Tier 1 Automotive Supplier Powertrain
Discover how SimuQuest empowered an automotive leader to achieve a fully integrated model-based process for their drivetrain systems.
Project Description
SimuQuest partnered with a leading automotive supplier to develop model-based software for their 4-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive control systems. By leveraging SimuQuest’s QuantiPhi tool and implementing a complete Model-Based Design (MBD) framework, the client transitioned from manual coding to fully integrated models within their software environment. This approach allowed the client’s electronics hardware, control systems, and software development teams to create both application and lower-level code in a cohesive architecture, supporting the efficient development of production-ready ECU applications.
Challenges
The client’s software engineering team initially adopted MBD techniques, developing complex control algorithms in MATLAB/Simulink/Stateflow, and using TargetLink for automatic code generation. However, while high-level control algorithms were automated, lower-level software such as I/O drivers, task scheduling, and communication logic remained hand-coded. This created the need for time-intensive manual integration of application algorithms with low-level software, limiting the efficiency gains of a model-based process. Furthermore, adapting the MBD framework for integration with low-level microcontroller drivers presented a technical challenge, as the team needed a reliable way to control microcontroller functions within the modeling environment.
Results
Through SimuQuest’s solutions, the client achieved a highly efficient, fully model-based development process that complied with CMM level 3 standards. The integration of both application and hardware-related components within a single model allowed the company to use the model as the primary source for all ECU software and documentation. This improved quality, reduced iteration times, and ultimately accelerated speed to market. The transition also supported rapid business growth in global markets, particularly in China, by allowing efficient scaling of complex drivetrain software.
Services Provided
- Model-Based Design Process Implementation
- Model-Based Process Guidance
- Model-Based Software Development
- Automated Code Generation
- Seamless Integration of Microcontroller Functions
Tools and Technologies
- MATLAB
- Simulink
- Stateflow
- QuantiPhi
- TargetLink Coder
