In today’s world, automotive interior lighting systems not only need to meet rigorous internal test standards but also need to adapt with the changing customer’s expectation across different vehicle segments. As per technological advancements and consumer demands, these systems have become increasingly advanced and software driven. Traditionally, validation relied on physical integration with vehicle hardware, particularly infotainment system. However, this conventional approach presents several limitations, including dependency on mature hardware and software, challenges in testing and synchronization across multiple lighting modules, and constraints in design validation accuracy.
To address these limitations, this paper introduces an innovative approach that employs real-time hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation for virtual lamp testing. This method facilitates autonomous testing, enabling independent validation of interior lighting systems within a controlled virtual environment while eliminating the dependency on physical vehicle. By digitally controlling lighting systems, this approach provides several key advantages, including accelerated testing cycles, early-stage design validation, and integration testing and delivers higher validation accuracy through precise simulation of real-world scenarios. Additionally, the approach establishes an effective closed loop feedback mechanism for faster issue identification, contributing to significant reduction in overall testing time.