Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in

Automobiles
1. EMBEDDED SYSTEM

An Embedded system is a computer system with a dedicated function within

a larger mechanical or electrical system, often with real-time computing
constraints. It is embedded as part of a complete device often including
hardware and mechanical parts. By contrast, a general-purpose computer, such
as a personal computer (PC), is designed to be flexible and to meet a wide
range of end-user needs. Embedded systems control many devices in common
use today.

Embedded systems contain processing cores that are either microcontrollers,

or digital signal processors (DSP).

A processor is an important unit in the embedded system hardware. It is the

heart of the embedded system.

“An Embedded system is a combination of hardware and software which

creates a dedicated computer system that performs specific, pre-define task
and which is encapsulated within the device it controls”

The key characteristic, however, is being dedicated to handle a particular task.

Since the embedded system is dedicated to specific tasks, design engineers can
optimize it to reduce the size and cost of the product and increase the
reliability and performance. Some embedded systems are mass-produced,
benefiting from economies of scale.

Physically, embedded systems range from portable devices such as digital

watches and MP3 players, to large stationary installations like traffic lights,
factory controllers, and largely complex systems like hybrid vehicles, MRI,
and avionics. Complexity varies from low, with a single microcontroller chip,
to very high with multiple units, peripherals and networks mounted inside a
large chassis or enclosure.
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Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
Automobiles

Fig 1 – Architecture of Embedded System

Transportation systems from flight to automobiles increasingly

use embedded systems. New airplanes contain
advanced avionics such as inertial guidance
systems and GPS receivers that also have considerable safety
requirements. Various electric motors — brushless DC
motors, induction motors and DC motors — use
electric/electronic motor controllers. Automobiles, electric vehicles,
and hybrid vehicles increasingly use embedded systems to maximize
efficiency and reduce pollution. Other automotive safety systems
include anti-lock braking system (ABS), Electronic Stability
Control (ESC/ESP), traction control (TCS) and automatic four-wheel
drive.
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Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
Automobiles
1.1 WHAT IS EMBEDDED SYSTEMS?

An embedded system is any device controlled by

instructions stored on a chip. These devices are usually
controlled by a microprocessor that executes the instructions
stored on a read only memory (ROM) chip.

The software for the embedded system is called firmware.

The firmware will be written in assembly language for time or
resource critical operations or using higher level languages like C
or embedded C. The software will be simulated using micro code
simulators for the target processor. Since they are supposed to
perform only specific tasks, these programs are stored in read
only memories (ROMs).Moreover they may need no or minimal
inputs from the user, hence the user interface like monitor, mouse
and large keyboard etc, may be absent.

Embedded systems are computer systems that monitor,

respond to, or control an external environment. This environment
is connected to the computer system through sensors, actuators,
and other input-output interfaces. It may consist of physical or
biological objects of any form and structure. Often humans are
part of the connected external world, but a wide range of other
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natural and artificial objects, as well as animals are also possible.

Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
Automobiles

Embedded systems are also known as real time systems

since they respond to an input or event and produce the result
within a guaranteed time period. This time period can be few
microseconds to days or months. The computer system must meet
various timing and other constraints that are imposed on it by the
real-time behaviour of the external world to which it is interfaced.
Hence comes the name real time. Another Name for many of these
systems is reactive systems, because their primary purpose is to
respond to or react to signals from their environment. A real time
computer system may be a component of a larger system in which
it is embedded; reasonably such a computer component is called an
embedded system.

Embedded systems control engine management systems in

automobiles, monitor home heating systems and regulate the
quiet operation and the even distribution of laundry in washing
machines. They are the heart of toys like Furry and Tamagotchi,
of golf balls that cannot get lost and of gas pumps at gasoline
stations that advertise nearby restaurants on video. Above all,
state-of-the art communications equipment like WAP mobile
telephones, MP3 players, set-top boxes and Net devices would
not be possible without these powerful miniature brains.
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Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
Automobiles

Applications and examples of real time systems are

ubiquitous and proliferating, appearing as part of our
commercial, government, military, medical, educational, and
cultural infrastructures. Included are:

 Vehicle systems for automobiles, subways, aircraft, railways

and ships.

