Automotive engineers: This airbag reference platform is for you*

By Marc Osajda — If you want to help contribute to reducing road fatalities in your country, this post is for you.

Ninety percent of the 1.3 million people killed annually in road  fatalities occur in developing countries, according to the World Health  Organization (source: Global Status on road safety 2009).  With the increased demand for mobility in these regions, it’s  unacceptable to build cars without incorporating proven vehicle safety  features. Without a doubt, the airbag is a critical component for  improved vehicle safety. Combined with seatbelts, airbags offer one of  the most efficient life-saving systems when crashes occur.

And given the recent automotive industry dynamics in emerging  countries, why not invest in automotive safety electronics for use in  your own local markets? The answer to “why” comes easy, but the answer  to “how” gets a bit more complicated.

An airbag is a complex system involving multiple components. Getting  started with the design of an airbag electronic control units takes time  and resources. An engineer must find the right microcontroller (MCU),  the right mixed signal ASSP, the right acceleration sensors, and then he  needs to make sure all of the devices work properly together. The  engineer must define the right safety concept and write all of the  software routines to get all the parts working together. The details go  on and on … If you’ve researched the design of an airbag, then you’re  probably aware of the many challenges.

This is why Freescale and the Bosch Group’s  Automotive Electronics Division have partnered to provide an Airbag  Reference Platform that contains the key elements to help you get  started faster on the real development of your application.

The new airbag reference platform is based on chipsets from Freescale’s Qorivva 32-bit microcontroller family and Bosch’s Airbag ASSP family and works with sensors from both companies, including Freescale’s Xtrinsic sensors.  It demonstrates how Freescale’s Qorivva MPC560xP MCU family, scalable  32-bit MCUs used for safety applications, works with Bosch’s CG147  Airbag ASSP family, which is a single, integrated airbag system IC that  combines power supply, firing loops, sensor interfaces, and a safety  controller. The reference platform comes with preloaded demonstration  software. Here’s what it looks like:

SOURCE: Freescale Automobility Blog