Automotive Projects
MDS has the knowledge and experience to design products suitable for the automotive industry. Specialising in the development of switch packs, displays and ECUs, we can implement the CAN and LIN communication protocols that are used widely throughout the industry to link vehicle modules from multiple manfacturers together. Below are some examples of the work we have undertaken in recent years.
Steering controls
Head-Up Display
Body Control Module
MDS was tasked with the electrical integration of control functions such as windscreen wipers, indicators and paddle-type gear shifters onto a supercar steering wheel. The switches, control circuitry, backlighting components and interconnections were all selected and designed with the correct form and feel for a luxury vehicle in mind.
The challenge was to find a robust, reliable but compact solution to fit within the limited available package space. The vehicle is now well into production and has been attracting rave reviews from the motoring press!
Head-up Displays are widely used in race vehicles where the driver needs to keep their eyes on the road!
MDS successfully implemented this concept in a road car via the design of an ECU connected to the vehicle CANbus, tracking data such as engine speed, ambient lighting conditions and current gear to give feedback to the driver on the optimal point to perform a gear shift.
One of our early forays into the world of supercar electronics involved embedded C coding for a Body Control Module - the vehicle ECU which controls functions such as interior and exterior lighting, windscreen wipers and electric mirrors.
This also included the design and implementation of fault checking system, storing the relevant faults as DTCs (Diagnostic Trouble Codes) for readout on the vehicle OBD2 port.