The first automobiles with microprocessor-controlled actions were rolled off the General Motors line within the late 1970s. Vehicular innovation since then has come mostly from the use of these electronic control units. Electronic control units are growing in use in vehicles – so it is very important understand at least their basics.
The Basics of an Electronic Control Unit
A microprocessor with a specific purpose in a automobile is essentially an electronic control unit. Each ECU is typically given one purpose. One ECU usually controls radio volume, while another controls airbags. Electronic control units within a car are networked with each other and with sensors that provide them with raw data. Each processor is coded (sometimes with up to 50,000 lines of code) to know what to do with the raw data it is being fed from the network of sensors.
Benefits from an ECU
An ECU can make a system in a car more efficient, more consistent, or easier to use. Spark plugs and fuel systems are typically electronically controlled, ensuring that fuel is wasted as little as possible. An ECU also makes sure that the right airbags go off at the right time. Electronic control sensors are also what allow hybrid vehicles to turn the proper parts of the engine on and off at the right time.
Costs of an Electronic Control Unit
The electronics of a car contribute to as much as 70 percent of the development time of a new car. Given this, it is not surprising that about 40 percent of the cost of a new car is because of the electronics. On one premium vehicle, like a BMW, software development can very easily run to the billions of dollars. There is also a danger with electronic control units; recent studies have found that they’re very susceptible to hacking. In the end, the only reliable way to opt-out of an electronic control system-controlled vehicle is to get a car built before the 1970s and do your best to keep it running.
