TRW to supply integrated DAS, chassis control unit for European car manufacturer

TRW Automotive (TRW) has received a contract from a major European car manufacturer to supply an integrated Driver Assist System (DAS) and chassis control unit.

The company will begin to supply the control units, known as the Safety Domain ECU (SDE), in 2013 for 2014 model year applications.

The SDE integrates a number of chassis, suspension and driver assist system control functions and has the flexibility and processing capacity to integrate software from both the supplier and third parties including the vehicle manufacturer, using AUTOSAR as a basis.

The company said that initial SDE functions targeted for this contract include control and arbitration of several DAS and active safety systems, one important enabler for the advanced safety functions is the FlexRay communication bus that allows high speed data transmission.

TRW Global Electronics Engineering vice president Martin Thoone said, integration of control functions for driver assist and other active safety systems - in a single unit - enables a reduction in system complexity and weight; standardization of the other chassis controller modules; and allows for enhanced system performance through shared data processing.

In addition to the SDE controller, other advanced safety electronics integration is planned for the vehicle platforms involved that encompasses integration of the inertial measurement unit for Electronic Stability Control (ESC) into the Airbag Control Unit (ACU), while overall control of the Electric Park Brake system will take place within the ESC electronic control unit.