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The information security and integrity issues associated with a mobile multimedia vehicle are examined. Due to the external connectivity of the vehicle, concerns over the integrity of the vehicle operation are raised. On one hand, the problems for the vehicle computer are similar to those encountered in the Internet environment. On the other hand, the absolute safety requirements of operating a vehicle place special constraints on the robustness of the vehicle computer. This paper describes how the architecture of the network vehicle addresses the security and integrity issues by providing physical and software separation between the vehicle control and the multimedia networks.

Multiple automotive systems are now being developed which require an imager or vision chip to provide information regarding vehicle surroundings, vehicle performance, and vehicle passenger compartment status. Applications include lane departure, lane tracking, collision avoidance, as well as occupant position, impaired driver, and occupant identification. These applications share many requirements, including robust design, tolerance for the automotive environment, built in self-test, wide dynamic range, and low cost. In addition, each application has unique requirements for resolution, sensitivity, imager aspect ratio, and output format. In many cases, output will go directly to vehicle systems for processing, without ever being displayed to the driver. Commercial imager chips do not address this wide spectrum of requirements. A CMOS imager chip has been designed to address these unique automotive requirements.

This paper describes the cluster analysis technique and how it can be used to support menu interface design for in-vehicle multimedia applications. Cluster analysis and similar types of classifying techniques have proven effective for developing simple menu interfaces. This paper extends the use of the cluster analysis technique to a more complex system that consists of 201 generic functions. These functions are representative of those being incorporated into near-term multimedia products. Study results show promise for using cluster analysis as a tool for incorporating the user's organizational structure into the design of a complex menu architecture. Cluster analysis may also benefit the automotive menu designer by providing a means for partitioning menu tasks into chunkable units that can be easily accessed by the driver in single glances.

The best efforts to create a highly engineered, technologically advanced, and elegant automotive component will be lost if the component does not physically fit into the customer's vehicle at the assembly plant. One of the principles of mechanical verification (also called poka-yoke or error proofing) is that every part is verified every time. Mechanical verification is not based on statistical sampling, and it is not the same thing as, nor is it designed to reintroduce, incoming inspection. In this paper we will discuss some of the methods used at Delphi Delco Electronics to mechanically verify customer interfaces without adding labor or processes to the production line. Most of the methods used are very “low tech,” and they are based on common sense. We will also go beyond the verification methods used and discuss the process we used to implement a mechanical verification system.

Rollover sensing and discrimination generally requires an algorithm that monitors vehicle motion and anticipates conditions that will lead to a rollover. In general, a deploy command is required in a time frame such that safety measures can be activated early enough to protect the occupants. A rollover discrimination system will typically include internal motion sensors, vehicle signals from other on-board sensors, and a microprocessor to execute the deployment algorithm. A supplemental signal path is used to arm the system, making it less susceptible to single point component failures. In this chapter we explore basic concepts of rollover sensors and system mechanization, rollover discrimination algorithms, and arming methodology. A simulation environment that models the performance of the system across part tolerance, temperature extremes and component age is used to estimate the scope of expected discrimination performance in the field.

The extensive use of electronics has revolutionized the implementation and scope of many of the features and functions in a modern automobile. This automotive electronic revolution has significantly improved the performance, reliability and comfort of the automobile. In some cases, electronics have also simplified component fabrication and automotive assembly. However, the full potential that electronics have for reducing the assembly complexity of the automobile has yet to be realized. More extensive use of electronics embedded into mechanical components and mechatronic systems will significantly simplify automotive assembly in the future. This paper examines three current and future applications of embedded electronics in automotive applications. These examples illustrate the advantages and challenges associated with embedded electronic concepts. Future applications, new technology development needs, and changes in automotive component sourcing, are discussed.

The current SAE classification system for serial data communication protocols encompasses Class A, Class B, and Class C categories. Because of the proliferation of applications and new protocols these three groups are not enough. This paper will introduce and discuss several new categories which are Diagnostics, SafetyBus, Mobile Media, and X-by-Wire. The serial data protocols that fall under these categories are for the most part brand new and will serve distinct and unique tasks. All existing common vehicular multiplex protocols (approximately 40) will be categorized using the SAE convention plus the new groupings. Top contenders will be pointed out along with a discussion of the protocol in the best position to become the industry standard in each category. Future vehicle applications having up to seven different data networks will be presented.

