AUTOMOTIVEJOURNAL
H2 + 2 22

GM Uses Data to
Achieve All Electric Future

Jaguar Land Rover and NI
Join Forces on ADAS Solutions

Women Break Gender
Stereotypes in EV Innovationni.com/automotiveCell Voltages – Live1

Overcoming Industry
Obstacles Together
As the shifting sands continue to wreak have acrossthe automotive supply chain, the concept of partneringwith our customers has never been more important.
The uncertainty that clouds the future of autonomousand electric vehicles means that the investments
being made to build out the infrastructure to test
these complex supercomputers on wheels must
be malleable. This ideology is further emphasizedwhen you consider how sustainability and diversity
shape the way companies view their roles in the world.
At NI, we embrace our core value of being an expert
connector: nurturing symbiotic relationships

throughout the ecosystem that further our purpose.
Like building recurring neural pathways in our brains,
we work diligently to connect the pieces needed totest the complex technologies that define our cars.
NI's platform interoperability drives this technicalopenness, and our lifecycle analytics platform fires
the neurons (so to speak) throughout the system toexpose critical insights.
This issue of the Automotive Journal explores how
leading companies are partnering with NI to accelerate
the performance of their next-generation vehicles.
There is a better way. Let us show you how.

04

2

3

4

FEATURED ARTICLE

519

GM Uses Data to Achieve
All Electric Future

09

PRODUCT FEATURECUSTOMER STORY
Jaguar Land Rover and NI Join
Forces on ADAS Solutions

15

PARTNER STORY
Accelerating Parallel Testof Multiple Infotainment
Systems at a Tier 1 Supplier

28

Women Break Gender
Stereotypes in EV Innovation

23

The Perks (and Problems)of Test Data

11

INNOVATOR SPOTLIGHT

PRODUCT FEATUREADAS Vehicle Fleet
Improves Workflow
and Data Management

25

SOLUTION BRIEF
A CATR Radar Test
System on Another Level

CONNECTORS SPOTLIGHT
ADC’s Complete ICV Simulation
and Verification Solution

32

PARTNER STORYBMS HIL Solution Cuts Test
Time and Cost at INZI Controls

34

CUSTOMER STORY
OPAL-RT and NI Solution
Helps Engineer DC
Fast-Charging Systems

FEATURED ARTICLE

Challenge
Safeguard the quality of millions ofbattery cells, modules, and packs
for GM’s Ultium-based electricvehicles (EVs); eliminate blind
spots throughout the battery cellengineering process; and develop
high-performance EV batteries
faster, at scale, and at a lower cost.

Solution
Develop a secure, scalable, andopen data platform that helps
GM engineers derive insights fromdata to make decisions and help
better understand their batteries
and customers.

05

To get an idea, consider this example. A Hummer EV battery pack contains 24 modules with eight cell groups per module. Eachcell group requires a voltage measurement about 10 times per second, resulting in 1,920 voltage measurements being collected
every second. Finally, these tests can run up to a year. Multiplying for every second in 365 days, you get 60,549,120,000 voltage
measurements per year—well over 60 billion measurements just for voltage. Now add the many other measurements like current
or temperature, and you get a better idea of how much data needs to be analyzed to be used, just from test. However, to fully testan Ultium battery pack to the standards of safety and performance GM is committed to, data from other processes, test stations,manufacturing, etc., will need to be used. This means that engineers must deal with not only a huge amount of data but also a large
variety of formats.
The end-to-end process to extract the insights from all this data to make it useful to GM engineers involves data ingestion,
aggregation, contextualization, engineering, processing, and tagging, among other steps. With traditional solutions, this may
all be possible, but traditional methods will not help you achieve the scale and speed needed. A paradigm shift is necessary.

Break Tradition to Unleash Data
The traditional way of using test data implies running the test, generating the report, analyzing it, making decisions, and eventually getting
to production. Though it gets the job done, it severely limits the ability to shorten times since reports are static, are not always available
to everyone, take time to be generated, and don’t proactively help predict what’s going to happen with the test. Leaving this old way
behind requires data to be constantly ingested, monitored, analyzed, and made available. This is exactly what GM is doing to ensure its

Photo courtesy of GM

Historical Thinking and Paradigm Shift
The Old Way: Series

GM Uses Data to Achieve
All Electric Future
General Motors has made bold commitments toward creating an all-electric future, and it is making significant
investments to deliver on these commitments. Apart from the expansion of GM’s manufacturing capacity for EV
batteries, the company has created the Ultium platform, an all-electric vehicle (EV) architecture and propulsion
system that includes drive units, motors, power electronics, controls, and, of course, the battery.
With Ultium, GM is consolidating on a platform to build a variety of EVs, from a pickup truck to a luxury SUV
to a commercial delivery vehicle. As expected, this consolidation offers large benefits of scale, but it alsopresents the big responsibility of ensuring every single component is the best it can be regarding safety, cost,and performance. This is especially important for the battery, down to every single cell.
To safeguard the quality of every cell on every pack, GM is working with NI on its battery cell engineering process
to give its engineers visibility into all test data so they can make decisions to optimize product performance.

Data Enables Scale
The EV battery holds the secret to enable EV adoption at scale, so test teams feel a lot of pressure to define and execute test plans andquickly use insights from the test data to make decisions and safely speed up development and deployment. But how much battery dataneeds to be analyzed to truly have zero blind spots and achieve this scale?

CreateStatic Report

Test

Review Report

Go to Production

The New Way : Monitor and Adapt
Prediction
Confirmation

Test
CreateDynamic Report

Predict
Test Results

Go to Production

Iterative Review ofDynamic Report
FIGURE 01
Using data to enable scale and speed requires a paradigm shift from sequential processes to a continuously monitored and adaptable process.

“With NI’s SystemLink™ software, we can deliver our test data to all engineers in a secureand easy way to enable them to view their data and save templates for follow-up tests—
all in near real time.”
Ciro Spigno
Group Manager, Battery Systems and Analytics, GM

06

FEATURED ARTICLE

Data Approach to Battery Test
Configuration Management

Asset and Device Management

Engineering Data Automation

Test Performance Monitoring

Situational Awareness
APPLICATION VIEWSUSER DASHBOARDSCONFIGURABLE REPORTS

Systems Connectivity
DEVICE DISCOVERYREMOTE EXECUTIONADMIN TOOLS

Data Gateway
MONITORING AND TAGS

FILE INGESTIONTEST RESULTS

Battery Labs
Desktop
PC/Servers

Test System
Vendor A

Test System
Vendor B

NI Battery
Test System

NI TestSystemOther
Instrumentation

Automation
Systems

FIGURE 02
NI’s data approach to battery test automates the end-to-end process to help engineers derive insights from test data.

engineers, data scientists, and expert personnel have on-demand
access to the data they need to make decisions in near real time.

Commitment to Test Data

To enable this ability, GM is investing in a web-based,
cloud-computing toolset; personnel; and a data platform that
includes NI SystemLink™ software as part of the architecture.
The data platform must be:

At NI, we believe that data elevates the role of test from a pass/failprocess to an enabler of product performance, so we continue
to invest in EV test and lifecycle analytics solutions to enable
automotive market leaders like GM transform their businesses
and help the world get to an all-electric future faster.

J

J

J

Secure to protect the insights of GM’s battery cellengineering through access control, authentication,and encryption capabilities
Scalable to save thousands of hours of manual workby automating the end-to-end process from data ingestion
to making it available on-demand; this would preserve
the flexibility and independence for GM engineering needs
Open to ensure sustainability, compliance,and compatibility with GM’s IT infrastructure so that
GM engineers can use open-source tools, different
databases, and programming languages as well as
define the dashboards and customization they needto analyze the data and generate the insights

GM’s data platform will heavily use SystemLink’s attributes
to provide engineers with the data they need and the ability
to use it to improve GM’s products. Additionally, the compatibility
with GM’s IT infrastructure will make it sustainable and provide
a path for GM to be vendor-independent as the company
continues to grow its battery cell operations.

