The World of Automotive Electronics

July 3, 2014 in

The term automotive electronics encompass a wide range of automotive embedded systems used in road motor vehicles.  By definition, they are any electrically generated system that are actively used in road motor vehicles. These systems include but are not limited to: infotainment systems, carputers, telematics, etc. The need for automotive electronics began with the purpose to control engine functions and eventually branched out into hundreds of different automotive applications. In today’s economy, it is not rare to find a car that operates over 100 electronic control units (ECU’s) in a single vehicle. In the automotive electronics industry, these ECU’s are classified into a many fields depending on their working function in a motor vehicle.

Infotainment Systems

Infotainment control units use electronic controls with software systems that function together to create GPS, navigation systems, vehicle audio, Bluetooth, accessible trip information, etc.

Active Safety

A very high priority and vital control unit is active safety which operate the air bags, emergency brake assist system, and hill descent control.

Chassis Electronics

Chassis control units function operate the anti-lock braking system, traction control system, electronic brake distribution, and electronic stability program in the motor vehicle.

Engine Electronics

Engine electronics tend to require the highest computing power because of the complexity and rapid rate of activity they function at. The ECU’s in engines control many features such as: Fuel injection rate, Lambda control, On-Board Diagnostics, Emission Control, Cooling system control, Regeneration of oxidation catalytic converter, Ignition system control, Turbocharger control, Lubrication system control, Throttle control.

Transmission Electronics

The transmissions system is controlled by ECU’s to shift gears with lower torque interruption and better comfort.  Automatic & semi-automatic transmissions use electronic controls to streamline their operation in the vehicle effectively.

Driver Assistance

Most of these existed in more luxury automobiles but they are becoming more prevalent and standard in today’s models. These include, lane assist systems, blind spot detection, park assist system, speed assist system, and cruise control.

Passenger Comfort

Like driver assistance controls, passenger comfort are becoming more standard in basic automotive models. These include, electronic seat adjustment, automatic climate control, automotive wipers, automatic headlamps, automatic cooling.

As innovation continuously increases at a rapid pace and technology expands faster than we can keep up with, automotive electronics will only become more complex and advanced in the near future. Twenty years ago, there was no one that talked to another person in a different area while driving a vehicle.  In today’s world you can talk hands free, while driving, to a person in a different country with near perfect communication and reception.  Your voice does not have to be projected in any general direction and commands for communication to your vehicle are voice activated or on the convenience of your steering wheel.  It takes less than a minute to sync any mobile device to a vehicle Bluetooth and the amazing part of it all is that it is now a standard feature on most automobiles in production.  I can’t wait to see what we will be saying about Bluetooth twenty years from now.

On the Mark Recruiting Specialists, Inc.

At On the Mark Recruiting, we specialize in staffing for the automotive electronics industry in the metro Detroit area. With over 20 years’ experience, On the Mark Recruiting can find the correct job for you. Submit your resume or call us today to find out more information on available positions.


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