Increasing sophistication of electronic safety systems requires more advanced tools for design and optimization. Systems of safety products already being designed are becoming too interdependent to calibrate as stand-alone modules. Compounding this difficulty is the trend towards fewer test crashes and more sophisticated regulatory requirements. This paper presents a unified calibration approach to produce robust performance. First, the set of crash samples are extended using statistical techniques. Then an automated calibration tool using Genetic Algorithms is used to provide robust performance against deployment requirements. Finally, an expert systems is employed to ensure logical behavior. Together, these powerful methods yield calibrations which out-perform manual calibrations and can be completed in far less time.

High power electronic applications in the automotive industry require interconnecting substrates that have high reliability, high thermal conductivity, high current capability, multi-layer potential, and small size. This paper addresses the design requirements for automotive power substrates and how ever increasing demands are challenging the current substrate technology. Four different substrate material types, with various design features, capable of meeting these stringent requirements are described. Thermal impedance testing of each substrate along with design variations to enhance thermal capability was completed. The results of the thermal testing are compared based on appropriate application of the substrate technology.

The use of portable information devices is rapidly becoming commonplace. Millions of cellular phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) are sold each year and users are becoming dependent upon them for information storage and retrieval, and for increasing connectivity and productivity. However, the use of such devices while driving motor vehicles can be distracting due to the required visual and tactile interface. For example, to read one's schedule or other information in a PDA requires navigating to the information via a stylus or jog dial, and then reading a small screen of text. Similarly, most cellular phones require numerous touch inputs to place a call or retrieve a phone number stored in the device. Delphi's Mobile Productivity Center (MPC) addresses these concerns by providing a single button activation and a speaker-independent voice interface. The MPC enables motor vehicle drivers to be productive while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.

The advancement in CMOS imaging sensors has enabled low-cost and high quality cameras that are making their way into future automobiles. Vision sensors can be deployed in a car to perform a variety of functions, including driver monitoring for workload management; passenger monitoring for intelligent airbag deployment; pedestrian and object recognition for precrash sensing; lane marker and roadway tracking for lane/roadway departure warnings; and general scene and object recognition to improve ACC/FCW/CA (adaptive cruise control / forward collision warning / collision avoidance) system robustness through sensor fusion. Possible system implementation and key performance requirements for vision sensors in these applications are discussed.

Entertainment is the “killer application” for high value telematics services in vehicles. Entertainment does not require a new, untested consumer business model: consumers have been “paying” for entertainment in vehicles for decades. Examples include purchases of audio cassettes and CDs; listening to radio advertising; and more recently, the rental or purchase and playback of videotape movies in the rear seat. Today, technology advances in digital satellite broadcasting, digital compression, mass data storage, and broadband wireless communications are driving very dynamic business opportunities for entertainment service delivery to vehicles. Obvious examples are XM and Sirius Radio, DVD movies, rear seat video games, and MP3 audio playback from flash memory or hard disc drives. A more advanced example is the direct sale and download of compressed digital audio, video, and game software via wireless links that bypass the conventional bricks and mortar retail business.

Flip Chip packaging has found limited use for a technology that was introduced decades ago. Its application widened with the use of underfill, a necessary constituent to minimizing CTE mismatch between the component and substrate. Its reliability has been established on laminate substrates for automotive applications, an important development in light of the continuous increase in vehicle electronic content and function. Unfortunately, the assembly process incorporating underfill is cumbersome and batch-like. Also, the adhesive strength of the underfill depends critically on the cleanliness of the die after reflow, necessitating costly cleaning equipment and complex process monitoring protocols. Hence, the process of manufacturing is not SMT-friendly. A new technology, Wafer Applied Underfill (WAU), addresses the shortcomings of the traditional underfill process.

A previous SAE 2001 Congress paper, “Multiplex Bus Progression” [1] introduced the idea of categorizing vehicle serial data protocols into additional areas beyond the traditional SAE Class A, B, and C. This paper will expand on that idea, and provide a 2003 update to the Diagnostics, SafetyBus, Mobile Media, and X-by-Wire categories. All existing mainstream vehicular multiplex protocols (approximately 40) are categorized using the SAE convention plus the new groupings. Top contenders will be pointed out along with a discussion of the protocol in the best position to become the industry standard in each category at this time.

