Model-based design of automotive control code with a modified v-cycle and modular model approach

On the basis of the System Engineering concept, a methodology is developed in order to create a standard procedure for the design of a system. The approach uses the Hybrid V-cycle and the Modular Technical Model. The Hybrid V-cycle is a guideline for the development process composed of different steps that have to be executed considering the appropriate computing platform: DWS (Development Workstation), RCP (Rapid Control Prototyping) platform and VMU (Vehicle Management Unit) . The Modular Technical Model is a tool that is used along with the Hybrid V-cycle. It aims at decomposing the system into its parts (modules) to differentiate the various disciplines involved into the design process. The Control module is of a great importance because it is the frame of the Control Logic block and it contains the characteristics of the target hardware that is intended to test the system in both non real-time and real-time fashion. Using the Hybrid V-cycle and the Modular Technical Model together is important when dealing with the automatic code generation from the Control Logic component. The code has to be deployed on the target hardware. A simple application is developed to test the methodology and its accuracy, considering the dSPACE MicroAutoBox II as RCP platform. Then the methodology has to be applied on a more complex system.