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The accuracy of the Restraint Control Module (RCM) Event Data Recorder (EDR) was tested on a 2010 Ford Flex during both straight line steady state and maximum ABS braking. Six runs were made starting from 48 kph (30 mph), six runs starting from 80 kph (50 mph), and six runs starting from 113 kph (70 mph). Nondeployment events were artificially induced after a period of steady state driving followed by maximum braking for the last 2.5 seconds prior to creating the event, intended to simulate braking just prior to a crash. Following each run data was collected from the RCM EDR using the Bosch Crash Data Retrieval system. A Racelogic VBOX SL3 20 Hz differential GPS speed data recorder also served as a data acquisition system for vehicle CAN bus speed, accelerator position, RPM, and brake tape switch data. Graphs of RCM speed/brake/accel pedal data versus VBOX speed and other data over time are presented.

Prior EDR testing methodologies required setting events in the airbag control module in the vehicle during controlled driving behavior. Duplicating events was nearly impossible, and it was difficult to separate how much differences in recorded speeds to reference speeds was due to measurement error, wheel slip, reporting time delays, or data truncation within the EDR. Recording thresholds have also increased making non-deployment and deployment events closer in magnitude, increasing the risk of accidentally exceeding the deployment threshold while setting events. The new methodology eliminates the risk of accidentally deploying airbags while gathering GPS and CAN bus data in the test vehicle. The techniques presented in this paper also allows gathering of data in vehicle without tampering with the airbag control module, which reduces the potential liability to testers using rental or borrowed test vehicles.