 Traffic control for highways, airspace, railway tracks and

shipping lanes.

 Process control for power plants, chemical plants and

consumer products such as soft drinks and beer.

 Medical systems for radiation therapy, patient monitoring and

defibrillation

 Military uses such as firing weapons, tracking and command

and control.

 Manufacturing systems with robots.

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Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
Automobiles

 Telephone, radio and satellite communications.

 Computer games.

 Multimedia systems that provide text, graphic, audio and

video interfaces.

 Households systems for monitoring and controlling

appliances.

 Building managers that controls such entities as heat, light,

Doors and elevators.

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Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
Automobiles
Fig-2 Applications of Embedded system

2. AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS

Automotive Electronics are any electrically-generated systems

used in road vehicles, such as: telematics, in-car entertainment systems,
etc... Automotive Electronics originated from the need to control engines.
The first electronic pieces were used to control engine functions and
were referred to as Engine Control Units (ECU). As electronic controls
began to be used for more automotive applications, the acronym ECU
took on the more general meaning of "electronic control unit", and then
specific ECUs were developed. Now, ECUs are modular- Engine Control
Module (ECM) or Transmission Control Module (TCM).

A modern car may have up to 100 ECUs and a commercial vehicle up

to 40.

“Electronic control unit (ECU) is a generic term for any

embedded system that controls one or more of the electrical
system or subsystems in a motor vehicle”

Automotive electronics or automotive embedded systems are distributed

systems, and according to different domains in the automotive field,
they can be classified into:

1. Engine electronics
2. Transmission electronics
3. Chassis electronics
4. Active safety
5. Driver assistance
6. Passenger comfort
7. Entertainment system
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Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
Automobiles

2.1 SENSOR’S USED IN ECU

ECU uses different sensors to perform a particular task. Almost

every operation performed by the ECU uses sensors there are many
sensors which are used depending on the type of operation to be
performed for example to measure the temperature of the transmission
fluid we use Transmission fluid temperature sensor. Some of the
sensors used are listed below

 Curb feeler: Used to warn driver of curbs

 Defect detector: Used on railroads to detect axle and signal problems in
passing trains
 Engine coolant temperature sensor, or ECT sensor: Used to measure the
engine temperature
 Hall effect sensor: Used to time the speed of wheels and shafts
 MAP sensor, Manifold Absolute Pressure: Used in regulating fuel
metering.
 Mass flow sensor, or mass airflow (MAF) sensor: Used to tell
the ECU the mass of air entering the engine
 Oxygen sensor: Used to monitor the amount of oxygen in the exhaust
 Parking sensors: Used to alert the driver of unseen obstacles during
parking manoeuvres
 Radar gun: Used to detect the speed of other objects
 Speedometer: Used measure the instantaneous speed of a land vehicle
 Speed sensor: Used to detect the speed of an object
 Throttle position sensor: Used to monitor the position of the throttle in an
internal combustion engine
 Tire-pressure monitoring sensor: Used to monitor the air pressure inside
the tires
 Torque sensor, or torque transducer or torque meter measures torque
(twisting force) on a rotating system.
 Turbine speed sensor (TSS), or input speed sensor (ISS): Used to
measure the rotational speed of the input shaft or torque converter
 Variable reluctance sensor: Used to measure position and speed of
moving metal components
 Vehicle speed sensor (VSS): Used to measure the speed of the vehicle
 Water sensor or water-in-fuel sensor: Used to indicate the presence of
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water in fuel

Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
Automobiles
 Wheel speed sensor: Used for reading the speed of a vehicle's wheel
rotation

2.2 APPLICATIONS OF AUTOMONICS

Autonomics is the word which is a combination of two fields i.e.

Automobile and electronics .The field of electronics is widely
used in automobiles the figure shown below contrast its use in
the automobile industry. Electronics is one of the major source
which connects the car using different sensors, actuators, and
many more components.

