World Automotive ECU Functional Test Equipment Markets

Abstract

Increased Use of Electronic Control Units (ECUs) Boosts Demand for ECU Testers

Electronic content in present-day automobiles is constantly increasing, creating the need for ECUs that process the information obtained from different sensors in a vehicle and pass it on to actuators. This, in turn, is expected to lead to a corresponding rise in demand for ECU test equipment, which is becoming increasingly important due to the highly critical nature of various vehicle functions such as engine control, anti-lock brake system (ABS), and air bag deployment. However, the growing incorporation of features that enhance passenger safety and comfort as well as advanced telematics and in-car entertainment systems call for highly sophisticated ECUs with a large embedded software component. With ECUs becoming more software intensive, test equipment vendors need to build test platforms that are capable of handling these complexities. They need to be flexible enough to handle different types of tests as well as cost effective, taking into account the mass production needs of the automotive industry.

This Frost & Sullivan research service is a comprehensive analysis of the automotive ECU functional test equipment market. This unique study is a valuable resource for test and measurement companies to understand the competition in this market as well as its key challenges and trends. It identifies and discusses new growth opportunities and untapped areas that companies can potentially explore to gain market share.

Absence of Standardized Network Protocols Challenges Development of Test Solutions

Test vendors face one of their biggest challenges in the complex wiring systems currently found in vehicles due to the growing electronic content in them. With each electronic system including its own wiring harness, vehicles often have a copious amount of wiring, which could amount to as much as a mile in the case of some luxury cars. However, from 1999, the market trend has been moving toward the replacement of individual wiring systems with multiplexed serial communications networks.

Such networks require protocols to function and to communicate between various components of the system as well as with the outside environment. "With the wide variety of protocols used in automobiles, test vendors face a potential situation in which they have to offer different test solutions to address the variations that exist not only between vendors but also between models and in some cases, between model years," remarks the analyst of this research service.

Test Systems Must Be Cost-effective

Vehicle manufacturers constantly demand price reductions for ECUs and other electronic components used in their vehicles. Automotive electronics manufacturers are under tremendous pressure to manufacture products with enhanced functionality at lower costs and shortened development cycles. "The top challenge is to remain profitable and sufficiently competitive in order to gain new business while remaining technologically innovative," says the analyst. "Manufacturers are continuously looking for more innovative ways to meet rising demands."

This is a prime opportunity for test vendors to provide cost-effective testing solutions that can be easily upgraded without incurring huge capital expenditure. Test system designers need to evaluate the performance-cost equation of their products. This includes not just the purchase price but also short-term costs such as equipment, training, and maintenance and long-term costs that depend on various parameters such as development time, scalability, and reusability.