KEYNOTE“We’re working with NI on a long-term, sustainable solution that allows us to connect all the battery test data toquickly develop the insights that we need. The solution must be secure and scalable, and it needs to be open.”
Steve Tarnowsky,
Director of Global Battery Cell Engineering, GM,
at NI Connect, May 2022

1,342 CUSTOMERSVIRTUALLY
Authors

816

CUSTOMERSATTENDEDCUSTOMER PRESENCE

CIRO SPIGNOGROUP MANAGER, BATTERY SYSTEMS ANDANALYTICS, GENERAL MOTORSARTURO VARGAS MERCADO
CHIEF SOLUTIONS MARKETING MANAGER, EV
TEST, NI

Battery analytics

60+
32

CLOSED-DOOR CUSTOMER MEETINGS REPRESENTING
MULTIPLE ACCOUNT ORGANIZATIONS AND KEY STAKEHOLDERSTECHNICAL SESSIONS ON EV,
ADAS, ANALYTICS, AND MORE

19

CONNECTED AUTOMOTIVE ECOSYSTEMAUTOMOTIVESOLUTIONSON DISPLAY

PRODUCT FEATURE

09

The Perks (and Problems)of Test Data
From autonomous vehicles to dependable electric vehicle (EV) batteries, test helps ensure that safe, reliable,
and innovative products enter the market. This critical phase of product development generates valuable data and,in turn, actionable insights. In other words, we can use data to uncover trends, correct errors, improve performance,and more. Sounds simple enough, right?

/Data

Knowing how to harness data and respond to improvements in the data landscape, however, is a challenge that
affects us all. Small test teams and large, established tech companies alike are struggling to take full advantage
of data. Although we may be generating data that can help our products reach peak performance, it doesn’t
matter if we can’t access it, study it, protect it, and communicate our findings properly.
When it comes to data management, security, and scalability, the challenges we face are real—but they’re notinsurmountable. If we can identify and remove the obstacles that lead to data inefficiencies and gaps, we canfind effective remedies, fully leverage test, focus on innovation, and stay ahead of the competition.

New Solutions to Old Problems
Data challenges have existed since the “information explosion,” but emerging technology is reigniting the need to remain competitive.
In the past, as long as you were using data in any capacity, you were sure to grow. But it’s no longer enough to be efficient—to remaincompetitive, you must be willing to constantly innovate. After all, in an innovation-driven economy, the biggest value comes from
optimizing your products and services, and we do so through data.
Today we have more data available to us than at any other point in history, and we need this data to make informed decisions.
Engineers need it to safeguard products and ensure performance, and other parts of a business, like marketing and operations,need it to improve their strategies.
One challenge that some companies face involves having too much data. Say you have an unlimited amount of data at your fingertips.
How can you tell what’s valuable and what isn’t?
An overabundance of data isn’t a new problem, but more companies are revisiting how to take control of it in the wake of emerging
ancillary technologies that weren’t previously available.
As cloud infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and machine learning evolve and converge, they afford solutions to a glut of data.
For example, machine learning has the capacity to sort through massive amounts of data to identify trends, discover hidden patterns,
predict potential situations, and adjust to them automatically. These insights subsequently inform decisions and can optimize the entire
product development lifecycle and positively impact companies’ bottom lines.
These same technologies are key to addressing three other major data challenges that impede innovation and competitiveness: security,
scalability, and openness.

10

PRODUCT FEATURE

Security

Openness

In talking about the sanctity of data and the ways that it canpositively impact key growth metrics, it’s imperative to consider the
security behind keeping that data safe and out of a competitor’s
grasp. When you choose a solution, there must be guarantees
that your data is safe. One factor to consider is access control,
which goes beyond just ensuring that individuals at your company
have access to data—there must be peace of mind in knowingthat individuals or contract manufacturers have access only
to the data they need and not to data beyond the site and test
station where they work.

In talking about why it’s crucial to keep data safe and, for somecompanies, on-premises, it’s clear that companies value their
independence. Reimagining your data solutions should not meanchanging every aspect of your organization and the ways in which
the people in it operate. That’s why it’s important to adopt solutions
that work with the tools already in place and that are easy tointegrate into existing infrastructure. To enable your success,analytics solutions from NI are open, interoperable, compatible
with existing technologies, and IT friendly. Openness enables
easy adoption of new technology by the test groups
implementing it and the IT teams supporting it.

Another security factor is storage location. Choosing between
an on-premise solution versus a cloud solution like Microsoft
Azure or Amazon Web Services is a decision that your IT andengineering teams must agree on. Investing in secure datasolutions is one critical way to mitigate unnecessary risk andis an important data challenge to address.

Data Drives Decisions

Scalability

Getting the most valuable and actionable insights fromtest data is important, and not just for your company’s
bottom line. Data ensures safety for users and drives
optimal product performance that builds trust in yourproduct and in your organization.

Data challenges are not unique to any one industry or company,
regardless of size. In fact, the more you grow, the more challenging
collecting and sorting through data become. One example of thisis a company that uses 10 test systems that run 24x7, and for that
number of systems, it needs two days per week to extract, clean,
and analyze the data, which then gets manually uploaded. Whenlooking at the company’s scalability, this manual methodology issimply unsustainable.

If you own an EV, having a guarantee that the battery won’t
overheat and fail is critical. When you’re eventually sitting
in a fully autonomous car, you want peace of mind knowingthat the manufacturing required to build a self-driving car
underwent rigorous testing to ensure its safety in every situation.
These assurances come from test data. Data helps teams
improve performance, and if those products happen to fail,data drives decisions that ensure they can fail safely.

There are methods to scale efficiently to get the most out of yourdata that do not require sacrificing time and energy. For example,
tasks like data ingesting, aggregating, engineering, processing,analyzing, and reporting can be accomplished throughautomation, which saves teams thousands of hours and allows
companies to take full advantage of data insights that mightotherwise not be available or wouldn’t be available as quickly as
needed. Additionally, as companies reimagine what data can dofor them and look to break down data silos, several have foundsuccess through tools like SystemLink™ software, which has
helped teams maintain a competitive advantage and save time.
Regardless of the direction your team takes to grow and evolve,
remaining competitive in this market demands innovation.
General Motors is one customer innovating as it strives to have 1
million EVs on the roads by 2025. At NI Connect, GM’s director of
Global Battery Cell Engineering, Steve Tarnowsky, told the crowd
how GM was innovating with data as it scales its Ultium platform.
He said, “We must safeguard the quality of every cell in every
pack, and we’re working with NI on a data-driven approach toensure that there are zero blind spots in our battery engineering
process and to enable battery performance optimization.”

Humanity once conquered fire, and that led to a revolutionary new
way of living. Since then, we’ve mastered agricultural innovationand spurred the industrial revolution. Dominating the data revolution
and capturing the full potential of data insights are key tounlocking the next phase of human innovation.
Tackling these data challenges is no simple task, but we can work
together and Engineer Ambitiously™ to find viable solutions that
support everyone’s goals.

AuthorSTEPHANIE AMRITE
PRINCIPAL SOLUTIONS MARKETER,ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE, NI

Read more

Jaguar Land Rover and NI
Join Forces on ADAS Solutions
As mentioned in previous articles and interviews, the path to Vision Zero and, in particular, to Zero Collisions
is a tough one. Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving functionality will be thekey enablers to get us there, but they can’t be achieved alone. As you have heard from NI and our partners,
an ecosystem of subject matter experts can make all the difference. But the ultimate litmus test is hearing
it from an end users—in this case, Mark Flinders and Marek Krezalek at Jaguar Land Rover.

CUSTOMER STORY

working every day. This all has to be done without massive support
infrastructure while taking the everyday knocks a real system gets.
It takes time, investment, commitment, and a long-term vision
to develop and deliver this system in advance of business needs.
To be clear, there is only so much high-specification computing,electronic, and software technology—fully integrated andworking reliably—that you can fit into one vehicle. We havelearned some tough lessons over the years and have refined
the approach with help from some great suppliers and partners.

AN: NI’s vision and goal is to provide a data- andsoftware-connected validation workflow for ADAS
and autonomous driving that is enabled by an open
partner ecosystem. What’s your perspective on this?

Ashish Naik, Director of Business Development,
ADAS/AD, NI: Mark and Marek, what are your roles
at Jaguar Land Rover?
Mark Flinders: I’m the manager of the vehicle engineering andinstrumentation teams in the Assisted and Automated Driving(AAD) department. AAD does everything from features andsystems for meeting legal and national standards to research
work on self-driving vehicles. My team looks after all elementsof setting up production vehicles for AAD feature, system, andcomponent testing, ranging from creating the measurement
technique and ground truth systems to developing and integrating
new systems, features, and sensors into vehicles for researchand development. We also assist in building closed-loop vehicle
setups and in training our companies’ safety drivers. I joined
Jaguar Land Rover in 2004 after spending eight years working
for a global powertrain consultancy doing hardware-in-the-loop(HIL) design, engine test bed support, rapid control prototype
system modeling, and more. Since joining Jaguar Land Rover,I have been promoted several times, working in most roles
in electrical engineering. I was responsible for all the embedded
software hosted on production electronic control units (ECUs),
and I managed the brakes and steering production hardware
electronics and software. As you can see, you can make quite
a career here. Working for Jaguar Land Rover is my dream job;
I love the technology, the cars, the people, and I completely
love AAD.
Marek Krezalek: As a senior technical specialist for AAD
in verification and validation, I support all other technicalspecialists and product owners with my experience,
knowledge, ideas, and assistance to deliver best-in-classverification and validation of Jaguar Land Rover AAD features.
I joined Jaguar Land Rover in 2019, coming in with Tier 1
experience after working for a few automotive suppliers
in worldwide locations. Joining Jaguar Land Rover wasa fundamental step in my career. It provides many opportunities
to influence products delivered to our end customers. I also
get the privilege of working with people like Mark who arefull of passion and motivation to learn, try new methods, andexplore engineering solutions to deliver fully validated andverified products. These all work together to make Jaguar
Land Rover vehicles easier to drive, and even more enjoyable.