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Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
Automobiles
Fig-3 Application of Electronics in today’s vehicle

The applications of autonomics’ are listed below:

• Air Bags
• Traction Control
• The Black Box
• Automatic Parking
• Anti-lock Brake
• In-vehicle System (ABS) entertainment
• Adaptive Cruise
• Heads-up display Control
• Night Vision• Drive by wire
• Satellite Radio E.g. XM
• Back-up collision sensor
• Telematics E.g. OnStar
• Rain-sensing Wipers
• Navigation Systems
• Emission Control
• Tire Pressure Monitor
• Climate Control
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Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
Automobiles

3 ANTI-LOCK BREAKING SYSTEM

Anti-lock braking system (ABS) is an automobile safety

system that allows the wheels on a motor vehicle to maintain tractive
contact with the road surface according to driver inputs while
braking, preventing the wheels from locking up (ceasing rotation)
and avoiding uncontrolled skidding. It is an automated system that
uses the principles of threshold braking and cadence braking which
were practiced by skilful drivers with previous generation braking
systems. It does this at a much faster rate and with better control than
a driver could manage.

ABS generally offers improved vehicle control and decreases

stopping distances on dry and slippery surfaces for many drivers;
however, on loose surfaces like gravel or snow-covered pavement,
ABS can significantly increase braking distance, although still
improving vehicle control.

Since initial widespread use in production cars, anti-lock

braking systems have evolved considerably. Recent versions not only
prevent wheel lock under braking, but also electronically control the
front-to-rear brake bias. This function, depending on its specific
capabilities and implementation, is known as electronic brake force
distribution (EBD), traction control system, emergency brake assist,
or electronic stability control (ESC).
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Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
Automobiles

3.1 COMPONENTS IN ABS

There are four main components of ABS: speed sensors, valves, a pump, and a controller.
Speed sensors
The anti-lock braking system needs some way of knowing when a wheel is about to
lock up. The speed sensors, which are located at each wheel, or in some cases in the
differential, provide this information.
Valves
There is a valve in the brake line of each brake controlled by the ABS. On some
systems, the valve has three positions:

 In position one, the valve is open; pressure from the master cylinder is
passed right through to the brake.
 In position two, the valve blocks the line, isolating that brake from the master
cylinder. This prevents the pressure from rising further should the driver push
the brake pedal harder.
 In position three, the valve releases some of the pressure from the brake.

Pump
When the ABS system operates the brake lines lose pressure. The pump re-
pressurizes the system.
Controller
The controller is an ECU type unit in the car which receives information from each
individual wheel speed sensor, in turn if a wheel loses traction the signal is sent to
the controller, the controller will then limit the brake force (EBD) and activate the
ABS modulator which actuates the braking valves on and off.
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Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
Automobiles

FIG-4 Components of Antilock braking system

3.2 ADVANTAGES AND USES OF ABS

There are many different variations and control algorithms for use in
ABS. One of the simpler systems works as follows:

1. The controller monitors the speed sensors at all times. It is looking for
decelerations in the wheel that are out of the ordinary. Right before a
wheel locks up, it will experience a rapid deceleration. If left unchecked,
the wheel would stop much more quickly than any car could. It might
take a car five seconds to stop from 60 mph (96.6 km/h) under ideal
conditions, but a wheel that locks up could stop spinning in less than a
second.

2. The ABS controller knows that such a rapid deceleration is impossible,

so it reduces the pressure to that brake until it sees an acceleration, then
it increases the pressure until it sees the deceleration again. It can do this
very quickly, before the tire can actually significantly change speed. The
result is that the tire slows down at the same rate as the car, with the
brakes keeping the tires very near the point at which they will start to
lock up. This gives the system maximum braking power.

3. When the ABS is in operation the driver will feel a pulsing in the brake
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pedal; this comes from the rapid opening and closing of the valves. This

Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
Automobiles
pulsing also tells the driver that the ABS has been triggered. Some ABS
systems can cycle up to 16 times per second.

FIG-5 Anti-lock braking system in cars to avoid accidents.

