoenix. Read full story

Cars converse in largest-ever on-road ITS test project The U.S. government, via several of its transportation-related agencies, is sponsoring the project, which it claims is the largest-ever road test of connected-vehicle crash-avoidance technologies. Read full story

Lifecycle management tools help as more complex modules interact As the number of electronic functions on vehicles soars, engineers are increasingly linking them together to provide more sophisticated functionality without increasing the number of modules. As these modules work together in a more holistic fashion, it’s becoming more challenging to ensure that all the functions and interactions are integrated efficiently with high reliability. Read full story