The areas in the ECU's nonvolatile memory (Flash/ROM) containing the parameterization data and/or ECU program are mirrored in the RAM onboard the ETK (CalRAM). This is accomplished by accessing the CalRAM via the microcontroller´s data/address bus. For measurements and real-time applications, the data exchange between ETK and microcontroller uses a mailbox as intermediate memory. This is accomplished by synchronizing the data by means of trigger signals from the ECU program. The connection between development and calibration tools consists of a 100 Mbit/s Ethernet cable up to 30 meters long.
Universal ETK ECU
Interfaces
Parallel ETK
Serial ETK
When the microcontroller does not provide an external data and address bus, a microcontroller variant containing extended memory is often used for ECU development. In both test bench and in-vehicle testing, the ETK interface facilitates access to the microcontroller over a long distance through a powerful testing or debugging interface, such as JTAG or NEXUS. The application, views both the serial and the parallel ETK interface as identical and ECU independent.
Functions at a glance
- Small form factor
- No serious modifications to the hardware of the production ECU
- Only minimum supplement to the production code required
- Flexible and easily adaptable to various microcontrollers
- Mechanically and electrically robust
- Extended operation temperature range from typically -40 °F to 230 °F (-40 °C to 110 °C)
- Power supply independent from the ECU
- Power supply range from typically 4.3 V to 18 V
- Power supply tolerant to voltage spikes and voltage dips of the automotive battery
Supported Microcontrollers – Overview
| Microcontroller Type (Mfg/Family) | Interface to ETK | ETK Type | Products |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Freescale MPC5500 |
Data and address bus |
Parallel ETK | ETKP20, ETK11 |
| Data and address bus (standardized VertiCal interface) | Parallel ETK | ETKV1.0 | |
| NEXUS interface (JTAG) | Serial ETK | ETKS3 | |
| Freescale MPC500 | Data and address bus | Parallel ETK | ETKP4.0, ETKP7.0, ETKP8.1, ETKP9.0 |
| NEXUS interface (JTAG) | Serial ETK | ETKS2.0 | |
| Infineon TriCore | Data and address bus | Parallel ETK | ETKT1.1, ETKT2.0 |
| JTAG interface | Serial ETK | ETKS4.1, ETKS1.1-C | |
| Infineon C166, C167 | Data and address bus | Parallel ETK | ETK7.1 |
| NEC V850 | NBD | Serial ETK | ETKS5.1 |
| Renesas SH | AUD II | Serial ETK | ETKS6.0 |
| AUD | Serial ETK | ETKS1.1-D | |
| Renesas M32R | JTAG | Serial ETK | ETKS1.1-B |
| Various third-party microcontrollers | Data and address bus | Parallel ETK | ETK7.1, ETK8.2 |