4. AIR BAGS
An airbag is a vehicle safety device. It is an occupant
restraint system consisting of a flexible fabric envelope or cushion
designed to inflate rapidly during an automobile collision. Its purpose
is to cushion occupants during a crash and provide protection to their
bodies when they strike interior objects such as the steering wheel or
a window. Modern vehicles may contain multiple airbag modules in
various side and frontal locations of the passenger seating positions,
and sensors may deploy one or more airbags in an impact zone at
variable rates based on the type, angle and severity of impact; the
airbag is designed to only inflate in moderate to severe frontal
crashes. Airbags are normally designed with the intention of
supplementing the protection of an occupant who is correctly
restrained with a seatbelt. Most designs are inflated through
pyrotechnic means and can only be operated once. Newer side-impact
airbag modules consist of compressed air cylinders that are triggered
in the event of a side impact vehicle impact.
The first commercial designs were introduced in passenger automobiles
during the 1970s with limited success. Broad commercial adoption of
airbags occurred in many markets during the late 1980s and early
1990s with a driver airbag, and a front passenger airbag as well on
some cars; and many modern vehicles now include four or more
units.
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Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
Automobiles

FIG-6 Suspension of airbag in a car

4.1 WORKING OF AIRBAG

The design is conceptually simple. A central Airbag control unit

(ACU) (a specific type of ECU) monitors a number of related
sensors within the vehicle, including accelerometers, impact sensors,
side (door) pressure sensors, wheel speed sensors, gyroscopes, brake
pressure sensors, and seat occupancy sensors. The bag itself and its
inflation mechanism is concealed within the steering wheel boss (for
the driver), or the dashboard (for the front passenger), behind plastic
flaps or doors which are designed to "tear open" under the force of
the bag inflating. Once the requisite 'threshold' has been reached or
exceeded, the airbag control unit will trigger the ignition of a gas
generator propellant to rapidly inflate a fabric bag. As the vehicle
occupant collides with and squeezes the bag, the gas escapes in a
controlled manner through small vent holes. The airbag's volume and
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the size of the vents in the bag are tailored to each vehicle type, to
spread out the deceleration of (and thus force experienced by) the

Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
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occupant over time and over the occupant's body, compared to a seat
belt alone.

The signals from the various sensors are fed into the Airbag control
unit, which determines from them the angle of impact, the severity, or
force of the crash, along with other variables. Depending on the result
of these calculations, the ACU may also deploy various additional
restraint devices, such as seat belt pre-tensioners, and/or airbags
(including frontal bags for driver and front passenger, along with
seat-mounted side bags, and "curtain" airbags which cover the side
glass). Each restraint device is typically activated with one or more
pyrotechnic devices, commonly called an initiator or electric match.
The electric match, which consists of an electrical conductor
wrapped in a combustible material, activates with a current pulse
between 1 to 3 amperes in less than 2 milliseconds. When the
conductor becomes hot enough, it ignites the combustible material,
which initiates the gas generator. In a seat belt pre-tensioner, this hot
gas is used to drive a piston that pulls the slack out of the seat belt. In
an airbag, the

Initiator is used to ignite solid propellant inside the airbag inflator.

The burning propellant generates inert gas which rapidly inflates the
airbag in approximately 20 to 30 milliseconds. An airbag must inflate
quickly in order to be fully inflated by the time the forward-traveling
occupant reaches its outer surface. Typically, the decision to deploy
an airbag in a frontal crash is made within 15 to 30 milliseconds after
the onset of the crash, and both the driver and passenger airbags are
fully inflated within approximately 60-80 milliseconds after the first
moment of vehicle contact.
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Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
Automobiles

FIG-7 Working of Airbag

If an airbag deploys too late or too slowly, the risk of occupant injury
from contact with the inflating airbag may increase. Since more
distance typically exists between the passenger and the instrument
panel, the passenger airbag is larger and requires more gas to fill it.

