Testing ECUs

Modern cars consist of dozens of electronic control units. This modular architecture facilitates development and manufacturing as well as after-sales service. Even testing isn’t too hard, except when it comes to interactions between the modules. At that point, functional testing needs to go hand in hand with communications analysis.

With its new low cost solution supporting ECU communication via LIN bus, Goepel electronic specifically aims to support users mainly executing basic tasks in LIN communication like functional tests of ECUs (electronic control units). The PXI 3078 communication controller provides two LIN or K-Line interfaces.

The transceivers can be plugged and exchanged according to the respective application. Modules for all common LIN transceiver types are available. An important feature is the switchable transceiver supply via software. It can optionally be executed internally or externally via the LIN bus. The bus termination for master and slave operations can also be switched on or off by software.

Library functions in the on-board software facilitate programming by the user. The module’s basic software package supports LIN communication according to specifications 1.3, 2.0 and 2.1 including diagnosis via LIN. Extended commands such as network management, stimuli/response runs, ramps or table functions are currently available as software add-on modules.