What is the Vehicle Electronic and Electrical Architecture?In the past, the main role of control units in cars was to manage the engine, with each electrical component requiring a separate controller for independent control, which is known as a distributed architecture.As the number of in-vehicle electrical components increases, the corresponding ECUs (Electronic Control Units) also multiply, resulting in complexity and heaviness from a hardware configuration perspective.Different origins of ECUs lead to varied programming compilation methods and languages; each ECU has its independent communication, resulting in complex wiring; their physical locations differ, increasing assembly complexity; resource waste occurs, computational capabilities cannot be fully utilized, and costs rise.Therefore, a new vehicle electronic and electrical architecture is needed to address the issues brought by the distributed architecture, especially as cars transition from traditional transportation tools to smart terminals.“Functional Domains” and “Domain Controllers”Delphi was the first to introduce the concept of “functional domains” in the automotive industry to unify the construction of vehicle electronic and electrical architecture. Functional domains are categorized by function, such as body systems, entertainment systems, chassis systems, safety systems, power systems, and driver assistance systems.Within each domain, the DCU (Domain Control Unit) coordinates the various ECUs under its domain, taking on the primary computational responsibilities within the domain, thereby reducing the burden on each ECU and facilitating centralized control instead of disparate operations.The Formation of Vehicle Electronic and Electrical ArchitectureBased on this, Delphi proposed the EEA (Electrical/Electronic Architecture), a concept that integrates the design of the vehicle’s electronic and electrical systems, central electrical box design, connector design, and electronic and electrical distribution systems into a comprehensive vehicle electronic and electrical solution.Through EEA design, powertrains, driving information, entertainment information, and other body information can be transformed into actual physical layouts for power distribution, signal networks, data networks, diagnostics, fault tolerance, and energy management.New Issues and “Super Terminals”The characteristics of functional domains are distinguished by similar and related functions, while the components executing these functions are spread throughout the vehicle, requiring extensive wiring to connect them. The cost, difficulty, and weight of wiring design have significantly increased, and the computational capabilities of each domain controller cannot be maximized or shared.
The Concept of Zones
Tesla introduced the concept of “zones” to control the vehicle, dividing the vehicle into left zone, middle zone, and right zone, replacing the functional domain concepts such as body system, entertainment system, chassis system, safety system, power system, and driver assistance system. For example, the middle zone of Model 3 integrates both driving assistance and infotainment functions, while the left and right zones integrate the remaining functions.However, this places higher demands on the capabilities of architecture engineers, requiring them to break free from functional division thinking, learn the electronic and electrical principles of multiple functional domains, and achieve the most reasonable architectural design and planning. Nevertheless, it essentially avoids the need for extensive wiring across the vehicle, while further centralizing different functional electrical components within a specific zone, allowing a single zone controller to handle computations and maximize shared computing power.Central SupercomputingThe various zone controllers are connected to a central supercomputer via a gigabit Ethernet backbone and compatible with multiple communication protocols. The central supercomputer can be equipped with high-performance chips to support higher vehicle data transmission speeds for advanced automated driving assistance, smart cockpits, and OTA updates, such as Xiaopeng’s latest X-EEA 3.0.Super TerminalBased on the hardware architecture of central supercomputing and high integration of zone control, combined with a layered software design (system software platform, basic software platform, intelligent application platform), it not only maximizes the hardware and software needs of smart car development but also meets the diverse software usage needs of users. The increasingly advanced wireless communication technologies (4G/5G and beyond) can communicate rapidly with backend cloud services, enabling cars to truly integrate into the Internet of Everything, becoming “super terminals.”Smart Cars Accelerate the Development of Vehicle Electronic and Electrical ArchitectureAnother “Super Terminal”Consumers may not know exactly what they need, but with the comprehensive penetration of the mobile internet, the internet has become a productive force and means of production, making shopping, entertainment, work, education, and interaction inseparable from the internet, thus promoting the great development of smart devices, including smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, smart pens, etc. Smart cars are another “super terminal.”The demand for smart cars from humanity is both a result of internet penetration and a necessity for life and production, representing an Internet of Things on four wheels. For example, the “New Four Modernizations” of automobiles, from assisted driving to autonomous driving, intelligent networking, V2X, smart cockpits, and even smart cities. Such a vast array of functional demands, along with their complexity, communication speed, and security, places demands on EEA hardware for centralization and even central supercomputing, to meet the needs for software-hardware decoupling, software-defined vehicle functions, cloud interaction, and rapid upgrades.Cost and Weight Optimization of EEAThe following image is from Bosch’s introduction, stating that transitioning from domain control to zone control can reduce wiring costs and weight by 10%, while overall vehicle costs can also decrease by 10%, and embedded controllers can be reduced by up to 20%.Now: Domain ControlRecently: Zone ControlNew functionalities will inevitably correspond to new software and hardware costs. An extremely expensive smart car, no matter how powerful its functions and performance, cannot be popularized, preventing more consumers from experiencing happiness. EEA continues to iterate, evolving from distributed to domain control, then to zone control and central supercomputing, ultimately optimizing overall costs and weight in the long term.
Vehicle Layout and Power Consumption
Those who have worked on vehicle bodies know that wiring and modules can be quite frustrating. Traditional automotive design often requires finding installation space for special modules, and the wiring is extremely complex and unpredictable. For smart cars with such advanced functionalities and performances, following a distributed layout would exponentially increase the complexity of their network topology. How can we find a safe place for them!Moreover, aside from the previously mentioned weight and cost, the power consumption and complexity of production lines caused by numerous modules and wiring are untenable, not meeting the demands for automated production, streamlined design chains, and improved quality. Therefore, the vehicle electronic and electrical architecture will evolve towards centralization and simplification.
Personalization and Platformization Are Not Contradictory
Looking back at how General Motors competed with Ford during the T-model dominance era, the legendary leader of General Motors, Alfred Sloan, proposed the concept of a multi-brand shared platform to further enjoy the benefits of large-scale production and reduce R&D costs, significantly narrowing the cost gap with the T-model. Innovations in advanced technologies applied to advanced systems and components, along with the early market launch of new models, established standardized development processes.Currently, vehicle electronic and electrical architecture will become even more important at the platform level, especially in electric vehicle platforms without traditional powertrains. Clearly, Sloan’s strategy tells us that consumer demands for product personalization and differentiation are not contradictory to platformization; rather, they promote the advancement, modularity, and scalability of vehicle electronic and electrical platforms, which will become the core competitiveness of future automotive enterprises.The above is just a brief overview of the formation of vehicle electronic architecture, the driving forces behind its development, its future forms, and the demands and promotions for the development of vehicle electronic and electrical architecture by smart cars. Many references were made to well-known suppliers and OEM materials, for which I express my gratitude.
Welcome to the angel round of the entire automotive industry chain (including the electrification industry chain)Around enterprises to join the group (friendly connections with 500 automotive investment institutions, including top-tier organizations; some high-quality projects will be selected for themed roadshows to existing institutions); There are communication groups for leaders of sci-tech innovation companies, the automotive industry, automotive semiconductors, key parts, new energy vehicles, intelligent connected vehicles, aftermarket, automotive investment, autonomous driving, vehicle networking, and dozens of other groups. Please scan the admin’s WeChat to join the group (please state your company name).
