Actions
Forum Thread Details
  • State Suggested Answer
  • Replies 2 replies
  • Answers 1 answer
  • Subscribers 304 subscribers
  • Views 660 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Related
See a helpful answer?

Be sure to click 'more' and select 'suggest as answer'!

If you're the thread creator, be sure to click 'more' then 'Verify as Answer'!

Prototype board for automotive ECU

Former Member

Hello folks. I am a complete newbie to all of this. I have tinkered a bit with Arduino. I am teaching myself C++, albeit slowly.

 

I am looking to replace an automotive ECU with a prototype board for evaluation, then hopefully have one built. I do know how difficult this is & do have the help of two extremely knowledgable programmers (one of whom developed the AT based virtual box). Of course, their time is rather expensive, so I would like to get opinions from this community, as to what prototype boards will fill my needs. I have been searching for a couple days to no avail.

 

Here are the minimum requirements:

 

12 A/D inputs

 

8 digital inputs

 

12 PWM outputs

 

8 12VDC switched outputs (Most likely triggering off board MOSFETS)

 

2 CAN busses

 

4 serial ports

 

2 USB

 

SD card

 

7" or 9" touch screen (Of course, this is not a needed feature, but would be integrated into the final product)

 

12VDC-14.5 VDC feed (Of course, a power supply could be added to take that range to the common 5, 9, 12VDC)

 

All A/D inputs must be 5VDC tolerant.

 

4-5VDC outputs for supplying various sensors & other parts already fed by the existing ECU (Of course, this could also be outboard, but would be nice.

 

512Kb flash (The more, the better)

 

512Kb RAM (The more the better)

 

I have defined most of the addresses & software in the existing ECU. It is a 32 bit processor with 256 KB of flash & 256 KB of RAM. I would like a 64 bit dual core processor, so that I can use 1/2 for the vehicle ECU & the other for a MP3 player, GPS nav, onboard accelerometer (For measuring HP, torque, acceleration, pitch & yaw) all probably Android based. The touch screen would control all of the Android based functions & also allow for changing the parameters of the ECU mapping. The ECU mapping would also hopefully be able to be controlled through the USB port on Linux/Windoze/Apple.

 

I know that this is quite a bit of requirements & will need daughter boards/shields/capes/MOSFET drivers & other outboard parts, but would like as many features to be contained on the prototype board for ease of setting up.

 

 

 

Again, I am truly a novice, so with all of this said, what would fit these requirements & also be the easiest for me to get started on?

 

 

 

I do thank you all for looking at my laundry list & appreciate any input.

 

 

 

Thank you,

 

Ed

  • 0

    I would check out the freedom boards rom NXP(was Freescale).

    Clem

  • 0

    If you truly want production grade automotive you need to look at companies like DSpace and Prodrive  - expect to pay serious money £10k+ per box but you might get something off the shelf.

     

    Your spec is not up to the mark for automotive - car battery supplies are 12-14 V on a good day but your electronics should work with anything from 6-18 (possibly 24) and survive -14 to +32V continuous. It must also withstand load dump (80V or so for 250mS) and high frequency spikes of various kinds. The inputs must withstand steady state voltages in the same range but also spikes and electrostatic discharge (8kV sparks to the inputs !).

     

    Every ECU on any mainstream production car will take this.

     

    It might be better to explain what you are trying to do - if it's just proof of concept you could make an interface board and add some kind of development board - from the little you say the TI Sitara processors with the PRUs or the Xilinx Zynq look possible choices. The Zynq (with its on chip FPGA) is the more flexible but you are talking serious money for development in either case.

     

    If there are any safety implications of the ECU you replace these must be considered carefully.

     

    An interface board design for a Zynq or Sitara dev board will cost you anything from £5k -> £50k for a design and a few prototypes. (price depends on spec and who you get to do it - I doubt that you'll get anything very good for as little as 5k and you could easily spend more than 50 if you're not careful.

     

    Sorry to be discouraging - but automotive is no place for newbies (hire someone with experience!!)  (and if you think the technical aspects are hard wait until you've been chewed up and spat out by the commercial guys a few times !)

     

    MK