AN: We have partnered on developing one of yourAAD applications. Can you share a bit about thatapplication and its importance in the work you do?
MK: We’re working on the next generation of AAD featuresthat deliver the next levels of driving automation and driver
support and give our customers a modern luxury experience.
We are collaborating with NI to deliver solutions we needas part of an early technology partnership designed to build
a core framework around standards like PXI, LabVIEW, andother parts of the wider NI ecosystem. We have been incredibly
involved in the ADAS logger application development, having run
prerelease versions of it for nearly 12 months.
MF: We have been working hard to rationalize our toolchain
and integrate several new products from NI in our development.
In the AAD vehicle technology space, we must solve several
use cases that include logging, calibration, rapid prototyping,simulation in the cloud, component test bench, and more.
The ecosystem of tools, processes, hardware, software, storage,
computing, operating systems, sensors, interface standards,
synchronization, localization, and ground truth is extremelycomplex, even before accounting for legacy system support.
As the system requirements for all these use cases get
more demanding over time, we must also drive efficiency,
cost reduction, synergy, and robustness into this toolchain.
It’s difficult to design and deliver a toolchain that covers all theuse cases while being technically advanced enough for stateof-the-art operation so that it can be delivered operational and

MF: NI brought together a collection of internal technologies
adapted for our domain and worked very openly with others
to deliver further key elements. From the onset with NI, we werevery honest about the wide scope of our use cases (see previous
response) and the flexibility and scalability requirements.
We have not seen all that goes on behind the scenes to build up
this open partner process, but we have seen the results of it so
far that have led to solutions that fit our needs very well. There arealways challenges when looking at the wider automotive
electronics and software landscape—challenges like fileformats, interface standards, storage, camera video acquisition,and cross-domain logging synchronization. We, and the entire

13

automotive industry, don’t have all the answers to these complex
challenges yet, but the work we have done with NI and otherpartners in this ecosystem leads me to think that we are on theright track and can make it work when we need it to—for today
and in the future.
MK: I would like to echo Mark’s response and build on it
further, as partnerships have been critical for our success.
Earlier this year, we announced a new partnership between
Jaguar Land Rover and NVIDIA. This relationship is anothersignificant step in our evolution toward becoming a leading
high-tech company. What does it mean to become a leading
high-tech company? In the past, we primarily managed
innovation—suppliers provided us with their technologies
and then we, simply speaking, deployed it. Nowadays, withthe technology partnerships between Jaguar Land Rover,
NVIDIA, and NI, we are taking significant ownership and control
of innovation, which allows us to transform from what you would
consider a traditional high-tech-oriented OEM to a leading
high-tech company.

14

CUSTOMER STORY

AN: Seagate is one of the many partners that NI has
brought in to jointly tackle ADAS and autonomous
driving in-vehicle data logging with Jaguar Land
Rover. How has this worked out for you so far?
What benefits have you seen up to this point?
MF: This is a great example of a partnership that has been
a win-win. The use cases around storage are hard to meet
and the current solutions all have compromises. It is a very
specialized area at the cutting edge, and you really wanta partner with scale who knows this area inside and out.
NI introduced us to Seagate, and we shared with them thesame vision and use case as we looked for the win-win among
the three of us. I expect that we wouldn’t have considered
Seagate LYVE Mobile without NI’s introduction. Furthermore,
NI made it quite easy for all of us to work together as a groupon our joint development.

AN: But what if you need to bring in anotherpartner and their technology that is not coveredby the NI ecosystem?
MF: Honesty between all parties is particularly important to me.
We get the best results only when everyone is honest and we
all respect each other. During the early stages of working with
NI, we made it clear where we found adopting NI’s ecosystemapproach to be challenging, and we asked NI to work withpartners that most people would consider competitors.
Jaguar Land Rover wants to develop a vehicle- and domain-wide
data acquisition and data handling process. To do this, we needto address existing deep integrations of other companies’
products, too. Jaguar Land Rover introduced a series of projects
for which we asked NI and other companies to work together
on specific proofs of concept to determine the feasibility andthe gap between where we are now and where we want to bein the future. NI and the other partners made what could havebeen an exceedingly challenging task relatively easy. NI took
a lead position as the system integrator, and everyone respected
their relative technology “spaces.” The results give me as thecustomer and overall system integrator some interesting choices
for future logging, calibration, and rapid prototyping setups.
The key point that is relevant to this format is that NI listened
to our needs, accepted the reality of the use cases, and worked
hard to apply their technology to the problem with the otherpartners involved.
MK: Another notable example is the strategic partnershipwith NVIDIA. Though this partner was introduced by Jaguar
Land Rover, the three of us quickly turned things into a coherent
working model. The open technology and mindset from NI havemade it very straightforward to tackle challenges together,
explore new technologies, use experience from other hightech industries, adapt quickly, check results, and then be able
to react accordingly. The collaboration between Jaguar Land
Rover, NI, and NVIDIA delivers many opportunities to define newstandards and best practices in AAD verification and validation.

Delivered solutions and methods will stay and evolve the industry
for many years to come.

AN: Jaguar Land Rover is recruiting talent in various
countries globally. What should people interested
in applying know about Jaguar Land Roveras a technology company?
MK: Like I mentioned before, we have evolved as a company
quite a bit and are still doing so. Previously, we were primarily
looking for project or program manager profiles, as this was
the primary job that had to be done when managing innovation.
With the shift to a leading high-tech company and taking more
control over innovation in-house again, there is the clear needfor engineers like Mark and me. That means if you want to bepart of developing state-of-the-art, modern luxury vehicles
paired with exquisite design and end-to-end engineering,then Jaguar Land Rover needs to be on top of your employer
list. Moreover, as amplified through COVID but not only driven
by it, we have embarked on a “work from where you are” journey.
We are creating hubs across all of Europe to allow talented
engineers to work from various places such as United Kingdom,
Hungary, Ireland, Germany, Spain, or Italy. This evolution allows
us to be more flexible and create some nice benefits in termsof work-life balance.
MF: Like Marek has alluded to, our history, products, and brands
are global icons. In one way or another, I have worked on all the
products we have made in the past 10 years, and, again, I love
what we do—the technology, the people, the passion. I havebeen working in this field for 25 years, and, today, I am doingsome of the most exciting work I have ever done. Where else
do you get to work with radars, scanning lasers, cameras, serverlevel computing, and network technology all in the context ofour great vehicles? Engineers all over the world should apply
to work at Jaguar Land Rover because we are doing someamazing, innovative, and groundbreaking things. We arelooking for people skilled in NI technology and other hardware
and software domains. We are searching across Europe but
are not limited to that continent for talent. To learn more,
visit jaguarlandrover.com.

AN: Thank you both for taking the time. We arethrilled to see how our partnership and the wider NI
ecosystem can continue to work together to solve thechallenges of the ADAS and AD validation workflow.
It has been great to join forces with you on the path
toward zero collisions, and, aided by our partnership,
we look forward to accomplishing Vision Zero.

More about ADAS

Accelerating Parallel Test ofMultiple Infotainment Systems
at a Tier 1 Supplier
Abstract
New product introduction timelines for infotainment systems are tight. As soon as a leading Tier 1 supplier knew
the preliminary specifications of its next-generation infotainment system for a German OEM, it turned to NOFFZ
to discuss validation testers. Within four months, the supplier needed NOFFZ to design, build, and install 12
parameter and monitoring test systems. NOFFZ was confident that its Universal Tester Platform (UTP) andthe team’s expertise could solve this challenge.

16

PARTNER STORY

BackgroundA global Tier 1 supplier turned to NOFFZ with a test request forpremium infotainment systems. NOFFZ designed the tester
based on the available preliminary device under test (DUT)
specifications to meet the timeline. Less than 3.5 months were leftfrom ordering to final prototype tester delivery. The tester needed
to be prepared for the product validation phase as a parameterand monitoring test system. The tester had to cover the various
I/Os (22 different types including audio, camera, display, CANFD, and Automotive Ethernet signals) as well as the integrated
wireless and connectivity standards. The setup needed to bemodular to incorporate possible future upgrades or reuses.
On top, the configuration for testing six DUTs in parallel had
to fit in one standard 19 in. rack.

