Electronic Control Research Articles

Design of four-wheel steering system based on automotive electronic control technology

Abstract With the rapid development of the automobile industry, people’s requirements for automobile handling performance and driving safety are getting higher and higher. As an important automobile power system, four-wheel steering technology can improve the maneuverability, stability, and safety of vehicles by controlling the steering angles of front and rear wheels. Therefore, the design and research of the four-wheel steering system has become one of the hotspots in the field of automotive engineering. In this paper, a two-degree-of-freedom dynamics model is established, and based on the PID control strategy of joint feedback of center-of-mass lateral deflection and traverse angular velocity, the vehicle model of a four-wheeled steering vehicle is constructed by using TruckSim, and the minimum turning radius test, serpentine test, and steering wheel angle step test project are carried out. The results show that compared with the two-wheel steering vehicle, the minimum turning diameter of the four-wheel steering vehicle is reduced by 1/3, which effectively improves the maneuverability at low speeds as well as the safety and stability at high speeds, and has better transient response.

Design of Variable Valve Timing and Electronic Control for Honda R18A

Abstract: This paper explores the Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC) system developed by Honda, focusing on its mechanisms, design methodology, and impact on engine performance. VTEC optimizes engine efficiency and power by switching between cam profiles suited for low-RPM stability and high-RPM power output, controlled by the engine's computer based on operational conditions. We examine the intricate workings of the VTEC system, detailing its hydraulic actuation and the resulting enhancements in torque and horsepower. Our study centers on the Honda R18A engine, targeting increased maximum RPM and power output. Using theoretical analysis validated through Ricardo Wave software and MATLAB simulations, we determine optimal valve lift and timing to achieve the desired performance. Additionally, the research addresses the geometric parameters influencing airflow through the valves, providing a comprehensive understanding of the VTEC system's contribution to engine efficiency and driving experience. This investigation not only underscores the technological advancements in variable valve timing but also presents practical insights for automotive engineering applications.

Performance, emissions and combustion analysis of hydrogen-enriched compressed natural gas spark ignition engine by optimized Gaussian process regression and neural network at low speed on different loads

The transportation industry is increasingly focused on hydrogen based fuel as a promising alternative due to its potential for reduced emissions and enhanced performance. The purpose of this study is to improve efficiency and reduce emissions on low speed on different loads for heavy duty vehicles. This study can be impactful to train the electronic control unit (ECU) for heavy duty vehicles working on aforementioned conditions. This study investigates the effect of hydrogen ratios (0%–40 %) in HCNG, (0%–15 %) exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) ratios, and spark timing (8°-34o CA bTDC) at low and high loads (15 % & 75 %) under stoichiometric conditions at low speed (700 rpm). Performance, emissions and combustion parameters were thoroughly analysed across these conditions. Brake thermal efficiency increases by 20.7 % & 19.4 % by the addition of (0 %–40 %) hydrogen at low and high load at 14o CA bTDC running on 5 % and 0 % EGR respectively. NOx emissions reduces by 11.9 % & 17.9 % by the addition of (0 %–15 %) EGR and increases by 46.1 % & 46.4 % by increasing the amount of hydrogen in HCNG at low and high load at 14o CA bTDC at 0 % EGR respectively. Coefficient of variation reduces 13.8 % by (0 %–40 %) hydrogen addition at 11 % EGR at 16o CA bTDC. Optimized Gaussian process regression (GPR) and neural network (NN) machine learning techniques were applied to the dataset, and found GPR matern 5/2 is best one. The findings can be utilized in the development of HCNG engine.

