Audi develops more powerful control unit
Audi believes that a new approach to chassis technology began when the Audi Quattro with permanent all-wheel drive was introduced in 1980 for rallies and road cars. Since then, the quattro drive itself has evolved and split into subtypes. But now it's not about the drivetrain, it's about the chassis control. From purely mechanical components, the automotive industry gradually moved to electronic, which began to expand modestly with ABS and traction control systems.
In modern Audi we can find the Electronic Chassis Platform (ECP). It first appeared on Q7 in 2015. Such a unit is capable of controlling (depending on the model) twenty different vehicle components. Even more interesting: Audi has announced an Integrated Vehicle Dynamics computer that can control up to 90 vehicles.
The main direction of the evolution of electronic components, according to the engineers of Ingolstadt, is their closer interaction with each other and the consolidated control of the longitudinal, transverse and vertical dynamics of the car from one source.
The successor to the ECP should control not only the steering, suspension and brake elements, but also the transmission. An example where the control of the engine(s) overlaps with the commands for the running gear components is the e-tron Integrated Brake Control System (iBRS). In it, the brake pedal is not connected to the hydraulics. Depending on the situation, the electronics decide whether the car will be slowed down by recovery alone (electric motors running in generator mode), hydraulic brakes and conventional pads - or a combination of them, and in what proportion. At the same time, the feel of the pedals does not indicate a transition from electric braking to hydraulic.
In models such as the e-tron (platform pictured), the chassis management system also takes energy recovery into account. And in the three-engine e-tron S crossover, thrust vectoring is added to the dynamics calculations due to the different performance of the two rear engines.
The new block will be ready to interact with a long list of systems through various interfaces, and the list of functions will be constantly updated (the architecture will allow them to be added as needed).
The Integrated Vehicle Dynamics computer will be designed for the entire range of vehicles with combustion engines, hybrid or electric motors, front, rear or both drive axles. It will simultaneously calculate the parameters of shock absorbers and stabilization system, electrical system and braking system. Its calculation speed will be about ten times faster.