Challenges
01. Number of Connections to Be Tested
The infotainment system for a German premium OEM is the main
unit in the vehicle, which combines the instrument cluster andinfotainment functionality. It is a so-called convergence or onebox product and controls the cluster, head-up, and in-vehicle
infotainment (IVI) display.
On the compact housing, the system contains 16 ports only on
the rear side. In total, each DUT has 22 different hardware types
on the I/O list. They sum up to 50 I/Os in total per DUT. To no
surprise, the infotainment systems support multiple audio sources
and sinks like Bluetooth, microphones, and internal and external
amplifiers. The number of displays inside a vehicle depends
on the end-user configuration. Besides the central display andthe instrument cluster head-up display, co-driver displays are
becoming more popular. While a rear-view camera is moreor less standard in premium vehicles, cameras inside the vehicle
are optional. The system needs to support up to four additional
camera inputs for selfie cams and driver or occupant monitoring
systems. In total, the video test requirement includes four display
outputs and five camera inputs (GMSL1/2). Rounding out the
I/O list are Automotive Ethernet, Ethernet, CAN-FD, GNSS,
and microphone inputs and output.
NOFFZ designed the test systems based on commercial off-theshelf (COTS) components. Through extensive research on available
instruments for the best technical solution, NOFFZ’s standard
guideline of about 80% standard instrumentation and 20%
customer-specific equipment was applied.
The final instrument list included NOFFZ PDU, UPS, NOFFZ SCU
with six DUT-specific modules (signal conditioning unit), and RF
distribution. An IPC was connected to two NI PXI chassis using
one cabled PCI Express (MXI) bridge. The first chassis contains
two PXI Multifunction I/O Modules (PXIe-6345) that offer analog

I/O, digital I/O, and four timers as well as a special measurementcard for DUT power consumption in all stages. Placed on topof the rack, the second chassis hosted NI Automotive Camera
interface modules for GMSL. Depending on the DUT variant,the chassis was equipped with up to four Automotive Camera
interfaces (PXIe-1487) with eight output channels each.
Power supply units from TDK-Lambda and Ethernet/CAN
interface modules completed the solution. Most instruments
were installed in a 40 in. rack including accessories like singleboard computers, Ethernet switches, and a monitor. The thermal
design turned out to be another challenge since the rack was
really packed.

02. Exchangeable Interface Box Individually
Configured for up to Six DUTs
The optimum number for testing multiple DUTs in parallel
is dictated by the number of DUTs the temperature chamber
can support. Therefore, the requirement for each test rackto account for testing six DUTs in parallel was defined.
Engineers from the Tier 1 supplier demanded the installationof a custom specific interface (CSI) box that needed to be
individually configured for up to six DUTs with loads, BIAS-Ts,
and so on. This box needed to be exchangeable and able
to provide standard connections for LF-signals and RF
standard connections like SMA, Mini-FAKRA, and more
for the other signals.
At the same time, all radio inputs to a single tester needed
to enter through a single coaxial input and be split inside thetest stand to be routed to individual connectors for each DUT.
To account for all the requirements, NOFFZ configured the rackusing a VPC interconnection (receiver). The CSI box was placedin front of the VPC receiver on a sliding table. A hand gear forlocking and releasing the CSI box was mounted on the operatorside of the rack. Of course, the CSI connections needed to matchthe connections of the VPC receiver. Still, both components
were easy to change if the tester was repurposed or modified.
In summary, the CSI box is a smart solution that covered threemain tasks. First and foremost, it connected all the non-critical(non-high-speed) signals of the DUT to the test system. In addition,
it covered the level adjustments of the measurement signals.
Finally, it accommodated smaller equipment for speakers
and USB tests.

03. Compact Test System with Upgrade
Options for Reuse (Future-Proof)
The test system had to be built in an off-the-shelf 19 inchrack no bigger than 42U. Two main use and upgrade ideas
were considered while writing the specifications. If additional
hardware was required for parametric testing, continuous
monitoring testers needed to be upgradable to support
that functionality. The cabling between the DUT and the test
system needed to be a length of 3 m to be used with a climate
chamber. Cabling needed to be selected in accordance withthe temperature range of the climate chamber.
Another future-proof design aspect was the use of the CSI box.
The VPC components could be easily exchanged. The software
framework also was scalable and extendable to meet upcoming
test needs.

Summary and Outlook
Close collaboration and early involvement were crucial
to the success of this project. In the meantime, 16 testers
were deployed.
Companion test systems have already been ordered for otherdepartments. For example, the video inputs of the premium
infotainment system were to be tested in an EMC laboratory.
For this, only manual contacting was an option. In addition,
all instruments had to be powered by a battery that covered
10 hours of operation. The solution provided by NOFFZ
included an NI PXI DC chassis and two more NI Automotive
Camera Interface modules (PXIe-1487).

18

PARTNER STORY

Authors
MARKUS SOLBACHMANAGING PARTNER,
DIRECTOR SALES AND MARKETING,
NOFFZ TECHNOLOGIESWOLFGANG SCHESSL
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER,NOFFZ TECHNOLOGIESVANESSA BLUMENSTEINTECHNICAL MARKETING MANAGER,NOFFZ TECHNOLOGIESIn addition to the competent consulting, compact design,and quick setup of the test systems, the service andflexibility of NOFFZ were key. During the product introductionof the infotainment system, changing requirements had to beaccommodated. Further testers and upgrades for different
products and variants—in total 20 systems—were installedwith the leading Tier 1 supplier. Up until now four of these
EMC testers were deployed successfully.

Photo courtesy of Zacua

Women Break Gender
Stereotypes in EV Innovation
What comes to mind when you think of electric vehicle (EV) innovation? Maybe the aspiration toward a zeroemission future? Perhaps complex lithium batteries? What about Mexico? What about a woman-owned andoperated EV manufacturer? Zacua is an all-woman-owned startup based in Puebla, Mexico, and the first andonly Mexican brand of EVs. As I've explored about the Zacua brand and cars, I have reassessed what it means
to Engineer Ambitiously™ and learned more than a few lessons on innovation.

noffz.com

Innovation has many facets, and it's helpful to occasionally step back and discover where it is happening. By doing
so, we can achieve a renewed sense of what “innovation” means. My work at NI immerses me in technology so muchthat I occasionally forget how innovation refers to the introduction of something new, including the methods,
the processes, and, more importantly, the people behind the innovation.

TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY IS
CHANGING. WE’RE CHANGING WITH IT.
Our flexible test solutions will help your products keep
pace with innovation. From validation to production.

YOUR TEST & AUTOMATION EXPERTS.
16093 Anzeige Automotive engl 8,5x4Zoll.indd 1

ADAS. E-MOBILITY. CONNECTIVITY.
11.03.22 13:35“Zacua is an electric, zero-emissions car from a Mexican company committed tosustainability, responsible mobility, and creating a clean city that’s better for you,your children, and future generations.”
zacua.com

20

INNOVATOR SPOTLIGHT

Breaking a 120-Year-Old Pattern
Zacua describes itself as “a company that always seeks the welfare of society.” A Mexican equity pioneer, the company teaches women
who join the company as cleaners or other “blue collar” roles a robust set of skills—an entire discipline even—to help them become partof a community of innovative female regional industry leaders that designs and assembles these cutting-edge and boundary-breaking
EVs by hand.
The company itself was founded in 2017. Zacua inaugurated its assembly plant in Puebla in mid-2018, and it is still a small startup
manufacturer. Because each of its cars is produced with such precision and care without the help of automated machinery,
its production line allows employees to assemble an average of one vehicle per day. Zacua employees say that because they
produced the first 100% EV assembled in Mexico, they “differentiate [themselves] from the rest, being more daring and innovative,
with outstanding features, such as savings, an exceptional driving experience, and environmentally friendly technology.”
In addition to producing the cars themselves, Zacua employees are impacting the local EV infrastructure by establishing 150
charging stations across Mexico City. These will be mapped in a smartphone application along with all other functional charging
stations in Mexico City.

“Zacua is the first car globally, in more than 120 years of history, to be assembled bya 100% female team.”

