Task: Accessing ECU Signals at Run Time
Analyzing and monitoring the electronic control unit (ECU) signals is an important aspect in all test scenarios to perform measurement, calibration, and diagnostics tasks on ECUs. The signals need to be monitored during simulation as well as recorded and stored for later analysis. This allows the user to trace faults, identify the accuracy of the signals, and inspect the integrity of the bus communication. This way, the ECU software can be inspected at run time and adapted to ensure optimal performance and reliability of the system.
Challenge: A Single Work Environment for All Tasks
Using various tools for different jobs and test scenarios is troublesome. A single work environment for all necessary tasks would be beneficial. Moreover, a tool that allows the user to perform the task during virtual validation, rapid control prototyping, or hardware-in-the-loop tests, improves efficiency.
Solution: ControlDesk as the Experiment Software for Seamless ECU Development
dSPACE ControlDesk offers synchronous measurement and recording of defined signals on all data sources. You can create your own photorealistic layout including instruments such as a plotter or a speedometer for displaying just the information you need. ControlDesk gives you access to the simulation platform as well as connected bus systems and can perform calibration, and diagnostics tasks on ECUs, e.g., via standardized ASAM interfaces. The graphical representation of the signals eases the control of the ECU functions and helps identify unwanted behavior.
For bus communication, ControlDesk provides a specialized module, the Bus Navigator Module. It offers dedicated bus instruments for the following tasks:
- Handling entire messages, frames, and PDUs
- Creating instruments to view messages, frames, and PDUs, and to configure and trigger TX messages.
- Monitoring and logging bus data
Using ControlDesk for monitoring your bus communication gives you a competitive edge for all bus testing scenarios.
