Microcontroller Selection for Automotive Embedded Systems

Sammanfattning: Automotive industry has moved from manufacturing automobiles using mechanical units to using Electronic Control Units (ECUs). One of the integral parts of ECUs are the microcontrollers. Selecting the right microcontroller unit for the ECU in automotive industry, involves high time and cost factors, as several criteria need to be examined for each microcontroller in the market. There is a need for a methodology for selection of the microcontroller based on the given requirements, with the aid of some tools, to reduce the time and cost factors. This thesis involves determining criteria for automotive microcontrollers and selection of the microcontroller by following a systematic process. A part of the systematic process involves filtering or ranking microcontrollers according to the requirements and plotting microcontrollers for the required criteria along with pareto-front analysis of rank versus cost. Ranking of microcontrollers is done using Goal Programming and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methods. The result from the thesis shows various criteria for the microcontroller in an ECU and the methodology to be followed for microcontroller selection using case study of Exterior Lighting System. The results of Goal Programming and TOPSIS methods show that they could provide good aid in selection by ranking the microcontrollers along with pareto-front analysis. Finally, a selection methodology guideline has been formulated to aid the selection process with the help of the methods.