Automotive sensor technology for China and the world

Sophisticated, flexible, affordable sensor innovation

In Shanghai from August 27-29, this year’s Testing Expo China – Automotive takes place. ASC Sensors will be attending the world’s leading expo jointly with our strong distribution partner Nanjing Wijp. Meet Jason Ji at ASC booth 7220 in hall 1 to discuss every aspect of automotive testing, development and validation – and how ASC’s inertial sensor technology enhances automotive efficiency, safety and productivity.

Over 300 exhibitors will share their most up-to-date technologies and services in ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), autonomous vehicle testing, electric and hybrid powertrain testing, battery and range testing, EMI (electromagnetic interference) and NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) test and analysis and the full spectrum of test and validation technologies for full-vehicle, component and systems development.

Required for these sophisticated development, test and validation applications: Advanced sensor technology like ASC’s inertial sensor systems that accurately capture diverse measurements, are flexible to customize, robust to resist harsh testing conditions and also cost-efficient. This combination is crucial for creating added value for e-vehicle manufacturers as well as those of traditional combustion engine ones, from automobiles to motorbikes, industrial or specialty vehicles, construction or agricultural machinery – for the Chinese market and around the world.

Reducing the complexity and cost of vehicle testing

For example, manufacturers such as MAN offer a broad portfolio of trucks, buses and other commercial vehicles for use in the most diverse parts of the world. Road types, surfaces and environmental conditions – and the challenges they present to the robustness, maintenance costs and longevity of a vehicle – vary greatly from country to country. Capacitive ASC accelerometers installed at the chassis or body help producers like MAN optimize their vehicles to the respective local road conditions.

Road load data acquisition (RLDA) is a testing method used in automotive development to quantify vehicles under known, real-world operating and infrastructure conditions. Triaxial MEMS capacitive accelerometers ASC 5525MF feature a wide frequency response. Their robust stainless-steel housing is ideally suited for test drives in harsh environments. At predefined spots, they capture the exact vertical, horizontal and cross acceleration forces affecting the vehicle. From these values, the impact of a variety of load and road conditions on relevant areas of the truck can be determined. Using this input, MAN and other manufacturers can optimize individual vehicle components and extend their productive lifetime.

Capacitive accelerometers from ASC are based on high-quality sensor elements (MEMS) of impressive long-term stability and reliability. This technology makes it possible to measure static (DC) as well as constant and dynamic (AC) accelerations, with a 7 kHz range and amplitudes of up to ±400 g. Due to the design of the micro mechanical structures the sensors feature an extremely short recovery time, with shock resistance of up to 6,000 g.

Fatigue strength tests to increase vehicle lifespan

Determining the lifespan of materials subjected to cyclic loads helps optimize heavily stressed vehicle components such as driver, rear and sliding doors of delivery vans. ASC’s accelerometers and gyroscopes are used in weeklong endurance tests. They record exact accelerations, rotational movements, maximum speeds and reversal points while other relevant forces impacting the vehicle are calculated from this data.

ASC’s analog gyroscopes used in these testing series are based on proven MEMS vibrating ring technology. The design of micro mechanical silicon structures makes them extremely insensitive to external impact and vibrations. In terms of maximum accuracy, the uniaxial and triaxial gyroscopes are available for both industrial grade performance (bias stability <12 °/h, measurement range ±75 to ±900 °/s) and tactical grade performance (bias stability <0.1°/h, measurement range ±10 to ±400 °/s).

Inertial IMUs and accelerometers to enhance e-mobility

Significant differences exist regarding the drivetrain of electric vs. combustion engine vehicles. For example, the low number of gear steps in e-vehicles reduces friction and vibration damping. Therefore, vibrations caused by internal (torque changes, brake interventions), external excitation (uneven road surfaces, potholes) and torsional vibration phenomena need to be analyzed and mitigated.

To that end, ASC’s IMU 7 provides the most flexible precision sensor ‘toolbox’ for improving the driving dynamics, comfort and efficient operation of your vehicle. ASC’s inertial measurement units (IMUs) are based on a flexible modular concept. By combining three accelerometers and three gyroscopes, an integrated sensor system featuring up to 6 DOF with individually adjustable measurement ranges can be achieved.

Also, the rigorous testing of complex hv-battery structures requires extremely accurate and reliable measurements. Operational stability testing of electric vehicles is enabled by a range of capacitive ASC accelerometers used in shock, vibration and sled tests as well as misuse scenarios.