Photo courtesy of Zacua

Nazareth Black
CEO, Zacua

Changing the Faces of Engineering
During a recent press conference, Zacua CEO Nazareth Black discussed two issues that must be addressed before Zacua can fulfill
its mission: 1. the car industry was built on the environmentally harmful combustion engine and 2. cars were built by and for men.
Zacua employs mostly females for its engineering center as well as its factory mechanics team.
Black actively promotes the inclusion and empowerment of women as part of her vision for the automotive industry. She oversees
the company from the perspective of a woman who believes men have, for too long, dominated the automotive industry on a global
level. These efforts aim to meet a company policy of equity and inclusion as well as to promote women in the automotive sector.
These monumental efforts are making a tangible impact on the faces of engineering.
Let’s face it. The engineering talent pipeline hasn’t changed much over the last 20+ years. That is where the story of Zacua and
NI intersect. NI’s 2030 corporate impact strategy report, Engineering Hope, outlines NI’s vision and aspirational goals formaking a measurable, positive impact on society and the environment by 2030. The long-term plan to advance diversity, equity,and sustainability furthers NI’s promise to Engineer Ambitiously. The Engineering Hope strategy outlines 15 aspirational goals andcommitments aligned to three key pillars:

01

Changing the Faces
of Engineering

02

Building an Equitable
and Thriving Society

03

Engineeringa Healthy Planet

Building a diverse and inclusive workforce is more than just the right thing to do. Our teams at NI should reflect the diversityof our customers and the communities where we live and work. Collaborating with people from diverse backgrounds opens our minds
and spurs innovation. Additionally, it brings more people into the field. The global technology sector is projected to have a shortageof 4.3 million workers by 2030, so attracting more diverse people to the industry helps keep up with this growth while providing more
equitable access to high-paying jobs.
The value of diversity does not stop with the societal impact; it also has a quantifiable impact on a company’s revenue. Kazique Prince, NI’s
director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), addressed the need for greater diversity in the workplace in the Q2 2022 Automotive
Journal. “Research and literature have been clear: organizations that do well in [the areas of DEI] versus those that don’t make moremoney. In fact, they make on average $500 million more than those organizations that don’t.”

Impacting Generations to ComeAs the mother of a daughter who is incredibly innovative and endlessly inquisitive at the young age of 3, I get excited thinking about
the opportunities she will have that were unavailable to her grandmother 40 years ago or even to me within the last 15 years. Zacua is leading
the way in Mexican EV innovation and breaking centuries-old gender stereotypes while staying firmly rooted in Mexican heritage andidentity. Black writes "In this world there is so much to do, so much to improve, so much to build. And it all begins by building in our
minds that better world for everyone." I am inspired to see companies like Zacua emphasizing diversity, equity, and inclusion in theirengineering, operations, and manufacturing. Their example continues to inspire the world and generate new perspectives on how
to Engineer Ambitiously. To quote Black, "when one of us takes a step, we all move forward."*This article reflects the author’s opinion and is not sponsored by Zacua in any way.

AuthorMEGAN DANNER
PRINCIPAL PROGRAM MANAGER,
TRANSPORTATION, NI

More Stories

Jobs

186

No Shortcuts to Vision Zero
Software-connected test systems from NI create vast efficiencies across the
product lifecycle, from early simulations to final shipment. This means you candeliver superior quality and optimal performance faster, on the road to Vision Zero.

Discover more

ADAS Vehicle Fleet
Improves Workflow
and Data Management
Ensuring safe operation at all levels of automated driving is vital to consumer adoption of the new technology.
Nowadays, engineering teams struggle with the need for vast amounts of high-quality data to train, test,
and guarantee higher validation test coverage of their perception algorithms and hardware.
In cooperation with Konrad Technologies, Seagate Technology, and VSI Labs, key partners across the advanced driver assistancesystems (ADAS) and autonomous driving (AD) ecosystem, NI announced the deployment of a fleet of vehicles in Europe, the UnitedStates, and China that will enable ADAS/AD engineering teams to address top challenges related to data volume, quality, access, andutilization. The vehicles are equipped with a high-performance in-vehicle data recording and storage solution from NI and its partners.

24

PRODUCT FEATURE

This collaboration further enables a connected workflow
by combining best-in-class technologies across the global
ecosystem and provides a solution to deliver autonomous
driving safer and faster to the road.
ADAS data recording is one of the most complex challenges for
the ADAS and AD domain because data from multiple sensor
modalities (camera, radar, lidar, ultrasonics, infrared, IMUs/INS,
GNSS, and vehicle networks) must be logged synchronously andanalyzed together to train and validate the performance of safetyfunctions and features. The amount of data the research vehicles
collect will help advance ADAS solutions to the next level.

SOLUTION BRIEF

VSI Labs regularly hits the road for long-distance drives to collectdata and showcase its sponsors’ tech. The company hosts Drive
Series events over several days while en route to its destination.
Using real-world scenarios to test and validate the safety andperformance of ADAS allows NI to offer its customers innovative
solutions. Join NI at one of the upcoming events to learn more
about its solutions:
J

J

Through this initiative, NI and its partners will research,develop, and demonstrate industry-leading capabilities
involved in recording high-quantity and high-quality sensor
data in the field; efficient data movement via data transfer
services; and increased data utilization for training, analysis,
and validation of algorithms in the lab.
This collaboration is a great step forward for the developmentof the PXI high-performance data-logging system featuring thesynchronized collection of real-world scenario data from several
sensors. This data can be used later for the data replay to ADAS
engine control units (ECUs) to test perception algorithms andimprove the overall performance.
In North America, VSI Labs will conduct research while driving
its ADAS recording-equipped vehicle across the United States
to improve the use of data throughout the entire ADAS and
AD engineering workflow. The data collected on the road will
also help NI and its partners further evolve their joint solutions,which range from data recording and simulation to digital twinsand hardware-in-the-loop testing.

J

J

ADAS and Autonomous Vehicle Technology Expo—
September 7–8, 2022, San Jose, California, US
AutoSens—September 12–14, 2022, Brussels, Belgium
Automotive Testing Expo—October 25–27, 2022,
Novi, Michigan, US
Register for NI Connect—November 9, 2022, Munich,Germany

A CATR Radar Test System
on Another Level
Radar sensor technology plays a significant role in autonomous driving. Specifically, imaging
radars are gaining traction due to high-resolution capabilities; multiple input, multiple output(MIMO) antennas; and a wide aperture with better long-range target recognition and longer
far-field distances. All these new test challenges require more complex test equipment.
To cost-effectively keep up with technology, today’s radar test solutions must be fast,accurate, smart, compact, and adaptable.

Customer Needs

NI + NOFFZ ADVANTAGE
J

Authors
ELIZA METTASPRINCIPAL FIELD MARKETING MANAGER,AUTOMOTIVE, NI, AMERICASDANIEL RIEDELBAUCH
PRINCIPAL SOLUTIONS MARKETING MANAGER,ADAS AND AD VALIDATION, NI

MANUEL HOFMANNPRINCIPAL FIELD MARKETING MANAGER,AUTOMOTIVE, NI, EMEA

25

01

A compact antenna test range (CATR) anechoic chamber
to allow the creation of a high-quality quiet zone to perform
at a significantly shorter distance

J

J

02

Simultaneous movement along individual dual-axis trajectories
with a highly accurate device under test (DUT) motion during
the calibration process

03

Fast cycle times for testing and calibration and parallel handlingof more than one DUT

04

Rare floor space or limited ceiling height to accommodate huge
test chambers for increasing far-field distances

J

Compact test bench tailored to your specific test andautomation needs to fit your production environment
Modular, flexible, and adaptable radar test system tokeep up with new requirement requests and future-proof
your investment
Ready-to-use turnkey solution with global on-site support,
service coverage, and short-term manufacturing capabilities
Fast, accurate, and efficient test system optimized for
production that facilitates the transition from radar sensor
development to economical mass production

NI and NOFFZ Technologies partnered to develop a fast andaccurate CATR test system optimized for production test.
Save cost, use space more efficiently, and easily adapt to new
requirements by combining the NOFFZ UTP 5069 chamber,
automation, and software with NI VRTS for a system thatis ready for the next generation of radar technology.

05

Full integration into the existing production environment withhighly flexible tester control and application software“The innovative CATR chamber design combined with NI’s technology elevates our UTP
radar test systems to a new level. Next-generation imaging and 3D/4D radar sensors can
now be calibrated and tested in a state-of-the-art tester environment in high volume."
Oliver Poos
Principal Engineer, ADAS, NOFFZ Technologies

26

SOLUTION BRIEF

SOLUTION BRIEF

27

System Integration on Your
Terms

VRTS FEEDNI and NOFFZ Technologies offer a variety of solution
integration options customized to your RF testing andautomation requirements. NOFFZ has more than 20 yearsof experience as an NI Partner and more than 25 yearsof experience working on automotive solutions. NOFFZ
is headquartered in Germany with global representationand manufacturing.

CATR
REFLECTOR

DEVICE UNDERTESTContact NOFFZ Technologies or your NI account manager
to learn more about how we can help you increase productquality and accelerate testing timelines.

