Control & Electronics

Demands on engine control systems continue to grow due to consumer expectations of ever higher levels of performance and fuel economy, and increasingly stringent regulatory limits on emissions from cars, trucks and non-road applications. Control and electronics content is an important enabler of such qualitative and environmental improvements and thus forms an integral part of the majority of Ricardo’s engine projects.

Control & electronics services: 

• Algorithm design and development for engine control in areas including boost and EGR systems, valvetrain, combustion and aftertreatment control
• Rapid prototyping of control algorithms
• Production implementation and validation of control systems
• Incorporation of novel sensor and actuator technologies
• Design and development of algorithms to satisfy all diagnostic legislation including the latest rate-based monitoring requirements
• Rapid prototyping and ‘Hardware In the Loop’ analysis of electronic controllers
• Calibration and validation of software including hot, cold and altitude testing, fleet management, data logging and fault tracking systems
• Certification to and negotiation with CARB, EPA and EU authorities
• Design, rapid prototyping, specification, implementation and verification of production quality embedded software – both hand and automatic code generation
• Model-based design using tools including Mathworks Real-Time Workshop/Embedded Coder, dSPACE GmbH’s Targetlink and ETAS ASCET toolsets
• Interface model-based control strategies with underlying code or optimized driver components.
• Conformance to internationally recognised quality and safety standards such as IEC 61508, MISRA guidelines and automotive SPICE© (ISO/IEC 15504)
• Safety critical software independent verification and validation
• Expertise in embedded hardware design at all levels from 8, 16 and 32 bit microprocessor core architectures and automotive interface hardware – meeting the most stringent automotive specifications for mechanical, thermal and EMC to meet harsh environmental criteria.
• Model-based development tool chain allowing rapid physical realization and application test of advanced engine and powertrain control algorithms