Automotive And Transportation

The automotive and transportation industry faces many challenging test and measurement problems, from structural analysis to electronics test, with the latter becoming increasingly important as the use of semiconductors proliferates. Chips find use in infotainment, safety, and related vehicle functions in both electric and conventional internal-combustion-engine vehicles. Allied Market Research estimates that the automotive semiconductor market is growing at a CAGR of 11.8% and will reach $113.94 billion by 2030.

Many automotive semiconductors find use in electronic-control units, which control everything from powertrains to doors. An engine-control unit (ECU), for example, ensures optimal performance of internal-combustion engines. In response to sensor readings, an ECU adjusts engine actuators to control air/fuel ratio, ignition timing, and other factors. ECUs present extensive test challenges, which VTI Instruments is well positioned to meet.

• One leading global ECU supplier needed to rapidly test thousands of ECUs in production, each having 192 I/O channels. A successful test strategy would require expertise in signal switching and conditioning as well as data acquisition.

• VTI developed an ECU test system based on its EX1200 Series modular, scalable multifunction switch/measure units. EX1200 instruments offer synchronization and triggering capabilities that support integration within any LXI, GPIB, PXI/PXIe, or VXI hybrid system. The ECU test system that VTI developed can coordinate switch and measure cycles synchronously with third-party digitizers. The synchronous switch/measure cycles drastically reduced test times and increased flexibility.

VTI offers other products as well that serve automotive and transportation test and measurement applications:

• The SMX Series—an extension of the EX1200 Series—brings instrument-grade switching to PXI Express, addressing applications ranging from power switching to microwave switching.

• EMX Series instruments leverage the PXIe platform for improved performance and modularity in a variety of applications, including data acquisition, functional testing, and simulation. Series members include arbitrary waveform generators, breakout boxes, dynamic signal analyzers, digitizers, programmable resistors, and DIO modules.

VTI Instruments can apply its decades of experience to a wide range of automotive and transportation applications. In addition to ECU test, the company serves wind-tunnel tests, train infrastructure monitoring, and vehicle road testing and has provided solutions for engine test cells.

For related information, visit the Automotive and Transportation industry page of AMETEK Programmable Power.