Design of a Networked Control System to Integrate Vehicular Electronic Devices

The electrical circuits and their Electronic Control Units (ECUs) in buses and coaches are essential for their good working. Drive, braking, suspension, opening door, security and communication devices must be integrated in a reliable and real time information system. The industrial communication networks or fieldbuses are a good solution to implement networked control systems for the onboard electronics in the public transport buses and coaches. The authors are working in the design of multiplexed solutions based on fieldbuses to integrate the body and chassis functions of city public transport buses. An example for the EURO5 model of the Scania manufacturer is reported in this paper. The authors are also working in the implementation of new modules based on FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) that can be used in these networked control systems.