Under the "big exam", how can automotive testing technology be "submitted" with high quality?

Do you still remember the tests back then? From the monthly exams to the college entrance exams, you must continue to practice hard all the way to move towards your ideal university. Cars are just like us in that era. Only by completing the "big test" one after another can we truly enter the market. After all, only highly rigorous testing can bring highly reliable quality.

Nowadays, under the wave of electrification and intelligence, electric vehicles are becoming popular all over the world. Data from Canalys shows that global electric vehicle (EV) sales will reach 6.5 million units in 2021, a year-on-year increase of 109%. Different from traditional cars, electric cars with more electronic equipment have higher requirements for safety performance, including on-board charging, in-car communications, ADAS systems, electronic power steering and suspension, inverters, traction motors, batteries, modules and batteries. Group... A large number of systems must be thoroughly tested before they can be considered safe to drive.
 

Schematic diagram of key subsystems of electric vehicles

In this regard, test equipment manufacturers and test engineers need to be able to quickly develop new test solutions to respond to changes in the automotive industry. As an excellent solution provider in the semiconductor industry, ADI can provide a rich and complete portfolio of high-performance products, bringing a high level of performance and robustness to the automotive testing industry.

hardware in the loop

As one of the cores of new energy vehicles, the electronic control unit's testing is a top priority. However, in the face of various subsystems and constant iteration requirements, it is definitely not in line with the cost logic to directly test on the entire vehicle bench. Therefore, a test technology that is used to test complex real-time systems and can be customized is an excellent choice - —Hardware in the loop (HIL).

Nowadays, as ECU functions become more and more powerful, HIL becomes more challenging. More complex models are needed to meet new market requirements such as efficiency, as they must replicate high-power switching behavior. As models become more complex, computation times increase, requiring faster acquisition and stimulation of simulation inputs and outputs.

ADI's broad portfolio of signal conditioning, data acquisition, signal generation and isolation products provide optimized solutions for HIL simulators, key to the ability to measure or generate a wide range of input signals in the form of voltage or current while maintaining very low latency. Whether the system design requires low power, low noise, high density, or high accuracy, ADI can provide complete signal chain solutions.

Current and voltage measurements

Often applications require the measurement of voltage or current signals over a wide bandwidth. The signal chain typically includes protection circuitry, analog front end, signal conditioning, single or multi-channel ADC, voltage reference, power management and isolation. The link below provides signal chain options for measuring wide bandwidths up to 1 MHz, optimized for noise performance to support AC and/or DC analysis.

Current and voltage measurements

Current and voltage drive

Analog output circuits must be able to generate dynamic signals with fast update rates. voltage range, resolution and output drive strength. These signal chains typically include precision DACs, isolation, power management, voltage references, amplification/signal conditioning, and output protection.

Current and voltage drive

Hardware-in-the-loop key products

The AD3542R ultra-fast 16-bit precision voltage output DAC is designed to generate multiple output ranges using a fixed 2.5 V reference. The AD3542R can be configured to implement multiple voltage ranges such as 2.5V, 3V, 10V, or ±5V. 

The ADAQ23878 integrated fully differential ADC driver with signal extension is a high-precision, high-speed μModule data acquisition solution that shortens the development cycle of high-precision measurement systems by offloading the burden of device selection, optimization, and layout to the designer. 

High voltage drive system testing

Testing an electric vehicle’s high-voltage (HV) drivetrain involves simulating and measuring the high-power input, high-power output and control signals of the inverter, battery pack, traction motor and charging system. These test systems must be able to deliver peak power levels and simulate worst-case scenarios, requiring technologies such as dynamic power supplies or electronic loads for highly robust testing. Additionally, test systems must be bidirectional or regenerative to increase efficiency. Measurement and control must be isolated to ensure safe and reliable operation at high voltage levels of hundreds to thousands of volts.
 

Electric vehicle transmission subsystem

The high-power isolated signal chain enables the efficiency and robustness required to test electric vehicle drivetrain components such as inverters, motors, chargers and charger connections. Precise measurement and control are required so that test systems operate efficiently and reliably under all conditions and deliver the required power exactly when it is needed. Together, these solutions provide the mixed-signal circuitry needed to accurately measure voltage and current in automotive test scenarios.

