This paper deals with the current status and the future prospects in automotive electronics in Japan.
Electronics systems have been individually developed for the engine, transmission, brakes, suspension, instrument panel and other areas. The next challenge will be to link these standalone systems together with interactive control blocks: for example, powertrain, vehicle control and body control.
These blocks, in turn, will be coupled together by data communications links, and they will be linked through communications to data sources existing outside the automobile.
Control technology will change from PID control to modern control theory and this will impact on microprocessor architecture.
These control systems will increase the controllability, reliability and serviceability of the automobile as a whole.