Vehicle ECU Development and Testing Solution from Toshiba #DigInfo

Toshiba has created a model-based development solution for the development and testing of Electronic Control Units. ECUs are used to control the electrical systems in vehicles. They use data from sensors to control everything in the vehicle from braking and power steering, to engine function and transmission control. In the past, these electronic systems had to be tested manually using an oscilloscope and switchbox, making testing time consuming and problematic.

M-RADSHIPS is a real-time simulator developed by Toshiba Information Systems to test these complex systems in a virtual environment.

When combined with vehicle models created using MATLAB/Simulink and Dymola, this can simulate a range of different situations.

The system can also create test scenarios for rare cases which can be very difficult to verify using real equipment, and convert these test scenarios to data which can then be analyzed, ultimately making the electrical systems and the vehicles they are used in safer and more reliable.

"In this display, we've integrated M-RADSHIPS with Dymola and CarSim, and used a vehicle model IP developed by Toshiba Information (Japan) Corporation. One feature of model-based development is a much shorter verification process. But conversely, this raises the issue that models have to be created at the design stage, so design takes a little longer. What we're suggesting is the use of a model IP, to reduce the time needed for the design stage."

The system uses an interface created in Visual Basic. In this demonstration, integration with CarSim software means that the test results can be seen instantly as vehicle behavior.

"We're integrating our own model IP with other companies' IPs. We hope it'll be widely used by customers that want to start doing model-based development, and by those that already utilize model-based development. We'd like to develop a variety of model IPs and increase their integration with other companies' IPs, so they can be utilized in a wide range of fields."

Currently, Toshiba Information Japan Corporation is thinking of introducing this solution for developing and testing the controllers used in a wider range of cars, as well as for industrial machinery and energy applications. From now on, the company aims to expand it's range of service lines, and to achieve further advances in model-based development.