| List | Contents | Count | INCA Configuration |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHARACTERISTIC list (to calibrate) | Injection timing MAP, EGR position curve, lambda target map, idle setpoint, OBD thresholds | 47 parameters | Drag all to calibration editor; group by function |
| MEASUREMENT list (to monitor) | Engine speed, load, lambda, NOx, HC, coolant temp, boost, fuelling | 120 signals | Add all to DAQ; split across event_10ms and event_100ms |
| DAQ triggers | Engine_speed > 1000 RPM AND coolant_temp > 70°C | Conditional | INCA Trigger Editor: warm-running valid data only |
| Recording format | MDF4 with 100 Hz sampling | — | INCA recording settings: MF4, 100 Hz, pre/post-trigger 5s |
Campaign Setup: Parameter and Measurement Lists
Dyno Test Execution: WLTP Cycle
Pythonwltp_campaign_session.py
import inca_com as inca, mdf4reader as mdf, numpy as np
inca.Connect("ECU_Engine_v2.3.a2l", channel="ES592_CAN1")
# --- Run 1: baseline WLTP ---
inca.StartRecording("wltp_baseline_run1.mf4")
inca.StartMeasurement()
dyno.RunCycle("WLTP_Class3.prg") # dyno controller command
dyno.WaitComplete(timeout=2000)
inca.StopMeasurement()
inca.StopRecording()
# --- Post-run analysis: identify HC deviation operating points ---
rec = mdf.load("wltp_baseline_run1.mf4")
hc = rec.get("HC_ppm")
rpm = rec.get("engine_rpm")
load = rec.get("engine_load_pct")
# Find time windows where HC > 200 ppm (target < 150 ppm)
high_hc_mask = hc.samples > 200
if np.any(high_hc_mask):
avg_rpm_at_hc = np.mean(rpm.samples[high_hc_mask])
avg_load_at_hc = np.mean(load.samples[high_hc_mask])
print(f"High HC operating region: RPM={avg_rpm_at_hc:.0f}, load={avg_load_at_hc:.0f}%")
print("Action: adjust injection_timing_MAP in this RPM/load region")
# --- Adjust injection timing MAP for high-HC region ---
# Identify map cell indices for RPM=2200, load=45%
rpm_idx = 5 # from map axis: 2200 rpm ≈ index 5
load_idx = 4 # 45% load ≈ index 4
current_timing = inca.GetMapCell("injection_timing_MAP", rpm_idx, load_idx)
inca.SetMapCell("injection_timing_MAP", rpm_idx, load_idx, current_timing + 2.0)
# --- Run 2: re-run with updated map ---
inca.StartRecording("wltp_adjusted_run2.mf4")
inca.StartMeasurement()
dyno.RunCycle("WLTP_Class3.prg")
dyno.WaitComplete(timeout=2000)
inca.StopMeasurement()
inca.StopRecording()Data Sign-Off Process
| Sign-Off Step | Reviewer | Criteria | Tool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parameter delta review | Calibration lead | Each changed parameter justified; delta within expected range | INCA dataset diff view or CDM Studio |
| Functional safety review | Functional safety engineer | Torque limitation parameters unchanged or approved; ASIL-relevant parameters reviewed | CDM diff against safety-locked baseline |
| Emissions compliance | Emissions engineer | NOx < 60 mg/km, HC < 100 mg/km across all WLTP phases | INCA MDA: integrated emissions from mf4 recording |
| OBD readiness | OBD engineer | All readiness monitors complete within WLTP cycle | INCA: read DTC status via DCM SID 0x01 (CAN) |
Delivery Preparation: Freeze, Sign, Flash, Archive
Shellfinal_delivery.sh
#!/bin/bash
# Final delivery pipeline for calibration release
# 1. Freeze dataset in CDM (lock against edits)
cdm_cli freeze --dataset "WLTP_Cal_v3" --user "cal.engineer@oem.com" --comment "WLTP Euro 6 final — emissions validated 2026-02-20"
# 2. Generate change report vs previous release
cdm_cli diff --baseline "WLTP_Cal_v2_released" --new "WLTP_Cal_v3" --output "change_report_v2_to_v3.pdf"
# 3. Tag in CDM and generate digital signature
cdm_cli sign --dataset "WLTP_Cal_v3" --tag "WLTP_Cal_v3_Release" --key engineer_credentials.p12
# 4. Flash ECU with combined software + calibration
combine_hex --software ECU_engine_v2.3.hex --calibration WLTP_Cal_v3.dcm --output delivery_ECU_engine_v2.3_cal_v3.hex
# 5. Run 5-cycle OBD conformance test
canape_cli run_script obd_conformance_test.casl --hex delivery_ECU_engine_v2.3_cal_v3.hex --report obd_conformance_report.pdf
# 6. Archive all evidence to project DMS
archive_to_dms --project "ECU_Engine_2026" --files "WLTP_Cal_v3_Release.zip" "change_report_v2_to_v3.pdf" "obd_conformance_report.pdf" "wltp_validation_mf4/*.mf4"
