Simulation Module for Current Leakage Diagnostics

By DE Editors

ETAS Inc. (Ann Arbor, MI), a subsidiary of ETAS GmbH, released the ES4440 Compact Failure Simulation Module to insert electrical faults in the wire harness of a powertrain Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and verify the software and hardware passes diagnostics tests,  particularly On-board Diagnostics II (OBDII), which focuses on vehicle diagnostic systems.

The ES4440 provides a blend of high current channels to simulate errors in high current components like fuel pumps or glow plugs, and high voltage channels to simulate errors in high voltage components like piezoelectric fuel injectors. High current channel faults are simulated using precision MOSFET transistors that offer a very high channel count at a great price-to-performance ratio. High voltage channels use relays to simulate single or multiple faults. If additional fault channels are needed, you can daisy-chain up to 15 ES4440s to the master unit.

As the amount of onboard electronic control unit (ECU) diagnostics increases, tools like the ES4440 help automate, repeat, and test faster than with traditional manual testing. Its compact design makes it suitable for testing ECUs on engine test beds, in dynamometers, or on a stationary vehicle. An ES4440 can be connected with a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) system for real-time simulation, or used as a standalone system connected to a Windows PC.

You connect the ES4440 between a HiL simulator and an ECU using the unit‘s supplied CAN or Ethernet connections. When using the ES4440 as a stand-alone unit, you connect it into a vehicle‘s wiring harness between the sensors and the electronic control unit.

For details, contact ETAS.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.