Additional variants of the new MicroAutoBox III with an even wider range of bus and network interfaces make the product range even broader and stronger. A new DS1521 Bus and Network Board integrated in the MicroAutoBox III provides an exceptional range of channels in the familiar small MicroAutoBox form factor.

With the release of the MicroAutoBox III, which offers the highest all-round power for numerous applications from autonomous driving to zero emissions, compact, in-vehicle dSPACE prototyping systems reach an entirely new level of performance. This is achieved, for example, by the significantly higher computing power and improved monitoring mechanisms for functional safety. The MicroAutoBox III offers four processor cores and is up to 16 times faster per processor core than its predecessor, the MicroAutoBox II. Moreover, additional MicroAutoBox III variants with the new DS1521 Bus and Network Board will also be available. With their impressive range of channels, the new variants are particularly suitable for applications such as intelligent gateways as well as executing superimposed controllers (supervisory controllers) to control other ECUs in real time via buses and networks. They are also suited for designing central control units with service-based Ethernet communication. To ideally address these applications, the DS1521 Bus and Network Board provides eight CAN FD channels, three automotive Ethernet ports (100/1000BASE-T1), two FlexRay connectors (A/B), three LIN channels, and additional UART, digital, and analog interfaces.

A vast range of channels in the compact MicroAutoBox form factor combined with a comprehensive software tool chain for bus and network communication.

Software for Full Control

To configure the hardware easily and flexibly for each application, the MicroAutoBox III is supported by the tried and proven ConfigurationDesk implementation software known from SCALEXIO, including the seamlessly integrated Bus Manager. This allows for bus communication to be con-figured clearly and conveniently for gateway or supervisory controller applications, all based on the latest standards and communication descriptions such as AUTOSAR (ARXML), FIBEX, DBC, and LDF. For integration into an existing vehicle electrical system, current AUTOSAR features such as secure onboard communication (SecOC), end-to-end protection, and global time synchronization (GTS) are also supported on all relevant bus systems, including service-based Ethernet communication (SOME-IP). To be able to respond flexibly and at short notice to project-specific adaptations, a comprehensive extension framework is available, which can be integrated and implemented by dSPACE to the customer’s specifications with very short turnaround times. At run time, variables in the model can be visualized clearly and easily in ControlDesk. For access to the bus and network signals, the Bus Navigator offers the option to create preconfigured layouts for transmit and receive messages. In addition, live bus monitoring and bus analysis can be activated directly while the application is running. The ControlDesk Bus Navigator provides clear and synchronized access to bus and network data with all other used inputs and outputs, eliminating the need to acquire additional dedicated systems (hardware and software) for live monitoring. This significantly saves costs and also simplifies the system design.