Abstract
Keywords - Body Electronics, Total System Approach, Client-Server Architecture, Reusability, Complexity Reduction
Abstract - In recent years one could observe a continuously growing number of functionalities in body electronics penetrating through all vehicle platforms. A high variety of vehicle models, manifold individualization of features and the necessity for retrofitting and upgrade of functions leads to an increasing complexity. Any essential reduction of life cycle costs as well as of development time requires reuse of hardware and software components based on open and standardized system architectures.
To cope with these challenges BOSCH decided on the total system approach for the development of innovative body electronics architectures. The optimization of the system as a whole starts top-down with a structured decomposition and description of functional components and their interfaces according to the CARTRONIC methodology. During the design process functionalities are mapped to different implementations, namely hardware and software architectures, as well as networking topologies, under consideration of non-functional requirements. Main criteria for this procedure are the total system costs, an enhancement of flexibility, the ability to manage complexity as well as time to market.
Together with lead customers BOSCH worked out the future-proof partitioning of a client-server car architecture. While the hardware-oriented lower levels of the control functionalities are realized in relatively simple clients (so-called Distributed Peripheral Modules), one finds a centralization of the computing power in Body Computers. The Body Computer serves as an integration platform for various customer-relevant software by different suppliers.
The model range and possibly OEM spanning utilization of standardized and field-tested mechatronics results in an optimum regarding costs at flexible fittings and increased reliability. A scaleable Body Computer platform offers flexible adaptation of customer-relevant functions to varying market requirements as well as the integration of complex algorithms (e.g. for electrical energy management). The traditionally fixed correlation between functions and assigned ECUs is broken up.
In order to develop an ideal set of body electronics building blocks, it is necessary to establish a close collaboration between electronics supplier, OEM and harness supplier already at an early stage of development. Standardized architectures provide a stable basis for the reuse of hardware and software components. Excellence in methodology, process and tools guarantees high development efficiency and quality.