Dynamic power signal chain for ADI inverter testing

Featured products

The AD7606C-18 is an 18-bit, simultaneous sampling, analog-to-digital conversion data acquisition system (DAS) with eight channels. Each channel includes analog input clamp protection, a programmable gain amplifier (PGA), a low-pass filter (LPF), and an 18-bit successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC).
 

The ADN4620/ADN4621 are dual-channel, signal-isolated, low-voltage differential signaling (LVDS) buffers capable of data rates up to 2.5 Gbps and very low jitter. These devices integrate Analog Devices' iCoupler® technology, which has been enhanced for high-speed operation and provides plug-in electrical isolation of the LVDS signal chain.

Protocol analysis tools

Protocol analysis tools or data loggers are devices that monitor and record digital and analog signals (such as temperature, voltage, current, or digital communications) for use in diagnosing, repairing, or optimizing a vehicle. Modern vehicles, especially electric vehicles, need to support faster signaling rates and evolving standards while adhering to small size, low power consumption and high durability requirements to increase efficiency in use within the vehicle. These requirements create new challenges for automotive technology developers:

• More sensors, controls and interfaces: higher signal bandwidth, increased complexity

• Field operation: low power consumption, small size and robust operation, suitable for harsh environments or active drive testing

• Evolving standards and requirements: ensuring support for various wired and wireless protocols

• Durability and Versatility: Robust performance and fault tolerance
   

Various in-car protocols are used in modern cars

Protocol analysis tools need to support multiple interfaces, and ADI's product portfolio includes CAN, LIN, SENT, GMSL, RS-485/RS-232 or multi-protocol, USB, automotive Ethernet, A2B, C2B, E2B, etc. Common signals monitored by data loggers (such as temperature, voltage, or current) are suitable for narrowband oversampling ADCs, while Σ-Δ ADCs provide high signal chain integration, and multi-channel options are available for monitoring multiple signals simultaneously. ADI offers compact integrated isolated communications, multi-channel ADCs, and low-power MCU and ADC options for portable applications.

Data loggers and protocol analyzers

Featured products

The ADuM4165/ADuM4166 are USB 2.0 port isolators that leverage Analog Devices' iCouple® technology to dynamically support all USB 2.0 data rates, including low speed (1.5 Mbps), full speed (12 Mbps), or high speed (480 Mbps), as needed. These kits support host isolation with automatic speed negotiation as well as peripheral isolation.
 

The AD4116 is a low-power, low-noise 24-bit Σ-Δ analog-to-digital converter (ADC) that integrates an analog front end (AFE) and supports 6 fully differential or 11 single-ended high-impedance (≥10 MΩ ) Bipolar ±10 V voltage input. Additional 2 differential or 4 single-ended/pseudo-differential direct ADC inputs provide excellent performance in the lower input range.

Noise, vibration and harshness (NVH)

When developing new technology, such as electric motors or power steering, it is critical to understand how the equipment will respond to real-world variables, such as road vibration and other harsh conditions. Unnecessary sounds or interruptions in electronic signals can create auditory interference that can negatively impact the consumer's driving experience. Even worse, uncontrolled vibration can damage electrical and mechanical components over time, leading to potentially catastrophic failure.

Vehicle driving testing helps address these challenges during the development phase so that noise reduction technologies can be implemented and validated. In contrast, condition-based monitoring (CbM) aims to uncover similar inefficiencies in motors and machinery and is often used for ongoing monitoring after deployment. NVH testing is mainly used in the R&D certification phase, while CbM is used to monitor existing running machines or perform predictive maintenance.

MEMS connects to DAQ signal chain

Featured products

The ADXL1001/ADXL1002 provide ultra-low noise density over an extended frequency range with two full-scale range options and provide optimized monitoring of industrial conditions. The ADXL1001 (±100 g) and ADXL1002 (±50 g) have typical noise densities of 30 μg/√Hz and 25 μg/√Hz, respectively. Both accelerometer devices provide stable, repeatable sensitivity and can withstand external shocks up to 10,000 g.

The ADAQ7768-1 is a 24-bit precision data acquisition μModule® solution that packages signal conditioning, conversion and processing modules into a system-in-package (SIP) design, enabling the rapid development of highly compact, high-performance precision DAQ systems.