Automotive engine/chassis control and development systems: quick state-of-the-art overview focused on a "clean-slate approach" for innovative easy-handling methods

Abstract

This paper starts by identifying the automotive engine/chassis system, which is the target of the state-of-the-art development and control tools presented right after. The underlying need for easy-handling mechanisms to harness the overwhelming and ever-growing range ofprogramming and operational details of the corresponding electronic control units (ECUs), is addressed. This complexity is mainly caused by the highly opaque path between the user-interface and the hardware platform. Finally, some considerations on enhancements are made, which potentially provide significant changes in the way automotive systems are programmed, prototyped, simulated, debugged and verified.At the end, some elucidative details of an ongoing "clean-slate approach" project are disclosed. It is shown that by shortening the path between interface and hardware, interesting possibilities arise, such as "Live-prototyping", which is a sort of 100% Interactive Programming. The paper [1] is an excellent introductory reading to better understandthe herein presented worries and considerations.