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Chip Simulation of Automotive Ecus

The document discusses simulating automotive electronic control units (ECUs) on a PC using only the ECU's hex file, map file, and assembly code file without access to source code. It describes setting up the simulation by specifying functions to run, debugging in simulation mode, and generating an S-function or Silver module for fast simulation. The generated simulation runs at 40 million instructions per second (MIPS) compared to 0.4 MIPS for debug mode. While not cycle-accurate, it provides a high-accuracy model with low modeling effort using the ECU's binary files to enable tasks like automated calibration without expensive test rigs.

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Ainis Štelemėkas
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121 views14 pages

Chip Simulation of Automotive Ecus

The document discusses simulating automotive electronic control units (ECUs) on a PC using only the ECU's hex file, map file, and assembly code file without access to source code. It describes setting up the simulation by specifying functions to run, debugging in simulation mode, and generating an S-function or Silver module for fast simulation. The generated simulation runs at 40 million instructions per second (MIPS) compared to 0.4 MIPS for debug mode. While not cycle-accurate, it provides a high-accuracy model with low modeling effort using the ECU's binary files to enable tasks like automated calibration without expensive test rigs.

Uploaded by

Ainis Štelemėkas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chip simulation of

automotive ECUs
Jakob Mauss, QTronic GmbH
Matthias Simons, Daimler AG

9. Symposium
Steuerungssysteme für automobile Antriebe
Berlin-Tempelhof, 20.-21.09.2012
Outline of the talk

Chip simulation of automotive ECUS


1. Motivation
2. Setting up a simulation
3. Performance
4. Limitations
5. Conclusion

Chip simulation of automotive ECUs - Steuerungssysteme für automobile Antriebe 20-21.09.2012 - Berlin
Motivation

ECU: more than 30.000 software parameter


Example: 16 x 10 map

ECU memory dump

Chip simulation of automotive ECUs - Steuerungssysteme für automobile Antriebe 20-21.09.2012 - Berlin
Motivation

Engine calibration
- tune more than 30.000 ECU parameter
- done by the OEM, not by the supplier of the ECU
Process today
- automated optimization of stationary states
- real-time test rig or vehicle: based on the real ECU
- PC based: engine and ECU both simulated, e.g. in Simulink

Problems
- real-time test rig:
- limited reproducibility
- expensive (invest, operation)
- slow (real time)

- PC: reverse engineering of ECU is


- time consuming
- complex
- error prone

für automobile
Chip simulation of automotive ECUs - Steuerungssysteme für automobile Antriebe
Antriebe 20-21.09.2012
20-21.09.2012 -- Berlin
Berlin
Motivation

Idea
move engine calibration (and other development tasks)
from test rig to PC
Benefit
- simulation runs much faster than real time
- enables use of mathematical optimization

für automobile
Chip simulation of automotive ECUs - Steuerungssysteme für automobile Antriebe
Antriebe 20-21.09.2012
20-21.09.2012 -- Berlin
Berlin
Motivation

Simulation of ECUs on PC:

Problem:
How to simulate ECU if no C source or model is available ?

?
Ideas:
- Simulate the CPU based on the hex file
- Integrate this feature into MATLAB and QTronic Silver

Chip simulation of automotive ECUs - Steuerungssysteme für automobile Antriebe 20-21.09.2012 - Berlin
Example - TCU Control Software in Silver

Chip simulation of automotive ECUs - Steuerungssysteme für automobile Antriebe 20-21.09.2012 - Berlin
Setting up a TriCore simulation

1. write spec.txt to specify what functions to run


2. step and debug the simulation in Silver debug mode
3. generate fast running SFunction or Silver module: runs without a2l and hex

Chip simulation of automotive ECUs - Steuerungssysteme für automobile Antriebe 20-21.09.2012 - Berlin
Setting up a TriCore simulation

1. write spec.txt to specify what functions to run


2. step and debug the simulation in Silver debug mode
3. generate fast running SFunction or Silver module: runs without a2l and hex

01 # specification of sfunction or Silver module


02 hex_file(m12345.hex, TriCore_1.3.1)
03 a2l_file(m12345.a2l)
04 map_file(m12345.map) # a TASKING or GNU map file
05 frame_file(frame.s) # assembler code to emulate RTOS
06 frame_set(STEP_SIZE, 10) # Silver step size in ms
07 frame_set(TEXT_START, 0xa0000000) # location of frame code
08
09 # functions to be simulated, in order of execution
10 task_initial(ABCDE_ini)
11 task_initial(ABCDE_inisyn)
12 task_triggered(ABCDE_syn, trigger_ABCDE_syn)
13 task_periodic(ABCDE_20ms, 20, 0)
14 task_periodic(ABCDE_200ms, 200, 0)
15
16 # interface of the generated sfunction or Silver module
17 a2l_function_inputs(ABCDE)
18 a2l_function_outputs(ABCDE)
19 a2l_function_parameters_defined(ABCDE)

Chip simulation of automotive ECUs - Steuerungssysteme für automobile Antriebe 20-21.09.2012 - Berlin
generated SFunction in MATLAB/Simulink

spec.txt

.hex .map characteristics turned into


MATLAB workspace variables
.a2l frame.s - read by S-function
- may be modified by script

tcbuild

.mexw32 MATLAB/Simulink
S-function
40 MIPS

default values for


characteristics from
.mask.txt HEX file as m script,
mask for S-function
block and similar
Simulink snippets

Chip simulation of automotive ECUs - Steuerungssysteme für automobile Antriebe 20-21.09.2012 - Berlin
generated virtual ECU in Silver

spec.txt virtual ECU


QTronic
tcbuild TriCore
ECU
.hex .map functions
emulation
code 40 MIPS
.a2l frame.s generator RTOS
emulation

4GB
tcbuild virtual memory INCA on-line calibration:
TCP/IP measure and tune
CANape running simulation
.mexw32 MATLAB/Simulink
S-function A2L
XCP
40 MIPS conversion
vehicle simulation
or measurements

tsim.dll
Silver

TriCore debug mode


0.4 MIPS

Chip simulation of automotive ECUs - Steuerungssysteme für automobile Antriebe 20-21.09.2012 - Berlin
Virtual ECU running in Silver: MED17

Chip simulation of automotive ECUs - Steuerungssysteme für automobile Antriebe 20-21.09.2012 - Berlin
Performance and Limitations

Run complex function for a measured scenario, 3.5 minutes

target execution time MIPS


Silver in debug mode 919.15 sec 0.41
generated Silver module or 9.30 sec 40.80
MATLAB/Simulink SFunction
MED17 with TC1797, 180 Mhz 210.00 sec 270

Limitations:
- instruction accurate, but not cycle accurate
- based on TriCore specification: 'silicon bugs' are not simulated
- PCP, CAN controllers and other on chip devices not modeled

Chip simulation of automotive ECUs - Steuerungssysteme für automobile Antriebe 20-21.09.2012 - Berlin
Summary

ECU simulation on Windows PC


- without expensive reverse engineering
- without access to ECU source files
- based on HEX, MAP and A2L file
- low work effort for modeling
- high accuracy of model
- application example: automated calibration

- works for TriCore processors: TC1796, TC1797, TC1798, ...


- performance: 40 MIPS

Chip simulation of automotive ECUs - Steuerungssysteme für automobile Antriebe 20-21.09.2012 - Berlin

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