The Need for Cybersecurity in Automotive Industry

This research paper analyzes the importance of cybersecurity in the automotive industry and explains how cybersecurity threats impact the modern world of connected, autonomous, and electrical vehicles. Furthermore, this paper covers in-depth research into the different types of automotive cyber threats such as physical, sensor, software, and network attacks on a vehicle, and various methods to prevent these threats from happening in real-world scenarios. The research paper also helps the reader to gain a broader understanding of cybersecurity in the automotive world. The methodology of this research involved analyzing and collecting information through various external websites, articles, and research papers. Information was collected on automotive cybersecurity incidents from news articles and international cyber security conference presentations. Based on this evidence from various external sources, the research problem was supported by factual data. This paper also talks about all the various solutions to cybersecurity threats in depth such as authentication and encryption, malware detection, software analysis, VPNs (Virtual Private Network), and cryptography. This paper also provides information about some of the new regulations and standards that are currently adopted in the automotive industry. With the rapid change in automotive technology, it is important to be aware that cars can have up to 150 ECUs (Electronic Control Unit) and about 300 million lines of code in near future which could expose more vulnerabilities. (2020, McKinsey & Company). To meet the challenge of these automotive cyber security threats, it is important that awareness should be created among the product engineers and researchers working on future automobiles. This paper attempts at exploring the challenges with automotive cyber security and creating this awareness.

Investigation of self-excited induction generator for supporting domestic loads and its extension to a microgrid

This study provides a technical and financial analysis for the incorporation of a microgrid structure with a wind energy conversion system for producing electricity. This study’s primary aim is to provide solutions for issues that arise when isolated induction generators are employed with microgrids. A closed-loop smart electronic load controller is used to regulate the loads in the system that are supplied by the generator. A switched variable capacitor bank is used to supply reactive power initially during a voltage dip at varying winds and loads to sustain the voltage profile. Additionally, a simple voltage control loop-based controller for the generator-side converter maintains the voltage at a steady level. Using HOMER software, an economic study of the suggested wind-based microgrid structure is also presented. A laboratory experimental setup is used to support the MATLAB/Simulink study of the proposed method and its control. The findings support the feasibility of implementing the suggested plan in grid-isolated regions for supplying critical loads.

Evaluation of SiL Testing Potential—Shifting from HiL by Identifying Compatible Requirements with vECUs

Due to the increasing complexity of vehicle software, it is becoming increasingly difficult to comprehensively test all requirements. This inevitably means that alternative test methods, e.g., simulation-based methods, must be used more frequently. However, the challenge involves identifying appropriate requirements that can be technically tested in a simulation environment initially. The present work is aimed at evaluation and optimization of the effectiveness of software-in-the-loop (SiL) simulations in the testing process of vehicle software. The focus is on supporting the testing process by shifting specific test cases from hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) test benches to SiL-based simulations. For this purpose, a systematic approach was developed to analyze and categorize requirements, enabling precise and efficient allocation of test cases. Furthermore, a detailed review and recommendation for improving the ProSTEP iViP standard for virtual electronic control units (vECU) was carried out. The developed matrix associates the defined requirement clusters with different classifications of vECUs, facilitating the identification of suitable test environment types for conducting specific test cases. By assigning test cases to appropriate vECU levels, the testing processes can be targeted and cost-optimized. Finally, the theoretical results were evaluated in an SiL simulation environment. It was observed that a significant part of the requirements could effectively be tested using a vECU. These findings confirmed the potential of SiL simulation environments to not only support, but also enhance, the testing process for vehicle software by providing a cost-effective and flexible complement to traditional HiL test benches.

Design and experiment of real-time reseeding system for transversal sugarcane planter with seeds pre-cutting

The issue of sugarcane seed leakage is one of the practical challenges encountered in the current utilization of sugarcane planting machinery, directly leading to reduced yields in sugarcane fields. This paper addresses the problem of seed leakage in the process of transverse planting of pre-cut sugarcane using theoretical analysis, modeling, simulation, and experimental research. It designs a real-time reseeding system for pre-cut sugarcane transverse planting machines, composed of seed boxes, backup seed rollers, reseeding rollers, and an electronic control system. The real-time reseeding system detects seed leakage on the planting machines seeding chain to control the reseeding mechanism, filling the gaps in the seeding chain with sugarcane seeds. During experimentation, the real-time reseeding system achieved a maximum reduction of seed leakage by 6% in the seeding chain, effectively addressing the issue of seed leakage in pre-cut sugarcane transverse planting machines.

