Editorial
C&K: switched on to modern automobile requirements
Cars are increasingly becoming a platform for integrated electronics and software, with this element often comprising more than 30 percent of the vehicle’s cost. In this competitive environment, meeting new test and reliability standards while delivering the experience that drivers demand requires a holistic approach, and that is just as true for switches as for any other component.
Delivering reliable electronics
The growth of electronics in modern automobiles has meant a vast increase in the computing power required, and that trend will only hasten with the advent of the autonomous vehicle. The engine, power train, chassis, body systems, comfort systems, active safety and driver’s assistance systems all rely on electronics.
However, this complexity is causing problems when it comes to designing and testing these electronic systems – which is why most automakers are building their vehicles around the ISO 26262 standard. This standard is the industry’s attempt at establishing best practices for designing reliable and safe automotive electronics systems. The standard requires that car makers perform an evaluation of the vehicle design to create an “automotive safety integrity level” (ASIL) rating that describes the failure impact based on exposure, controllability and severity. Car makers use this evaluation to design a vehicle’s electronic system architecture. The architecture’s requirements will be shared along the supply chain – and may have an impact on component definition.
Although switches are not the most expensive component within automotive electronics, they are critical to the success of any project because of their role within electronic units. The functional requirements depending on ASIL level for each function or system have a direct impact on the switch design and its properties.
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Based on these new requirements, C&K can support electronic unit design by offering flexible, high-quality solutions. We have a wide range of switch contacting technology that enables designers and engineers to create the vehicle they intended without compromises, based on three major properties: redundancy, self- failure detection and extended life.
Our high-quality switches extend the life expectancy of applications, including the double-throw and double- pole switches that are so important in creating an ISO 26262-compliant automobile. We develop and manufacture our own products and solutions, so we are able to provide our customers with a product assessment within real actuating conditions. This way, our customers can be confident that the switch works within their design before it is shipped. C&K also offers application engineering services to support customers within the design phase.
Haptics is the watchword for next-generation automotive switches
While ensuring that automotive switches perform their function, reliability is of paramount importance, just as crucial as their look and feel. In modern vehicles manufacturers are enhancing the driver’s experience as an important way to differentiate their brands, and the look and feel of the interior plays a significant role here.
This is where haptics comes to the fore. It is defined as the science and physiology of the human sense of touch, and acoustics is now also at the centre of automotive designers’ thought processes. The look, feel and sound form an important part of the brand identity of the vehicle, and switches are key to this. Haptics and acoustics not only differentiate one manufacturer from another, but can also be used to define the position of a model within a range of automobiles from the same manufacturer.
In the past, dashboards were predicated on robust pushbutton or toggle switches with relatively long
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