As electronics take on ever-increasing roles in automotive systems, greater scrutiny will be placed on those electronics that are employed in control systems. X-By-Wire systems, that is, steer- and/or brake-by-wire systems will control chassis functions without the need for mechanical backup. These systems will have distributed fault-tolerant and fail-safe architectures and may require new standards in communication protocols between nodes (nodes can be considered as communication relay points). At the nodes, the “host” application Electronic Controller Unit (ECU) will play a pivotal role in assessing its own viability. The microcontroller architecture proposed in this paper focuses on ensuring thorough detection of hardware faults in the Central Processing Unit (CPU) and related circuits, thus providing a generic fail-silent building block for embedded systems.

The Future of new electronic systems application in the automobile is extremely promising. New systems such as mobile multimedia, control-by-wire systems, advanced safety interiors, and collision avoidance coupled with smart sensors and actuators, in a potentially new integrated vehicle wiring system, means significantly more electronic content in the automobile of the future. The challenge of the automotive electronics industry is to develop a vision of these future products, and then follow a defining process to develop the technologies necessary to offer timely, reliable, and cost effective products to the automotive consumer. This paper presents a methodology by which global market trends, market considerations, and engineering developments are combined to create a product vision. This vision is used to generate technology roadmaps that spawn technology development projects. Technology projects in turn help to create product strategies that result in new marketable products.

Automotive manufacturers and Electronic Control Unit (ECU) vendors have been struggling with the challenges of providing calibration development capabilities in the mass production intent ECU's while keeping the cost of the mass production ECU's and associated tools to a minimum. Delphi Delco Electronics Systems has been working with Motorola Semiconductor and Infineon to add this capability into new microcontrollers to allow the ECU calibration variables to be monitored and calibration constants to be changed in real-time on the production intent ECU's. This technology has been successfully introduced to ECU customers and has demonstrated a significant savings in tool costs and assisted in improving the accuracy of calibration constant data values.

Transceiver propagation (also known as wrap-around, loop-back, or round-trip) delay time and output voltage slew rates have a profound impact upon bit timing. Excessive propagation delay produces an error in the generated symbol time that may cause a bit timing error in a receiving node. Any difference between the compensation time of the protocol handler and the transceiver propagation delay will be seen in the transmitted pulse time. The larger the gap, the longer the transmitted bit time. The bit distortion increases even further if the receiving node is operating in a ground offset voltage with respect to the transmitter. Bit distortion is exacerbated as well when the output voltage slew rates are too slow. When the slew rates are too slow, the receiving bit time may be too short in a positive ground offset voltage condition and too long in a negative ground offset voltage condition.

This study presents a unique design for combining an electric motor and its drive circuitry into one integrated package. Electric motors used in systems such as electric power steering applications commonly consist of a separate electric motor and drive controller. There are several disadvantages to this approach. First, the mounting of two separate items into the system takes extra room and increases assembly complexity. There are several disadvantages associated with the wires that interconnect the two units. The long wires introduce additional electrical resistance. Also, they can act as antennas that both receive and radiate electromagnetic interference. Mounting a miniaturized motor drive unit directly to the side of the motor achieves some of the advantages of a fully integrated approach but only to a limited extent. Wires still exit the motor and must be attached to the drive unit. Angular position sensors must be mounted to the motor separate from the drive unit.

In this paper, hoop stresses in the hubs of plastic knobs used in instrument panels are analyzed. The objective is to provide analytical formulas for stresses due to knob assembly and temperature cycling. Insertion forces are estimated using simple beam equations to model spring deflection. These forces are used to predict stresses in the D-shaped hubs of the knobs, using equations for thick pressure vessels. Solutions for stresses due to thermal expansion mismatches between the plastic hub and metal spring are derived using a press-fit analogy. Finite element analysis (FEA) is used to supplement and validate the analytical results. The proposed simple calculations are useful for up-front design assessment, enabling the engineer to select appropriate dimensions for knob hubs, springs and shafts.