Programmable Optoelectronic Synaptic Transistors Based on MoS2/Ta2NiS5 Heterojunction for Energy-Efficient Neuromorphic Optical Operation.

The optoelectronic synaptic transistors with various functions, broad spectral perception, and low power consumption are an urgent need for the development of advanced optical neural network systems. However, it remains a great challenge to realize the functional diversification of the systems on a single device. 2D van der Waals (vdW) materials can combine unique properties by stacking with each other to form heterojunctions, which may provide a strategy for solving this problem. Herein, an all-2D vdW heterojunction-based programmable optoelectronic synaptic transistor based on MoS2/Ta2NiS5 heterojunctions is demonstrated. The device implements reconfigurable, multilevel non-volatile memory (NVM) states through sequential modulation of multiple optical and electrical stimuli to achieve broadband (532-808nm), energy-efficient (17.2 fJ), hetero-synaptic functionality in a bionic manner. The intrinsic working mechanisms of the photogating effect caused by band alignment and the interfacial trapping defect modulation induced by gate voltage are revealed by Kelvin-probe force microscopy (KPFM) measurements and carrier transport analysis. Overall, the (opto)electronic synaptic weight controllability for combined in-sensor and in-memory logic processors is realized by the heterojunction properties. The proposed findings facilitate the technical realization of generic all 2D hetero-synapses for future artificial vision systems, opto-logical systems, and Internet of Things (IoT) entities.

Analysis of E2E Delay and Wiring Harness in In-Vehicle Network with Zonal Architecture.

With recent advances in vehicle technologies, in-vehicle networks (IVNs) and wiring harnesses are becoming increasingly complex. To solve these challenges, the automotive industry has adopted a new zonal-based IVN architecture (ZIA) that connects electronic control units (ECUs) according to their physical locations. In this paper, we evaluate how the number of zones in the ZIA affects the end-to-end (E2E) delay and the characteristics of the wiring harnesses. We evaluate the impact of the number of zones on E2E delay through the OMNeT++ network simulator. In addition, we theoretically predict and analyze the impact of the number of zones on the wiring harnesses. Specifically, we use an asymptotic approach to analyze the total length and weight evolution of the wiring harnesses in ZIAs with 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 zones by incrementally increasing the number of ECUs. We find that as the number of zones increases, the E2E delay increases, but the total length and weight of the wiring harnesses decreases. These results confirm that the ZIA effectively uses the wiring harnesses and mitigates network complexity within the vehicle.

Design and Development of an Electronic Controller for Accurate Temperature Management for Storage of Biological and Chemical Samples in Healthcare

This paper presents the design and development of an electronic controller for accurate temperature management for the storage of biological and chemical samples in healthcare applications. In the introduction, some important application aspects related to the use of temperature control devices in healthcare are discussed. Keeping these aspects in mind, a brief overview of some related works is presented. The findings are then translated to specific requirements for an electronic controller, which is to be used in a temperature control device. These requirements made necessary the development of a custom controller, as no readily available solutions could be obtained. The paper proceeds with the design of a suitable architecture and discusses some of the design choices. Then, some implementation details are presented and the prototype controller, together with its user interface, is illustrated. Experiments are conducted and several points for improvement are identified. Overall, the main task of keeping accurate, traceable temperature at all times is accomplished successfully, and the electronic controller proves to be a viable solution that conforms to the identified requirements. Future versions will improve the speed of the temperature adaptation and include better user interface and wireless connectivity for remote monitoring and control.

