106 IT and Automotive Scalable Flash Processes thanks to Parallel ECU Access By Claudio Amato, Product Manager for the Diagnostic Tool Set (DTS) at Softing Automotive Electronics GmbH The programmability of ECUs (electronic control units) in today’s predominantly software-defined vehicles enables rapid troubleshooting, adaptation to market requirements and the integration of new functions. This high degree of flexibility and adaptability in ECU programming necessitates frequent updates and leads to an increase in the time and effort involved in software development. In addition, the amount of data that needs to be transmitted, processed and ultimately tested increases with each new generation of vehicles. Softing’s multi-flash plug-in, incorporated in the engineering tester DTS.monaco, enables parallel access to up to eight ECUs or vehicles, even on a remote basis, thus optimizing the update process and maximizing the advantages of the flashable ECUs. High Number of ECUs and Large Data Volumes during Flashing A high number of ECUs need to be tested and updated, particularly in the areas of prototype construction and manufacture preparation. OEMs generally update the supplied ECUs, which are often already installed and have to be tested and updated in the network, for example in test vehicles or test benches. It is crucial that all ECUs and vehicles are promptly updated to the desired software version to obtain meaningful results. Manufacturing poses a further challenge, as the ECUs must be equipped with the correct software ‘just in time’ to avoid delays on the production line and ensure an efficient process flow. Suppliers often perform this time-consuming task upstream. This requires an efficient method of updating several hundred ECUs correctly and on time before delivery. In all applications, there is also the aspect of differentiating between identical and different ECUs, as the same or different flash data must be stored accordingly. With identical ECUs, standardized flash procedures ensure high efficiency and consistency. In the case of different ECUs, individual flash strategies must be applied to make optimum use of the available bandwidth. Increasing Performance with a Scalable Multi-Flash Strategy Regardless of the choice of system, such as which bus system is used for vehicle access, the parallelization of processes is essential for increasing efficiency over the entire vehicle life cycle. To obtain a targeted strategy for parallel flashing, Images: © Softing Automotive Electronics GmbH
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