Older airbag systems contained a mixture of sodium azide (NaN3),

KNO3, and SiO2. A typical driver-side airbag contains
approximately 50-80 g of NaN3, with the larger passenger-side
airbag containing about 250 g. Within about 40 milliseconds of
impact, all these components react in three separate reactions that
produce nitrogen gas. The reactions, in order, are as follows.

(1) 2 NaN3 → 2 Na + 3 N2 (g)

(2) 10 Na + 2 KNO3 → K2O + 5 Na2O + N2 (g)
(3) K2O + Na2O + 2 SiO2 → K2O3Si + Na2O3Si (silicate glass)
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The first reaction is the decomposition of NaN3 under high

temperature conditions using an electric impulse. This impulse

Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
Automobiles
generates to 300 °C temperatures required for the decomposition of
the NaN3 which produces Na metal and N2 gas. Since Na metal is
highly reactive, the KNO3 and SiO2 react and remove it, in turn
producing more N2 gas. The second reaction shows just that. The
reason that KNO3 is used rather than something like NaNO3 is
because it is less hygroscopic. It is very important that the materials
used in this reaction are not hygroscopic because absorbed moisture
can de-sensitize the system and cause the reaction to fail. The final
reaction is used to eliminate the K2O and Na2O produced in the
previous reactions because the first-period metal oxides are highly
reactive. These products react with SiO2 to produce a silicate glass
which is a harmless and stable compound.

Front airbags normally do not protect the occupants during side, rear,
or rollover accidents. Since airbags deploy only once and deflate
quickly after the initial impact, they will not be beneficial during a
subsequent collision. Safety belts help reduce the risk of injury in
many types of crashes. They help to properly position occupants to
maximize the airbag's benefits and they help restrain occupants
during the initial and any following collisions.

4.2 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

Advantage of Having Passenger Car Airbag

The main advantage of having car airbags for your passengers is that they provide an
additional level of protection in the event of a car accident. This added protection
can be the difference in some circumstances between life and death.

Risks of Airbag Deployment versus Risk of Injury or Death

Although some question the overall safety of vehicle airbags because of the instances
of chest injuries and other impact injuries due to the nature of an airbag's deployment,
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these risks are significantly lower than the risk of serious injury or death that may
occur if the passenger is unprotected. Even with the protection a seatbelt and vehicle

Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
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restraint system provides in the event of a crash, the chance of surviving a serious
crash with airbags increase significantly.

Disadvantages of Having Passenger Car Airbags

Unfortunately, these safety tools can have some pretty significant liabilities.

Potential Injury

The biggest negative to airbags is that, though they are designed to protect, deploying
airbags can actually injure passengers in some situations. The impact of an airbag can
hurt a passenger who is improperly positioned. Deployment injuries can be most
harmful to children and infants. Types of injuries from airbags include chest injuries,
concussions and whiplash.

Safety advocates recommend against individuals under 12 riding in a front seat with
airbags. Also, drivers are cautioned against placing rear-facing infant seats in the
front seat with an airbag.

For adults, sit at least 10 to 12 inches away from the airbag to minimize the impact if
it should be deployed. It's very important to use seat belts along with airbags. This
helps cut down on potential airbag injuries for both drivers and passengers.

Resetting Airbags

After airbags have been deployed, they may be difficult to re-position for the next
deployment. You may spend substantial money at a shop getting passenger airbags
reset. Again, if there is only one occupant in the car, a multiple airbag deployment
can be a waste of money.

5. EVENT DATA RECORDER

An event data recorder or EDR is a device installed in some

automobiles to record information related to vehicle crashes or
accidents. In modern diesel trucks, EDRs are triggered by
electronically sensed problems in the engine (often called faults), or a
sudden change in wheel speed. One or more of these conditions may
occur because of an accident. Information from these devices can be
collected after a crash and analysed to help determine what the
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vehicles were doing before, during and after the crash or event. The

Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
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term generally refers to a simple, tamper-proof, read-write memory
device, similar to the "black box" found on airplanes (as opposed to
the tape recorders and video cameras common in police vehicles and
many commercial trucks)

FIG-7 Event Data Recorder used in cars.