NI VRTS

FIGURE 01
CATR Test System Internal Diagram Setup
FIGURE 02
Design View of the CATR Test System

NI + NOFFZ Solution
01

The UTP 5069 end-of-line (EOL) radar
sensor test system features the bestreflection suppression with absorption
analysis inside the CATR chamber
and a small footprint for big imaging
radar sensors

02

The 4 GHz NI Vehicle Radar Test
System (VRTS) helps you perform
highly repeatable and accurate
radar obstacle simulation andparametric measurements inparallel, which reduces test time

03

Optional dual nest loading and unloading
station reduces test cycle time04

The robot arm positions the DUT
very precisely inside the quiet zone
and allows highly accurate DUT
motion in azimuth and elevation
for best calibration results

05

Individual application software basedon the NOFFZ UTP Suite helps you
achieve synchronized DUT motion,parallel measurements, variant
management, individual databaseconnectivity, and more

KEY SPECIFICATIONS

Quiet zone diameter

22 cm or more depending on CATR reflector dimension

Frequency range

76–81 GHz

Bandwidth

4 GHz

Target simulation

NI.COM/VRTS

Dimensions of test chamber setup

1,200 x 2,700 x 2,200 mm (W x D x H)**Dimensions depend on frequency+49 2151 998 780
info@noffz.com
noffz.com

An NI Partner is a business entity independent from NI and has no agency or joint-venture relationship and does not form part of any
business associations with NI.

Contact NOFFZCONNECTOR SPOTLIGHT/Test

ADC’s Complete ICV Simulation
and Verification Solution

In terms of data collection, ADC has a comprehensive datacollection and handling process and a wealth of experiencein data collection vehicle modification, sensor installation
design, vehicle multisensor calibration, and data collection
and management. ADC has built a model system of versatile
sensor development interfaces to ensure convenient sensor
system integration and expansion and laid the foundation fordeveloping reusable sensor interfaces and data collection
services. ADC has developed efficient parsing and integrated
processing technology for multisensor heterogeneous data tofilter out redundant and invalid information between sensors,
reduce the software processing load, ensure data accuracy,
and form an efficient and lightweight data collection platform.
ADC's standard data collection platform is built on collection
software, a hardware system, and vehicle features. Generally,
it is equipped with one smart camera; seven high-definition
cameras in the front, rear, front left, front right, rear left, rearright, and cab positions; one millimeter-wave radar with highresolution; one low-thread/high-thread lidar ground truth system;a high-precision inertial navigation system (INS); and weather
monitoring devices. The platform can be customized basedon actual requirements (Figure 01). The collection hardware
obtains different types of signals. The collection software
handles and stores the signals received by sensors and cleans,denoises, and desensitizes data through the proprietary data
cleaning platform. In addition, NdsCleaner, the scenario dataprocessing software developed by ADC, can normalize datacollected from different collection platforms, convert theformat of scenario data into ROS and ASEva, use the same
frequency for different data sources, and filter scenario
data. Data processed by the collection platform can be used
to construct the autonomous driving scenario database, analyze

driving behavior, design test objectives and verification rules,
benchmark and evaluate sensor performance, and label ICV
environment perception data.
With respect to scenario database construction, ADC hasdeveloped a mature scenario toolchain, scenario database,and simulation testing application system through yearsof operations and exploration in the driving scenario field.
The driving scenario toolchain integrates six modules:
the scenario data collection platform, scenario data analysis
platform, scenario data labeling platform, data analysis platform,
scenario conversion tools, and scenario big data management
platform. Its functions include data collection, processing,labeling, management, and application. Based on different
requirements, ADC constructs two scenario databases: thetypical scenario database and continuous scenario database.
All data is managed by the management platform in a unified
manner. Scenarios in the scenario databases can be used as
the primary sources for simulation test cases and provide test
content for these cases. With advanced simulation softwareand devices, users can perform model-in-the-loop (MIL),
hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), driver-in-the-loop (DIL), vehiclein-the-loop (VIL), and other simulation tests. According to
the autonomous driving development process and datarequirements, ADC builds the framework and related tools
for constructing scenario databases based on natural driving
data in the V-cycle development process, performs datadriven transformations in the ICV development and test fields,
and constructs team-related capabilities.
Simulation testing and verification are indispensable partsof product approval management. The real-time performance,
modeling and simulation capabilities, and data traceability of the

CameraETH
Camera Box

As a strategic direction in the development of the automobile industry, intelligent connected vehicles (ICVs) arein the initial stage of commercialization, undergoing rapid technological evolution and accelerated industry layout.
The industry currently faces opportunities, risks, and challenges and requires standardized management measures.
At present, China has released "Opinions on Strengthening the Management of Connected Vehicles (Intelligent
Networked Vehicles) Manufacturers and Product Access," which presents 11 requirements for strengthening dataand cybersecurity management, standardizing online software upgrades, and enhancing product management
and assurance measures. The industry has reached a consensus on using the multipillar certification approachto test and evaluate automated driving in order to support product approval management. Due to the complexityof the automated driving system (ADS) and function verification, simulation testing and verification have become
an indispensable part of the product approval management process.
Enterprises are actively building a "closed data loop" platform in the smart driving field. This means that data is used to guide businessand practices, while iterative optimization is performed within a closed loop. This process generated application requirements for dataprocessing tools, scenario management platforms, and simulation and reproduction. Automotive Data of China (ADC) also created
a complete ICV simulation and verification solution that extends from data collection and scenario database construction to simulation
testing and verification.

29

Low-Resolution
Lidar

Smart Camera

LVDS

mmWave Radar

CAN

High-Resolution
Lidar

GPS/IMUFIGURE 01
Collection Platform Configuration Solution

ETH
Lidar Fusion

ADAS ECU

ETH

CAN

30

CONNECTORS SPOTLIGHT

CONNECTORS SPOTLIGHT

CAN/ETHPXIe chassis
Scenario simulation

UDP

Real-timecollector

UDP/MAP

Protocol stack

Scheduledsynchronization
moduleGNSS
deviceV2X device

UDP

V2X
INFORMATION

Authors
Deviceunder test

JIAXU MENG
R&D ENGINEER, INTELLIGENT
VEHICLE DATA DIVISION, CATARC

GNSS SIGNALGNSS simulation

31

V2X simulation

QIJIA SUNINTELLIGENT VEHICLE DATADIVISION R&D ENGINEERFIGURE 02
V2X Simulation Testing PlatformYINDONG WANG
simulation testing platform affect the credibility of the simulation
toolchain. Therefore, high requirements must be met whenbuilding the simulation platform. Based on NI products, ADC
has built a complete smart driving HIL simulation and verification
platform, which includes a software platform, a hardware platform,and simulation modeling. The full development process involves
sensor and dynamics modeling, simulation device development,
and platform integration debugging. NI VeriStand software is highly
adaptable and can develop data communication interfaces thatare compatible with other platforms in the toolchain to forma closed data loop platform based on the integration scenario
simulation software, dynamics models, and sensor modelsof the testing management software. NI hardware provides
various real-time processors and I/O modules. Based on open
industry standards, they ensure that customers apply the latest
PC technology to HIL testing. With powerful multicore processors,
FPGAs, and data collection technologies, NI PXI hardware helps

In addition, ADC offers a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) simulation
testing system based on NI products (see Figure 02). The underlying
layer of the simulation system constructs the RF environment
simulation function based on NI RF transceivers. The PXIe-5841
PXI Vector Signal Transceiver implements GNSS signal simulation,and the USRP-2954R USRP Software Defined Radio Device
controls the sending and receiving of V2X communication signals.
The 3D traffic scenario simulation provides virtual traffic scenario
test cases to display 3D test scenario information and test casestatuses in real time. Data generated in scenarios is transmitted
to the hardware in real time to dynamically generate V2X signals,

I/O SIGNAL: OBJECT ECHOINFORMATION

Power

Ultrasonicsimulation
systemProgrammable
power

Camerabox

CAN: TARGET LIST

Video
injection
moduleLVDS:
VIDEO SIGNALSTESTRESULTUPLOADPC(front-end web)
(NDS-XXX)(data playback)Serverdatabase

TCP:
CONFIGURATION,
MANAGEMENT,LOADING TEST,AND MONITORING

BOB
Adjustment

TEST CASEDOWNLOADSCENARIOFILEUPLOAD

VTD scenario
simulation
software(front-end web)

UDP: OBJECT
LIST SIGNAL
DETECTED BYVIRTUALSENSORSTCP/UDP:DYNAMICSINFORMATIONCAN: TARGET DISTANCEHIL system
TEST CASEDOWNLOAD

Fault injection

QINGXIA LI
INTELLIGENT VEHICLE TECHNOLOGYDIVISION R&D ENGINEERGNSS signals, and CAN signals. The V2X vehicle-mounted unit of the device under test
(DUT) provides feedback and early warning based on its own information (CAN signals),
V2X information, and GPS information to complete the HIL test.