echo "Delivery preparation complete" Summary
A production calibration campaign ends not with the last dyno run but with a complete evidence package: the frozen CDM dataset, the diff report against the previous release, OBD conformance test results, the combined HEX file, and the MF4 measurement archive. All of these are mandatory inputs for emissions homologation submission. The calibration engineer's job is complete only when all evidence is archived in the project DMS and the sign-off chain is complete.
🔬 Deep Dive — Core Concepts Expanded
This section builds on the foundational concepts covered above with additional technical depth, edge cases, and configuration nuances that separate competent engineers from experts. When working on production ECU projects, the details covered here are the ones most commonly responsible for integration delays and late-phase defects.
Key principles to reinforce:
- Configuration over coding: In AUTOSAR and automotive middleware environments, correctness is largely determined by ARXML configuration, not application code. A correctly implemented algorithm can produce wrong results due to a single misconfigured parameter.
- Traceability as a first-class concern: Every configuration decision should be traceable to a requirement, safety goal, or architecture decision. Undocumented configuration choices are a common source of regression defects when ECUs are updated.
- Cross-module dependencies: In tightly integrated automotive software stacks, changing one module's configuration often requires corresponding updates in dependent modules. Always perform a dependency impact analysis before submitting configuration changes.
🏭 How This Topic Appears in Production Projects
- Project integration phase: The concepts covered in this lesson are most commonly encountered during ECU integration testing — when multiple software components from different teams are combined for the first time. Issues that were invisible in unit tests frequently surface at this stage.
- Supplier/OEM interface: This is a topic that frequently appears in technical discussions between Tier-1 ECU suppliers and OEM system integrators. Engineers who can speak fluently about these details earn credibility and are often brought into critical design review meetings.
- Automotive tool ecosystem: Vector CANoe/CANalyzer, dSPACE tools, and ETAS INCA are the standard tools used to validate and measure the correct behaviour of the systems described in this lesson. Familiarity with these tools alongside the conceptual knowledge dramatically accelerates debugging in real projects.
⚠️ Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
- Assuming default configuration is correct: Automotive software tools ship with default configurations that are designed to compile and link, not to meet project-specific requirements. Every configuration parameter needs to be consciously set. 'It compiled' is not the same as 'it is correctly configured'.
- Skipping documentation of configuration rationale: In a 3-year ECU project with team turnover, undocumented configuration choices become tribal knowledge that disappears when engineers leave. Document why a parameter is set to a specific value, not just what it is set to.
- Testing only the happy path: Automotive ECUs must behave correctly under fault conditions, voltage variations, and communication errors. Always test the error handling paths as rigorously as the nominal operation. Many production escapes originate in untested error branches.
- Version mismatches between teams: In a multi-team project, the BSW team, SWC team, and system integration team may use different versions of the same ARXML file. Version management of all ARXML files in a shared repository is mandatory, not optional.
📊 Industry Note
Engineers who master both the theoretical concepts and the practical toolchain skills covered in this course are among the most sought-after professionals in the automotive software industry. The combination of AUTOSAR standards knowledge, safety engineering understanding, and hands-on configuration experience commands premium salaries at OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers globally.