5.1 EDR WORKING

There are many different patents related to various types of

EDR features. Some EDRs continuously record data, overwriting the
previous few minutes until a crash stops them, and others are activated
by crash-like events (such as sudden changes in velocity) and may
continue to record until the accident is over, or until the recording time is
expired. EDRs may record a wide range of data elements, potentially
including whether the brakes were applied, the speed at the time of
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impact, the steering angle, and whether seat belt circuits were shown as
"Buckled" or

Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
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"Unbuckled" at the time of the crash. Current EDRs store the information
internally on an EEPROM until recovered from the module. Some
vehicles have communications systems (such as GM's OnStar system)
that may transmit some data, such as an alert that the airbags have been
deployed, to a remote location.

Most EDRs in automobiles and light trucks are part of the

restraint system control module, which senses impact accelerations and
determines what restraints (airbags and/or seatbelt tensioners) to deploy.
[citation needed] After the deployment (or non-deployment) decisions are
made, and if there is still power available, the data are written to memory.
The data downloaded from older EDRs usually contain 6 to 8 pages of
information, though many newer systems include many more data
elements and require more pages, depending on the make/model/year of
the vehicle being evaluated. Depending on the type of EDR, it may
contain either a deployment file or a non-deployment file or sometimes
both, depending on the circumstances of the collisions and the time
interval between them, among other things.

It is also possible that no data can be recovered from a data

recorder. One situation where this might occur is a catastrophic loss of
electrical power early in a collision event. In this situation, the power
reserve in the restraint system control module capacitors may be
completely spent by the deployment of the air bags, leaving insufficient
power to write data to the EEPROM. There are other circumstances where
a module may fail to record a data file as well.

Most EDRs in heavy trucks are part of the engine electronic

control module (ECM), which controls fuel injection timing and
other functions in modern heavy-duty diesel engines. The EDR
functions are different for different engine manufacturers, but most
recognize engine events such as sudden stops, low oil pressure, or
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coolant loss, Detroit Diesel, Caterpillar Inc., Mercedes-Benz, Mack

Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
Automobiles
Trucks, and Cummins engines are among those that may contain this
function. When a fault-related event occurs, the data is written to
memory. When an event triggered by a reduction in wheel speed is
sensed, the data that is written to memory can include almost two
minutes of data about vehicle speed, brake application, clutch
application, and cruise control status. The data can be downloaded
later using the computer software and cables for the specific engine
involved. These software tools often allow monitoring of the driver
hours of service, fuel economy, idle time, average travel speeds, and
other information related to the maintenance and operation of the
vehicle.

Some EDRs only keep track of the car's speed along its length and
not the speed going sideways. Analysts generally look at the
momentum, energy, and crush damage, and then compare their speed
estimates to the number coming out of the EDR to create a complete
view of the accident.

6. TRACTION CONTROL

A traction control system (TCS) is typically a secondary

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function of the anti-lock braking system (ABS) on production motor

vehicles, designed to prevent loss of traction of driven road wheels.

Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
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When invoked it therefore enhances driver control as throttle input
applied is mis-matched to road surface conditions (due to varying
factors) being unable to manage applied torque.
Intervention consists of one or more of the following:
• Reduces or suppress spark sequence to one or more cylinders
• Reduce fuel supply to one or more cylinders
• Brake force applied at one or more wheels
• Close the throttle, if the vehicle is fitted with drive by wire
throttle
• In turbo-charged vehicles, a boost control solenoid can be
actuated to reduce boost and therefore engine power.
Typically, traction control systems share the electro-hydraulic brake
actuator (but does not use the conventional master cylinder and
servo), and wheel speed sensors with the anti-lock braking system.

6.1 WORKING AND OPERATION OF

TRACTION CONTROL
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Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
Automobiles

FIG-8 Architecture of Traction Control System

When the traction control computer (often incorporated into

another control unit, like the anti-lock braking system module)
detects one or more driven wheels spinning significantly faster than
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another, it invokes the ABS electronic control unit to apply brake

friction to wheels spinning with lessened traction. Braking action on

Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
Automobiles
slipping wheel(s) will cause power transfer to wheel axle(s) with
traction due to the mechanical action within a differential. All-wheel
drive AWD vehicles often have an electronically controlled coupling
system in the transfer case or transaxle engaged (active part-time
AWD), or locked-up tighter (in a true full-time set up driving all
wheels with some power all the time) to supply non-slipping wheels
with (more) torque.