Electronic Technologies for Quality Control in the Biscuit Manufacturing Process

By 2030, the biscuit industry may go global due to advancements in electronic tools like eNose, eTongue, and eVision. This shift is governed by precision, productiveness, and regulatory compliance. Ultimately, the automation increase is driven by this consequence. This article will critically look at the issues and benefits arising within the biscuit production field after the shift towards the use of electronic control systems. It analyses the present situation and figures out the ineffectiveness on the part of conventional tools in solving the problem as it currently exists and shows how electronic instruments can be better in aiding visual and sensory inspections. While there have been remarkable achievements, these are persisting, of course, and they include high investment costs, specific skills requirements, and less flexibility when adapting to different production conditions. Without thorough research and development, the challenges in the production of the electronic control systems will still stand and no technology will be created to resolve the problems of the system. This study further reaffirms the need for the invention of modern and improved quality control processes for biscuit manufacturing plants. Through identifying previous methods and approaches and, the advantageous features of each, as well as highlighting shortcomings of current quality control strategies, this paper serves as an effective driving force for the future evolution and further improvement of quality control practices during biscuit production. Comprehensive product evaluation is attended to by employed approaches that analyse future benefits and opportunities as well as drawbacks and risks of the application of electronic quality control systems in the biscuit industry.

Exceptional electronic transport and quantum oscillations in thin bismuth crystals grown inside van der Waals materials.

Confining materials to two-dimensional forms changes the behaviour of the electrons and enables the creation of new devices. However, most materials are challenging to produce as uniform, thin crystals. Here we present a synthesis approach where thin crystals are grown in a nanoscale mould defined by atomically flat van der Waals (vdW) materials. By heating and compressing bismuth in a vdW mould made of hexagonal boron nitride, we grow ultraflat bismuth crystals less than 10 nm thick. Due to quantum confinement, the bismuth bulk states are gapped, isolating intrinsic Rashba surface states for transport studies. The vdW-moulded bismuth shows exceptional electronic transport, enabling the observation of Shubnikov-de Haas quantum oscillations originating from the (111) surface state Landau levels. By measuring the gate-dependent magnetoresistance, we observe multi-carrier quantum oscillations and Landau level splitting, with features originating from both the top and bottom surfaces. Our vdW mould growth technique establishes a platform for electronic studies and control of bismuth's Rashba surface states and topological boundary modes1-3. Beyond bismuth, the vdW-moulding approach provides a low-cost way to synthesize ultrathin crystals and directly integrate them into a vdW heterostructure.

Utilizing in situ construction of N-doped hierarchical porous carbon to achieve electronic control of highly dispersed Pd nanoparticles for efficient catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 to formic acid

Hydrogenation of CO2 to produce formic acid/formate is a significant pathway for future energy storage and utilization. The development of heterogeneous catalysts with high activity and stability for this process is still a challenge. In this work, the in-situ N-doped hierarchical porous carbon derived from distiller's grains was used as a support for Pd-based catalysts (Pd/NC) to convert CO2 into valuable chemicals while making high-value use of waste biomass. The optimum catalyst, Pd/NC-800, shown exceptional catalytic performance, achieving a turnover frequency (TOF) of 2060 h−1 at 100℃, 4 MPa in the catalytic CO2 hydrogenation to formate reaction. Comprehensive experimental results and density functional theory calculations indicate that the electronic effect between the pyridine N in the support and the Pd nanoparticles (NPs) can make the Pd surface reach the state of electron enrichment and enhance the metal-support interaction. Moreover, the synthesized material has hierarchical pore structure, which provides abundant Pd anchor location sites and improves mass transfer efficiency. The results not only provide a feasible strategy for the preparation of efficient CO2 hydrogenation catalysts, but also break a new and effective avenue for the resource utilization of distiller's grains.

