Simulation as a means of achieving “the impossible”: an investigation into the use of simulation in the development of electronic control systems at Jaguar cars

As part of Ford, Jaguar is embracing a new master plan for vehicle development, called the Ford Product Development System (FPDS). FPDS is one of Ford´s major world-wide initiatives, that aims to strengthen the Corporation´s position in the competitive automotive market place. The main themes of FPDS are a dramatic shortening of time-to-market, a reduction in development costs, and greater customer perception of product quality and value. One of the key mechanisms for achieving these goals is the aggressive use of modelling, simulation and analysis, in order to facilitate greater iteration and exploration of the properties of a design before committing it to hardware and production. At the same time as the process by which a modern car is designed is changing, so is the degree of complexity of the product itself. This is especially true in the application of embedded electronics and software, to control more of the vehicle´s functions, and to offer the customer more convenience and comfort features. Examples include, engine management, brake controls, air conditioning, and body functions such as wipers, lights and locking. Not only is the number of applications of electronic control increasing, but so is the interdependence between these systems; for example traction and stability control are essentially achieved by combining engine control and brake control. This type of feature is made possible by the use of multiplex communications systems, for example CAN (Controller Area Network) and SCP (Standard Corporate Protocol, proprietary to Ford), linking together many control modules on a bus