Automatic Monitoring and Testing of Instrument Panels with dSPACE Simulators

The validation of electronic control units (ECU) with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulators is an established method for quality enhancements in automotive software. Instrument panel clusters (IPCs), however, are still verified by developers physically looking at them. The objective is to validate that the needle moves correctly, the telltales light up, messages are displayed correctly, etc. But the human eye is prone to make mistakes during this repetitive task and, moreover, is not fast enough to catch minor glitches. Furthermore, the overall test process cannot be fully automated if there are humans involved in the test loop.
The answer to this challenge lies in combining a camera and a fast computing unit providing interfaces for CAN and optical signals. dSPACE has integrated the capability of camera-based, real-time image processing with hardware-in-the-loop simulation technology. This combination enables visual components to be tested together with overall vehicle electronics, making it a comprehensive testing solution for vehicle integration testing. The project benefited from dSPACE’s years of experience in the field of integrated instrument tests with HIL simulations.