A new report from ResearchandMarkets.com suggests that there are a growing number of opportunities for test and development specialists in the emerging autonomous and electric vehicle markets, not least due to the ever increasing number of electronic and domain control units (ECU and DDU) in vehicles that all require validation.
The report noted that most OEMs use methods such as hardware-in-the-loop simulation for performance testing the software in such controllers. The increase in data throughputs as systems increase in complexity means they are increasingly looking to Ethernet technology in place of conventional bus systems such as CAN. As a result, they are turning to industries such as telecommunications, which have extensive experience with Ethernet testing, for new capabilities.
Additionally, the report suggested a rapid growth in demand for the testing of high-voltage systems for propulsion and fast charging, which require dedicated power electronics with which to conduct HIL simulations. It also noted that with an increasing number of smaller startups developing vehicles, there is a growing need for third-party testing capability.
The full report can be found here.