HUIYU XIEIn its industry partner ecosystem, ADC has provided a complete ICV simulation solutionthat extends from data collection and scenario database construction to simulation andverification for many automakers in China. For one leading automaker, ADC provided
massive volumes of driving data and abundant driving scenario databases, establisheda server database, and built a complete HIL simulation testing platform (see Figure 03).
The testing platform contains the VTD scenario simulation software, CarSim vehicle
dynamics software, VeriStand verification management software, ECU-TEST automatedtesting software, an HIL cabinet, a real-time processor, a video injection module,
and ultrasonic hardline simulation hardware. Using this testing platform, the automakerperforms simulation, verification, and automated testing, completing the entire ICV
simulation and verification process from data collection to simulation and verification.

SHUAI ZHAO

In the future, ADC will continue to build full-stack in-loop simulation toolchains based on
massive data resources and scenario simulation. In constructing advanced autonomous
driving vehicle simulation platforms and engineering verification services, ADC will workwith NI to provide high-quality service for a wide range of intelligent automakers andresearch institutions and quickly deploy solutions for handling advanced autonomous
driving regulation requirements and lab capability building.

QIANG WANGINTELLIGENT VEHICLE DATADIVISION SENIOR SUPERVISORINTELLIGENT VEHICLE BUSINESSDEPARTMENT DIRECTORPENGCHAO ZHAOINTELLIGENT VEHICLE DATADIVISION VICE DIRECTORCHAO CHENINTELLIGENT VEHICLE TECHNOLOGYDIVISION SENIOR SUPERVISORINTELLIGENT VEHICLE DATADIVISION R&D ENGINEERSHUO CHENINTELLIGENT VEHICLE DATADIVISION R&D DIRECTOR ENGINEERYONGWANG SHEN

Real-time target(sending andreceiving signals)

I/O: VOLTAGE AND CURRENT
SIGNALS (BASED ON SPEC)

VehicleDynamics Model

CAN: MILLIMETER-WAVE RADAR
TARGET
CAN: HORIZONTAL AND VERTICALFEEDBACK INFORMATIONHDMI: DIGITAL VIDEO SIGNALS OF CAMERA MODELSUDP: LIDAR POINT CLOUD INFORMATIONFIGURE 03
Smart Driving HIL Simulation and Verification Platformt

INTELLIGENT VEHICLE DATADIVISION R&D ENGINEER

improve measurement scope and performance. Some NI PXI
products provide industry-leading frequency and precision
specifications. The high sampling rate, high resolution, real-timesystem capabilities, and other features of NI’s hardware system
ensure high data precision and quality for the simulation toolchain.

ADAS
domaincontroller

BD INTELLIGENT VEHICLE BUSINESSDEPARTMENT MARKETING MANAGER

32

PARTNER STORY

Customer:
INZI Controls
Partner:
CONTROLWORKS
Application Area:
BMS HILs (ADV)
Solution name:
HILSmart®

PARTNER STORYBMS HIL Solution
Cuts Test Time
and Cost at INZIControls
INZI Controls is a Korean company that has provided automotive industry
solutions for the past 40 years. With the recent electrification trend,
the company expanded its business to electric vehicle (EV) control
units and invested accordingly in its R&D and other capabilities.

BMS HIL Simulator

Host
Computer

BMS

Real-Time Simulator
CELL VOLTAGEGUI
VeriStand

BALANCING CURRENT

TCP/
IP

Battery
Model

Test Automation
Test Manager

High Voltage
Cell Voltage
Simulator

PACK VOLTAGE

Pack Voltage
Simulator

TEMPERATURE

Temperature
Sensor Simulator

Communication
CAN, LIN, Modbus
OS
Windows

33

Signal Acquisition System

SignalConditioner

Pack Voltage Measurement
Cell Voltage
Measurement Balancing

Low Voltage
Communication
Relay Control
Current Measurement
Temperature Measurement

FIGURE 01
CONTROLWORKS BMS HIL Simulator Components

Customer Challenges
In 2021, INZI Controls set the goal of developing its first battery management system(BMS) to meet the needs of EV automakers. However, the company found that
establishing an appropriate development environment that could respond to the various
needs of customers and automatically verify the performance and quality of its BMS
product was challenging. To meet this challenge, INZI Controls used BMS hardware-inthe-loop systems (HILS) from CONTROLWORKS, which offers the world-class quality,
flexibility, and performance INZI Controls needed to meet its goals.

CONTROLWORKS Solution
CONTROLWORKS is a top (HILS) expert company in Korea with vast knowhow and experience in working with major domestic carmakers for 12 years.
CONTROLWORKS’ differentiation in the market includes high-performance
hardware, rapid local support, competitive prices, and high-quality engineering
services. Additionally, CONTROLWORKS provides highly reliable hardware andsoftware solutions like CE-certified battery cell simulators and Test Manager,
the test automation software based on the NI PXI platform. The software has
been extensively used by CONTROLWORKS’ customers over time.
CONTROLWORKS' know-how, experience, and channel scalability expand
to multidomain HIL systems including vehicle control unit (VCU), on-board charger (OBC),
low-voltage DC-DC converter (LDC), motor control unit (MCU), and battery cell simulator(BCS) systems. Based on NI PXI hardware, CONTROLWORKS solutions can sustainably
grow with a customer’s needs and next-generation controller development. For thesereasons, INZI Controls chose CONTROLWORKS to supply the total solution needed for
BMS development reliably and quickly in Korea.

Before the implementation, many tests had to be conductedmanually. With the CONTROLWORKS solution, INZI Controls
can now test more scenarios automatically in less time, which
greatly contributes to increasing the reliability of the new BMS.
The BMS is a critical controller in EVs, and any malfunction cancause serious damage and risk to the vehicle and its occupants
and surroundings. Therefore, the BMS verification process must
be carried out without any margin of error.
After ensuring safety through BMS-only verification, the battery
pack-level verification needs to be implemented undermultiple scenarios. Organizing and managing the different
environments and tests manually would make verification lesseffective, so the automation that the CONTROLWORKS solution
provides significantly saves time and effort on testing withoutcompromising quality.
Additionally, if needed, the BMS HILS provide an environmentthat can more effectively verify the BMS's hardware andsoftware in a pack-less environment. This is because they cansimulate each function of the BMS and the electronic equipmentof the battery pack to provide an environment similar to theactual pack. Moreover, CONTROLWORKS’ precise battery
cell simulator allows the emulation of the closest environment
to the actual cell. Finally, flawless verification through BMS HILS
helps developers secure reliable verification data, which canbe reflected in better BMS design and development. As a result,developers can expect to save about 30% of the test time under
numerous test scenarios and to expedite the launch of a new
BMS 20% faster than originally planned.

Future Forecasts
The prototype development of INZI Controls’ first BMS will
be delivered to various domestic and foreign OEM companies
throughout 2022. After BMS development is successfullycompleted, INZI Controls plans to create other ecofriendly
controllers. It also expects continuing collaboration, startingwith the NI PXI-based BMS HILS of CONTROLWORKS andexpanding to multidomain HILS.

“It was our first challenge, but now we have a smooth development process thanks to
HILSmart of CONTROLWORKS. We were able to truly focus on the most important
things that we must complete in the reliable development environment.”
R&D engineer
INZI Controls

34

CUSTOMER STORY

Customer:
Major US Truck Manufacturer
Application Area:
Digital Engineering

Challenge
Develop, test, and validate
the power electronics modeland controllers for the truck
manufacturer's DC Fast-Charging
System (DCFCS) for EV charging
stations, which would be installedon the Trans-Canada Highway—
one of the longest highways in theworld with a length of 7,821 km.

Solution
Use OPAL-RT's eHS FPGA-based
Power Electronics toolbox and acRIO-9082, an NI Reconfigurable
Embedded Chassis, to deploy
the control algorithms andperform the real-time simulationof the controller.

