To develop ECU functions and adapt – or calibrate – the function parameters to meet the requirements of the respective vehicle model, the ECU is frequently equipped with an ETAS memory emulator (ETK).

The ETK provides – independently of applicable ECU technology – a universal ECU interface for sophisticated applications in the development and calibration of engine and transmission ECUs. The device is functionally and physically separate from the ECU. For this reason, the deployment of ETK technology permits the production-ready configuration of development ECUs, suitable for subsequent cost efficient series production ensuring high quality levels.

In contrast to the communications through production ECU interfaces, which need to be controlled by the ECU application, the ETK provides direct access to its variables and parameters. Access occurs either via the parallel data and address bus (parallel ETK) or via a serial microcontroller testing or debugging interface (serial ETK). Being a functionally and physically separate addition to the ECU, the ETK facilitates a direct comparison between the behavior of the development ECU and its production counterpart.

ETK Applications

ETKs can be operated in the lab as well as under adverse environmental conditions with an ECU installed on the test bench / cold cell or in a vehicle. The ETK's dedicated power supply enables the preparation and initiation of cold-start testing independently of the ECU. ETKs are deployed for

• Function development
• ECU calibration and test
• Flash programming

Functions of the ETK ECU Interface at a Glance

• Powerful, vehicle-compatible and microcontroller-independent interface between development ECU and PC-based development and calibration tools
• Independent of the ECU´s vehicle-bus interfaces
• Ethernet-based data transmission with high bandwidth (8 / 100 Mbit/s)
• Cable lengths up to 30 m without requiring intermediate amplification
• EMC compatible through electrical isolation and double-shielded twisted-pair cables
• Real-time and multimaster capable
• Access priority function to provide simultaneous access to the ECU for measurement, calibration and rapid prototyping tools
• Supports up to 16 time and angle-synchronized bypass resolutions 
• Facilitates the time and angle-synchronized capture of hundreds of measured variables in up to 32 resolutions

ETAS offers ETKs for the commonly used microcontrollers for engine ECUs and transmission ECUs available from Freescale, Infineon, Renesas, NEC, STMicroelectronics, and Intel. ETKs can be easily adapted to a large number of ECUs. As an alternative, they can be quickly developed for specific applications. On the basis of many years' experience and the close cooperation with chip manufacturers and ECU vendors, ETAS has the resources to support any powertrain ECU project – including customer-specific functionalities and variances – with the appropriate ETK product.