Testing for the Mobility of the Future – Arnold NextG Relies on Softing's Testing and Telematics Solutions
Arnold NextG relies on Softing Automotive's innovative test and telematics solutions for the development of the central control unit NX NextMotion
Arnold NextG, through its employees, has over 20 years of experience in the field of road-approved drive-by-wire technology and thus a unique competence to develop retrofit solutions for all by-wire applications. Because neither the real ECU environment nor corresponding vehicles are available for testing in the current phase of system development, Arnold NextG relies on a so-called Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) solution from Softing, which can be set up with simulated and partially real vehicle components. In this way, practically all expected scenarios can be simulated, the reaction of the ECU can be tested, and the effect on the vehicle can be recorded and documented.
The HiL system used by Arnold NextG allows for fully automatic fault simulation, testing all pins of the control unit connections for short circuits and cable breaks. Such extreme fault scenarios are realistic in the harsh vehicle environment. Metallic foreign objects can be thrown up from the road and potentially cause significant disruptions, which must be entirely safeguarded, especially for safety-critical control units like NX NextMotion, which directly controls the steering and braking systems.
Modern vehicles are becoming more powerful, safer, and environmentally friendly thanks to new software developments. To cope with the increasing complexity of control units, a deep understanding of communication processes and contents is essential. Direct access to control units and precise evaluation of control unit information, even in the installed state, are therefore core tasks in the development, testing, production, and service diagnostic processes.
To address this, Arnold NextG also relies on Softing's modular telematics system provided by their subsidiary Globalmatix. With the Car2Cloud2Company principle, direct communication can be established between the vehicle and the company's infrastructure.
Kevin Arnold, CEO of Arnold NextG, looks forward to further collaboration: "With our Safety by Wire technology, we provide the foundation for safe autonomous driving in the future. We are pleased to have Softing as a strong partner by our side, supporting us in the development of our unique technology and through all subsequent processes, from production to after-sales service!"
Armin Baumann, CEO at Softing, is enthusiastic about winning Arnold NextG as a new customer: "In addition to our well-established premium customers in the automotive field, we are very excited to collaborate with Arnold NextG. This technology forge will change worldwide mobility with its Safety-by-Wire technology. We are delighted to accompany this process with our expertise."
Test Systems by Softing Automotive
There is a long way from the start of development to the installation of all vehicle components and control units in the production vehicle. Comprehensive testing of electronic components during the entire development process is essential. Only in this way can hardware and software functions be thoroughly validated and optimized. Errors can be detected and corrected quickly - the sooner, the better.
However, for a long time during development, no real ECU environment is available for the necessary testing - much less a complete vehicle. To solve this test problem, function and hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) test systems are used, which are set up with simulated and partially real vehicle environments. In this way, (almost) all expectable scenarios can be simulated, the ECU response can be tested, and the effect on the subsystem or vehicle can be recorded and documented.
Central Control Unit NX NextMotion by Arnold NextG
The flexible modular system of NX NextMotion enables the implementation of any drive, steer or brake-by-wire requirements up to revolutionary system-on-chip (SoC) solutions. Thanks to the modular and scalable system architecture of NX NextMotion, we are already meeting the requirements of future mobility scenarios today.
Source: Arnold NextG
About Arnold NextG
Arnold NextG realizes the Safety-by-Wire® technology of tomorrow – whether on land, water, or in the air. They offer the globally unique and multi-redundant central control unit NX NextMotion, enabling fail-safe and individual implementation. As an independent advanced developer, incubator, and system supplier, Arnold NextG takes care of planning and implementation – from vision to road approval.
About Softing Automotive
Softing Automotive focuses on diagnostics and testing, representing key technologies in automotive electronics and related areas of the vehicle industry (e.g., commercial vehicles or agricultural machinery). The Automotive segment is a specialist for the entire lifecycle of electronic control units and complete systems, from development through production to service. Their offerings include hardware and software products, tailored solutions, as well as consulting and engineering services. Softing actively participates in the major standardization committees of automotive electronics, such as ASAM and ISO, providing customers direct benefits from standardization results.
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