Drive by Wire – “What Will Be Its Impact On Tomorrow’s Vehicles?” Craig Stephens Ford Motor Company

2 Why Drive by Wire Through the use of of electronics and software in drive by wire systems we can offer our customers new functions and improved attributes: – Fuel economy – Ride and handling – Driveability – Interaction with the environment and vehicle surroundings

3 Drive by Wire Considerations What value or enhancement does the system provide to the customer? How does the customer interact with the system? How do we manage the added system complexity? These new systems must be safe and reliable

What can we learn from other Industries?

5 Unique Automotive Factors Operator training Service & after market modification Cycle time Production volumes Product use

6 Complexity Considerations Safe operation must be ensured as the complexity of the systems increases: –Increased complexity creates new modes that have to be assessed and managed with respect to safety, reliability and availability –Interactions between previously separate subsystems (e.g. brakes & powertrain) create coupled modes which must be managed Has consequences for design, release, manufacture and service The management of the complexity will inevitably rely heavily on software for design, analysis,and implementation The increased complexity is often invisible

7 Techniques & Tools Techniques that help bridge the gap between written functional requirements and the end design Techniques to analyse behaviour in subsystems and systems that exhibit modal and continuous behaviour Hardware and Software in the loop systems to enable system analysis and testing

8 Standards & Best Practices Customer interface Architectures Operating systems and communication protocols Process Tool interfaces Model standards

9 Conclusions