CICIoV2024: Advancing realistic IDS approaches against DoS and spoofing attack in IoV CAN bus

Considering the complexity of network traffic in IoV operations, methods that can identify complex patterns become useful. Machine learning fosters several techniques to enhance the detection, prevention, and mitigation of cyberattacks. However, important features are not addressed in the current state-of-the-art security datasets for IoV. For example, in the case of intra-vehicle communications, it is critical to consider the interaction among multiple Electronic Control Units (ECUs). Also, mimicking a realistic IoV environment is not simple since establishing a test environment requires considerable financial investment. Hence, there is a need for a testbed composed of several real ECUs in an IoV environment comprising network traffic. Thereupon, the main goal of this research is to propose a realistic benchmark dataset to foster the development of new cybersecurity solutions for IoV operations. To accomplish this, five attacks were executed against the fully intact inner structure of a 2019 Ford car, complete with all ECUs. However, the vehicle was immobile and incapable of causing any potential harm or injuries. Hence, all attacks were carried out on the vehicle without endangering the car’s driver or passengers. These attacks are classified as spoofing and Denial-of-Service (Dos) and were carried out through the Controller Area Network (CAN) protocol. This effort establishes a baseline complementary to existing contributions and supports researchers in proposing new IoV solutions to strengthen overall security using different techniques (e.g., Machine Learning — ML). The CICIoV2024 dataset has been published on CIC’s dataset page.

A technique for increasing the throughput and reducing the reaction time to new threats of aviation electronic warfare systems under specified resource constraints

Currently, when designing new modern aviation electronic warfare systems designed for individual protection of attack aircraft from electronic weapons controls, very strict requirements are imposed on the probability of survival of the protected aircraft. The probability of an aircraft's survival directly depends on the throughput, which should be the maximum possible, and the reaction time to new threats, which should be the minimum possible, of aviation electronic warfare systems. It is necessary to ensure the maximum possible probability of survival of the protected aircraft attacked by electronic weapons controls, under certain specified resource constraints imposed on the weight, dimensions and energy consumption of the electronic warfare complex. Thus, in this case, it is necessary to solve the problem of conditional optimization of a function of many variables, which is a problem of nonlinear programming. The solution of this problem made it possible to carry out a formal description of the methodology for increasing throughput and reducing the reaction time to new threats of aviation electronic warfare complexes under given resource constraints. The developed technique can be applied in the design of aviation electronic warfare systems that provide effective individual protection of attack aircraft from electronic weapons controls.

Experimental Studies and Performance Characteristics Analysis of a Variable-Volume Heat Pump in a Ventilation System

Air-to-air heat pumps are used in today’s ventilation systems increasingly often as they provide heating and cooling for buildings. The energy transformation modes of these units are subject to constant change due to the varying outdoor air state, including temperature and humidity. When choosing how to operate and control energy transformers, it is important to be able to adapt effectively to the changing outside air conditions. Nowadays, modern commercial heat pumps offer two levels of control flexibility: a compressor with a variable speed and an electronic expansion valve. This combination of control elements has boosted the seasonal energy efficiency of heat pumps. For a long time, cycle control possibilities have been dominated by electronic controls. The authors of this paper aim to present an additional element to the traditional heat pump controls, which provides a third level of control over the cycle. To achieve the objective, experimental investigations of a heat pump integrated into a ventilation unit have been carried out under real-life conditions. The experiments involved varying the operating modes of the unit by adjusting the compressor speed, the position of the expansion valve, and the volume of the system loop. The study examined the performance characteristics of the heat pump and found that the performance of a variable-volume heat pump is comparable to that of a conventionally operated typical constant-volume heat pump system. In addition, the study found that by adding a third level of volume control to the active heating circuit, in combination with conventional controls, the heat pump’s heat output range could be extended by 69.62%. The study determined the variation of the heat pump cycle in the p-h diagram with the variation of the loop volume. The benefits and drawbacks of a heat pump with a variable-volume loop are discussed in this study.

