Hardware-in-the-loop-based evaluation platform for automotive instrument cluster development (EPIC)
Sebastian Osswald, Pratik Sheth, Manfred Tscheligi · 2013
This paper offers a contribution for platform-based evaluation techniques by proposing a hardware-in-the-loop-based approach for automotive instrument cluster (IC) development. An automotive IC interface requires for special attention as it provides the driver with safety-relevant information like speed or state of charge that is critical for the driving situation. As state of the art in-vehicle Human-Machine-Interfaces (HMI) are mostly embedded systems that make time-consuming research and development processes necessary, we propose a development platform that allows for a more rapid interface implementation and analysis. The evaluation platform for ICs (EPIC) is targeted at supporting engineers and researchers during the development phase of novel interface solutions that are reliable regarding their hardware connectivity and signal communication. It consists of a model-based vehicle simulation combined with automotive hardware to enable a real-time vehicle structure through a controller area network (CAN). Interchangeable, Android-based interfaces illustrate the flexibility of the approach and show the operability of the evaluation platform. To illustrate the applicability of the approach, the platform was embedded in an engineering process for an electric vehicle to address the challenge of user interface development.