01/10/2013In the future, Continental will not only focus on traditional body control units, but also on highly integrated body domain control units, which take on various typical body functions. Mass production readiness is planned for 2015.

Regensburg. Continental, the international automotive supplier, is placing emphasis on a high level of integration in the area of body control units. By 2015, a body domain control unit is set to be developed for mass production as the new generation of body control units. It is to be used in various vehicle platforms in the future. Their particularly high degree of functional integration will be the main difference between body domain control units and previous body control units.

In the future, Continental will not only focus on traditional body control units, but also on highly integrated body domain control units, which take on various typical body functions.

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"Their constantly increasing range of functions means that future vehicle generations require electronic architectures that offer better performance and greater flexibility," explains Andreas Wolf, Head of the Continental business unit Body & Security. "Our developers aim to reduce system costs by up to 30%, in comparison to previous decentralized solutions with a greater maximum variety of functions. To make this happen, we are drawing on current electronics standards and the AUTOSAR architecture."

In domain control units, multiple, previously separate, control units can be bundled in one highly integrated control unit, bringing together control of the comfort access system, the central control unit, the light control unit, and even the gateway in one highly integrated computer. In this way, the central domain computer monitors and controls the vehicle's exterior and interior lights, the windshield wipers, heating for the seats and outside mirrors, the access authorization system, and internal vehicle data communication. Continental is currently planning body domain control units with up to four microcontrollers and numerous CAN, LIN, FlexRay, and Ethernet interfaces.



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