Towards a seamless development process for automotive engine-control system

Abstract

This paper describes a new development platform for an automotive engine-control system and introduces a seamless development process with a practical example of model-based engine control. The development platform consists of a target-identical rapid control prototyping (RCP) system and a PC-based hardware-in-the loop simulation equipment. This RCP system is designed very similarly to the real production controller with the help of a customized target package and powerful microcontrollers. This RCP system insures rapidity of production as well as prototyping, by adopting a target-identical microprocessor. The resulting target identity is important from the viewpoint of practice and application. An organized development environment is provided by matching hardware-in-the-loop simulation (HILS) equipment with the RCP system. A control system can be easily tested and validated using PC-based HILS that uses commercial-off-the-shelf I/O boards. The development platform supports enhanced concurrent engineering, and results in a reduction of development time and cost. To examine the feasibilities of the proposed development environment, a model-based air-to-fuel ratio controller based on a sliding mode control scheme is implemented as a practical example.