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What is ECU (electronic control unit)?

An in-vehicle controller built around a microcontroller that controls the engine, brakes, doors and so on. ECUs multiplied with each new function, sometimes exceeding 100 per car, and are now being consolidated through zonal architectures and similar approaches.

Japanese name: ECU(電子制御ユニット)

ECU (electronic control unit) appears in 2 practice questions across 1 topic, including Automotive Semiconductors and Functional Safety.

Field: Automotive Semiconductors and Functional Safety

Try it: questions about ECU (electronic control unit)

Which correctly describes a feature of the in-vehicle network FlexRay?

  1. AAn event-triggered scheme in which nodes contend for the right to transmit by ID priority, communicating inexpensively over a single signal wire at up to 20 kbit/s
  2. BA time-triggered scheme that divides time into slots and has each ECU transmit at a predetermined time; a redundant configuration using two channels of up to 10 Mbit/s each is also possible
  3. CA scheme that superimposes communication signals on power lines, eliminating signal wiring and making the vehicle lighter
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Answer: B. A time-triggered scheme that divides time into slots and has each ECU transmit at a predetermined time; a redundant configuration using two channels of up to 10 Mbit/s each is also possible

FlexRay is a time-triggered scheme that pre-assigns time slots for each ECU's transmission within the communication cycle, and is characterized by deterministic data delivery times. It runs at up to 10 Mbit/s per channel and can use two channels to send the same data in a redundant configuration, so it has been used for chassis control and similar applications. Contending for the right to transmit by ID is a feature of CAN, and a 20 kbit/s single wire is a feature of LIN. In new designs, migration to automotive Ethernet is also under way.

Which correctly describes the ongoing shift to a "zonal architecture" in automotive electronic systems?

  1. AA configuration that keeps adding dedicated ECUs for each function, such as engine, brakes and navigation, further increasing the number of ECUs
  2. BA configuration that connects all of the vehicle's electronic components in series on a single wire and controls them without using any ECUs
  3. CConsolidating the wiring of sensors and actuators and power distribution into zone ECUs placed in each location (zone) of the vehicle, and linking them to a high-performance central computer over a high-speed network
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Answer: C. Consolidating the wiring of sensors and actuators and power distribution into zone ECUs placed in each location (zone) of the vehicle, and linking them to a high-performance central computer over a high-speed network

Traditionally, each added function brought another dedicated ECU, leading to more than 100 ECUs in some luxury cars along with long, heavy wiring harnesses. In a zonal architecture, zone ECUs in each location, such as the front, rear, left and right of the vehicle, connect nearby sensors and actuators, while control processing is consolidated in a high-performance central computer. Wiring becomes shorter and lighter, and batch software updates become easier. Zone ECUs also handle power distribution, replacing fuses and relays with semiconductor switches.

ECU (electronic control unit) in the explanations

Questions that mention ECU (electronic control unit) (2)

  1. Which correctly describes a feature of the in-vehicle network FlexRay?
  2. Which correctly describes the ongoing shift to a "zonal architecture" in automotive electronic systems?

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Related terms

Zonal architecture AEC-Q100 ASIL (Automotive Safety Integrity Level) CAN bus Diagnostic coverage FTTI (fault tolerant time interval) HARA (hazard analysis and risk assessment) HAST (highly accelerated stress test) ISO 26262 Lockstep CPU

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