This often occurs in conjunction with the powertrain computer

reducing available engine torque by electronically limiting throttle
application and/or fuel delivery, retarding ignition spark, completely
shutting down engine cylinders, and a number of other methods,
depending on the vehicle and how much technology is used to
control the engine and transmission. There are instances when
traction control is undesirable, such as trying to get a vehicle unstuck
in snow or mud. Allowing one wheel to spin can propel a vehicle
forward enough to get it unstuck, whereas both wheels applying a
limited amount of power can't get the same effect. Many vehicles
have a traction control shut off switch for just such circumstances.

6.2 USES OF TRACTION CONTROL

SYSTEM

• In road cars: Traction control has traditionally been a safety feature in

premium high-performance cars, which otherwise need sensitive throttle input
preventing spinning driven wheels when accelerating, especially in wet, icy or
snowy conditions. In recent years, traction control systems have become widely
available in non-performance cars, minivans, and light trucks.
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Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
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• In race cars: Traction control is used as a performance enhancement,

allowing maximum traction under acceleration without wheel spin. When
accelerating out of turn, it keeps the tires at optimal slip ratio.

• In motorcycles: Traction control for a production motorcycle was first

available with the BMW K1 in 1988. By 2009, traction control was an option
for several models offered by BMW and Ducati, and the model year 2010
Kawasaki Concours 14 (1400GTR).

• In off road vehicles: Traction control is used instead of, or in addition to

the mechanical limited slip or locking differential. It is often implemented with
an electronic limited slip differential, as well as other computerized controls of
the engine and transmission. The spinning wheel is slowed down with short
applications of brakes, diverting more torque to the non-spinning wheel; this is
the system adopted by Range Rover models in 1993, for example. ABS brake
traction control has several advantages over limited-slip and locking
differentials, such as steering control of a vehicle is easier, so the system can be
continuously enabled. It also creates less stress on powertrain and driveline
components, and increases durability as there are fewer moving parts to fail.
When programmed or calibrated for off road use, traction control systems like
Ford’s four-wheel electronic traction control (ETC) which is included with
Advance Trac, and Porsche’s four-wheel automatic brake differential (ABD),
can send 100 percent of torque to any one wheel or wheels, via an aggressive
brake strategy or "brake locking", allowing vehicles like the Expedition and
Cayenne to keep moving, even with two wheels (one front, one rear)
completely off the ground.

7. CONCLUSION

In the recent years, more and more equipment’s in automotive are

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changing from mechanical systems to electronic systems. Embedded

Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
Automobiles
system is a core of vehicle electronic systems because of its
flexibility and versatility. The electronics revolution has influenced
almost every aspect of automotive design including the powertrain,
fuel combustion, crash protection and the creation of a comfortable
cabin and nearly wireless environment. It is necessary to pay more
attention to the fields of environments, safety and security, which are
the most significant and challenge field of automotive embedded
system design.

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Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology

Seminar Report ’13 Embedded System in
Automobiles

ABSTRACT
“An embedded system is a combination of hardware and software which creates a dedicated computer system
that performs specific, pre- defined tasks and which is encapsulated within the device it controls.”
Characteristics of embedded systems
 Sophisticated functionality

 often have to run sophisticated algorithms or multiple algorithms.

 often provide sophisticated user interfaces.

 Real-time operation.

 must finish operations by deadlines

 Low manufacturing cost.  Low power.

Automotive Systems: Technology in today's vehicle
 Air Bags

 The Black Box

 Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)

 Adaptive Cruise Control

 Drive by wire

 Traction Control

 In-vehicle entertainment

 Heads-up display

 Night Vision

 Back-up collision

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Dept of ECE Deccan College Of Engineering & Technology