Abstract
Improved passive safety measurement and analyses are required to minimize injuries to passengers in vehicles when collisions arise. Impact tests using the developed impact simulator have been carried out to validate proposals for the specifications of a new electronic single point-sensing module (ESPS). This paper describes the structure and control of the simulator that includes a servomechanism, a signal acquisition. sensor interface circuits, and a crash recognition algorithm for a side airbag system. The aim of the tests using this equipment is to make the output signals from sensors equal to those on real vehicle collision tests. Using the simulator, the output signals have been used to define some thresholds governing the firing or non-firing conditions for the inflators. The results of tests undertaken provide data appli- cable to the development of an algorithm for a side airbag system.