Novel hardware and software combination for automotive motorsport vehicles based on direct processing of graphical functions

The main motivation for the work presented here began with previously conducted experiments with a programming concept at the time named "Macro". These experiments led to the conviction that it would be possible to build a system of engine control from scratch, which could eliminate many of the current problems of engine management systems in a direct and intrinsic way. It was also hoped that it would minimize the full range of software and hardware needed to make a final and fully functional system. Initially, this paper proposes to make a comprehensive survey of the state of the art in the specific area of software and corresponding hardware of automotive tools and automotive ECUs. Problems arising from such software will be identified, and it will be clear that practically all of these problems stem directly or indirectly from the fact that we continue to make comprehensive use of extremely long and complex "tool chains". Similarly, in the hardware, it will be argued that the problems stem from the extreme complexity and inter-dependency inside processor architectures. The conclusions are presented through an extensive list of "pitfalls" which will be thoroughly enumerated, identified and characterized. Solutions will also be proposed for the various current issues and for the implementation of these same solutions. All this final work will be part of a "proof-of-concept" system called "ECU2010". The central element of this system is the before mentioned "Macro" concept, which is an graphical block representing one of many operations required in a automotive system having arithmetic, logic, filtering, integration, multiplexing functions among others. The end result of the proposed work is a single tool, fully integrated, enabling the development and management of the entire system in one simple visual interface. Part of the presented result relies on a hardware platform fully adapted to the software, as well as enabling high flexibility and scalability in addition to using exactly the same technology for ECU, data logger and peripherals alike. Current systems rely on a mostly evolutionary path, only allowing online calibration of parameters, but never the online alteration of their own automotive functionality algorithms. By contrast, the system developed and described in this thesis had the advantage of following a "clean-slate" approach, whereby everything could be rethought globally. In the end, out of all the system characteristics, "LIVE-Prototyping" is the most relevant feature, allowing the adjustment of automotive algorithms (eg. Injection, ignition, lambda control, etc.) 100% online, keeping the engine constantly working, without ever having to stop or reboot to make such changes. This consequently eliminates any "turnaround delay" typically present in current automotive systems, thereby enhancing the efficiency and handling of such systems.