Hardware-in-the-Loop for the Whole Vehicle Development Process

Industries from many different fields are undergoing considerable technological advancement and their products are becoming every day more function-oriented and user-centered. Production processes are becoming more agile, automated, and virtualized at a pace that was never seen before. The automotive industry is no exception, with the market pushing for always new features and strategic innovations in the field of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), autonomous driving (AD), electrification and increasing safety and environmental standards. As a result, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers face increasing pressure to follow market and regulatory demands within tight timeframes. The development process involves intricate system engineering, requiring the integration of various subsystems, including electro-mechanical, electronic and software components. New virtualization tools are needed to cope and increase efficiency, flexibility, and comprehensiveness. Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) is a powerful technique that bridges the gap between virtual simulations and physical testing. It allows us to develop, integrate, and validate electronic control units (ECUs) and integrated systems in a controlled, simulated environment and with a high level of automation. This allows for exponentially increased comprehensiveness, reproducibility, and scalability. These benefits also come with increased safety and the ability to test systems which would be otherwise impossible to prototype. Effective HIL implementation happens when it is included in Model-based design methods and synchronized with the overall vehicle development process, considering V-shaped models for product development. Being up to date with HIL and integration tests impact on business strategy is essential to get the most from their cost-effectiveness, risk reduction, and competitive advantages. This work has been developed throughout a 6-month internship at Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.a., a design and engineering company based in Moncalieri, Piedmont, Italy. Some of the processes and technologies hereby described are directly derived from real activities. Nonetheless, no one is intended to represent the exact counterpart in detail and in its entirety.