Automotive digital forensics through data and log analysis of vehicle diagnosis Android apps

Modern vehicles including smart cars have been equipped with many electronic devices such as electronic control units (ECUs), on-board diagnostics (OBD) systems, telematics and infotainment systems, gateways, sensors, etc. Because these devices create, transmit, and store a lot of digital data, modern vehicles are becoming key source of digital evidence in vehicular forensics. In addition, some dedicated mobile apps can capture driving and diagnostic data from a vehicle via a Bluetooth-enabled OBD-II scanner. In this paper, we propose a new process for effective automotive forensics. It collects and analyzes three different types of data left on an Android phone which has been connected to the OBD-II port of a vehicle via Bluetooth communication. The three types of data are OBD-II Android apps' data, Bluetooth HCI snoop log, and the main log buffer of the Android logging system. By analyzing them individually and integratedly, we find Bluetooth connection time, vehicle information, MAC address of the OBD-II scanner, vehicle velocity, sharp speeding event, sudden braking event, refueling event, and so on. We also construct a timeline of Bluetooth traffic and driving events through the timeline analysis, which can be used to determine the driver's behaviors in terms of vehicle forensics.

A Hybrid Image Augmentation Technique for User- and Environment-Independent Hand Gesture Recognition Based on Deep Learning

This research stems from the increasing use of hand gestures in various applications, such as sign language recognition to electronic device control. The focus is the importance of accuracy and robustness in recognizing hand gestures to avoid misinterpretation and instruction errors. However, many experiments on hand gesture recognition are conducted in limited laboratory environments, which do not fully reflect the everyday use of hand gestures. Therefore, the importance of an ideal background in hand gesture recognition, involving only the signer without any distracting background, is highlighted. In the real world, the use of hand gestures involves various unique environmental conditions, including differences in background colors, varying lighting conditions, and different hand gesture positions. However, the datasets available to train hand gesture recognition models often lack sufficient variability, thereby hindering the development of accurate and adaptable systems. This research aims to develop a robust hand gesture recognition model capable of operating effectively in diverse real-world environments. By leveraging deep learning-based image augmentation techniques, the study seeks to enhance the accuracy of hand gesture recognition by simulating various environmental conditions. Through data duplication and augmentation methods, including background, geometric, and lighting adjustments, the diversity of the primary dataset is expanded to improve the effectiveness of model training. It is important to note that the utilization of the green screen technique, combined with geometric and lighting augmentation, significantly contributes to the model’s ability to recognize hand gestures accurately. The research results show a significant improvement in accuracy, especially with implementing the proposed green screen technique, underscoring its effectiveness in adapting to various environmental contexts. Additionally, the study emphasizes the importance of adjusting augmentation techniques to the dataset’s characteristics for optimal performance. These findings provide valuable insights into the practical application of hand gesture recognition technology and pave the way for further research in tailoring techniques to datasets with varying complexities and environmental variations.

The utilization of open-source microcontroller boards and single-board computers in liquid chromatography.

Electronic system control of analytical instrumentation remains a critical aspect of modern measurement science. Within the field of liquid chromatography (LC), this is especially relevant for automation, module operation, detection, data acquisition, and data analysis. Increasingly, home-built analytical tools used for liquid-phase separations rely upon open-source microcontrollers and single-board computers to aid in simplifying these operations. In this review, we detail literature reported within the past 5 years in which these types of devices were used to advance various aspects of the LC research field, including sample preparation, instrument control, and data collection.

Performance of a Highly Integrated Micro Linear Stirling Cooler with Active Vibration Cancellation

In order to meet the requirements of weight, vibration, and size in the field of infrared imaging, Lihan Cryogenics has developed a lightweight and compact free-piston Stirling cooler. The cooler weighs 265g and includes a built-in electronic controller and active balancer. The system comprises a gas-bearing moving magnet compressor and a low-temperature rod-less displacer, are arranged in-line to have axial symmetry (SymCoolTM). This is also designed to be IDCA (integrated dewar cooler assembly) optional to meet industry-standard. Furthermore, an active vibration controller is developed to reduce vibration, utilizing an active motor on the same axis as the compressor piston to offset vibrations. The refrigeration performance is experimentally tested under different heat dissipation and cold head working temperatures. The test results show that the cooler acquires 0.5W cooling capacity at 77K with 12.6W power consumption, and the power consumption of the active vibration controller is less than 3W.