Proof Points
The final converter's
configuration involved:
J

J

J

J

An isolated DC-AC-DC
converter that enabledserial/parallel configuration
at the EV end
10 kHz in switching frequency
that reduced the size of theoutput filter and the magnetics
A phase-shift gating control
strategy that provided softswitching conditions
Unidirectional power flowfrom the H-bridge at thefront end and diode rectifier
at the EV end

CUSTOMER STORY

OPAL-RT and NI
Solution HelpsEngineer DC FastCharging Systems
Electric vehicles (EVs) have, until now, taken far longer to recharge thanit takes to fill up a tank of gasoline, and yet they're becoming very popular.
The missing piece has always been a fast recharge of 20 to 30 minutes.
This solution has been slow to evolve because the existing infrastructure
was not engineered for this challenge and its speed or volumeof electricity delivered.
Enter University of Toronto’s Centre for Applied Power Electronics (CAPE),
partnering with energy storage company eCAMION, in one of Canada's
most ambitious EV infrastructure projects: build a DCFCS for EV charging
stations on the Trans-Canada Highway, one of the longest highways in theworld with a length of 7,821 km.1

Challenges
The very concept of fast charging implies a large amount of energy in a short time(it’s a bandwidth or throughput issue). University of Toronto Professor Reza Iravani
and his team from CAPE considered a new model, where electricity is stored in anddischarged from local high-capacity batteries that are then refilled by the preexisting
infrastructure between users. These local battery storage units then become partof a larger system to reduce the impact of DCFCSs on the electrical infrastructure.
Though this seemed to solve the throughput issue, the engineering challenges remained.

Objective
As the first and determining part of its challenge, CAPE's team needed to develop
control algorithms for its DCFCS, along with a local large-volume battery storage
system. Team members decided to deploy the control algorithms on a cRIO-9082,
an NI Reconfigurable Embedded Chassis for real-time simulation. For the battery
storage system, they partnered with eCAMION, a Toronto-based company withaccumulated expertise in developing solutions for issues specific to EV adoption
in existing infrastructures.
They also needed to simulate the power electronics model for the fast chargers,
configure the power electronics converter, fine-tune its controller design,and complete development with a 60 kW prototype.

35

DevelopNI Controller
Paper Design

Offline Simulation

System Configuration

Finalize System
Configuration

Parameters

HIL

Real-Time Simulation

Optimize Parameters
Design the Controller

OPAL-RT’s (eHS)
FPGA-BasedPower Electronic’s
ToolboxRapid
Control
Prototyping(RCP)

Modify Configuration and Parameters

FIGURE 01
Development Process

Due to the need for two fast-charging sequences (one from battery to car and the other from grid to battery afterward), CAPE's
team had to achieve higher charging voltage by connecting two chargers in series and implementing the local controller (LC)on the cRIO-9082.
Additionally, team members had to develop and test (in real time and through hardware-in-the-loop simulation) the LC of thegrid interface’s AC/DC converter on the cRIO-9082. Finally, they had to develop the supervisory control (SC) that coordinates
the stations' LCs.
Each new station was designed to consist of an energy storage system that uses large-format lithium-ion batteries and multiple outlets so thatseveral cars could be charged at once. The stations were to be equipped with Level 3 chargers, which typically use a 480 V system thatcan fully charge EVs in about 30 minutes. Level 2 chargers, found in homes and commonly seen in parking garages, use a 240 V systemand can fully recharge vehicles in about eight to 10 hours.3

TYPE OF CHARGINGVOLTAGECHARGE TIME*

Level 1

110 V

8-20 hours

Level 2240 V

8-10 hours

Level 3480 V

20-30 hours*CHARGING TIMES VARY DEPENDING ON FACTORS SUCH AS TEMPERATURE, CURRENT LEVEL OF BATTERY CHARGE, AND BATTERY CAPACITY.4

36

CUSTOMER STORYCUSTOMER STORY

Solutions and Development

EMI
FilterAfter starting the development process on paper to determine system configuration and parameters, CAPE's team went to offline
simulation for finalizing the configuration, optimizing the parameters, and designing the controller.

Input
FilterH-BrideSEMIKRON
SkiiP 3 Stack

High Frequency
Transformer

SEMIKRON
Rectifier +Snubber

OutputFilter

Diode

37

EMI

LOC

Team members then used OPAL-RT’s eHS FPGA-based Power Electronics toolbox for real-time simulation of the controller.

LHF

I3

At this stage, an actual NI controller was introduced and simulated through HIL testing. In turn, this NI controller underwent rapid control
prototyping (RCP) to ensure that it functioned as required. This process was heavily iterative and alternated between simulation types
as lessons learned from various stages were integrated into further testing iterations.

From
eCAMION
BatteryEMI
Filter

V3

+
Cdc

+

I1

+

I2
V2

V1

V4

Cdc.EV

n1/n2

EMI
FilterTo
EV Battery(Dispenser)

Results
OPAL-RT’s eHS FPGA-based Power Electronics toolbox—used throughout the course of the development of the units—allowed theengineers to, in their own words:

01

02
Expeditethe development
process

03 Reduce safety
risks inherent indeveloping thesystems at highvoltage and current

Lower thedevelopment costs

Project organizers believe the EV charging network will reduce emissions by an estimated 0.7 million tons over the first five years
of its operation.5

FIGURE 03
Circuit Elements of One Charger Unit (Power Core)OPAL-RT thus played a central role in one of the most ambitious
EV infrastructure projects yet to take place, worldwide, throughits eHS FPGA-based Power Electronics toolbox.

J

J

J

Power CoreNI Board

NI Board

eCAMION
Battery
DC
Charger #1

DCCharger #1

POWER LINKGRIDVOLTAGE 100-500 V

CURRENT 10-120 A

FIGURE 02
Charging Station: Three Charger Units

PMAX= 60 KW

DCCharger #1

2
HTTPS://NEWS.ENGINEERING.UTORONTO.CA/REDUCING-RANGE-ANXIETY-ELECTRICVEHICLES-SPEEDING-CHARGING-TIME/HTTPS://WWW.ECAMION.COM/FAST-CHARGING-STATIONS-FOR-ELECTRIC-VEHICLESCOMING-TO-TRANS-CANADA-HIGHWAY/

3

The final product was UL and ESA approved. The final
converter was developed in less than two years and its
final configuration involved:

J

500-600 VDC
120 KWHHTTPS://WWW.ROADTRAFFIC-TECHNOLOGY.COM/FEATURES/FEATURE-THE-WORLDSLONGEST-HIGHWAYS/

1

An isolated DC-AC-DC converter that enabled serial/parallel
configuration at the EV end
10 kHz in switching frequency that reduced the sizeof the output filter and the magnetics
A phase-shift gating control strategy that provided
soft-switching conditions
Unidirectional power flow from the H-bridge at the front
end and diode rectifier at the EV end

HTTP://WWW.MTO.GOV.ON.CA/ENGLISH/VEHICLES/ELECTRIC/CHARGING-ELECTRICVEHICLE.SHTML

45HTTPS://WWW.CANADIANMANUFACTURING.COM/MANUFACTURING/ENERGY-STORAGEFIRMS-BUILDING-EV-CHARGING-NETWORK-ALONG-TRANS-CANADAHIGHWAY-197770/

Author
ALAN SOLTIS
BUSINESS UNIT MANAGER, AUTOMOTIVEINTEGRATION, OPAL-RT TECHNOLOGIESADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Technology Expo
San Jose, Ca, USA

With Kratzer now a part of NI, we have strengthened
our portfolio for full-scale EV test lab deployment.

2022 Event Schedule

Performance iswhat drives you.

SEPT
7-8

Visit us at booth 3026 to learn how we can help you streamline
development of ADAS/AD with a unified test architecture designed forinteroperability between Replay and HIL in the same system. Discover
how to develop faster by leveraging work across design and validation
through NI’s single toolchain to perform reliable tests at each stage,
and future-proof your systems with a flexible solution. More info..

AutoSens
Brussels, Belgium

SEPT
12-14

AutoSens is the world’s leading community for ADAS and autonomousvehicle technology development. Visit us at booth number 1 to learn
more about how we can help you solve challenges along the ADAS/AD
Workflow in Record, Replay, and HIL. Be on the lookout for our green NI
ADAS Logging Car on the show floor! More info.

The Battery Show US
Novi, MI, USA

SEPT
13-15

Visit us in booth 3100 at The Battery Show where we will beshowcasing our battery test solutions for both validation andproduction. Discover how we can help you increase automation,
performance, and enable you to efficiently scale your test
to meet the growing demands of EV test. More info.

Automotive Testing Expo
Novi, MI, USA

OCT
25-27

We will be showcasing our latest innovations in EV and ADAS
validation. Don’t miss seeing our new Battery Test System 3.0, whichenables scalability of EV battery testing through advanced simulation
and automation capabilities. Learn about our new partnership with
VSI Labs, Konrad Technologies, and Seagate to accelerate ADAS
testing on the road and in real-world scenarios. More Info.

NI Connect Munich
Munich, Germany

NOV
9TH

Save the date and join us at the International Congress Center,
where you will be surrounded by fellow engineers and industry
leaders who are passionate about accelerating the developmentof innovative technology that performs flawlessly. More Info.

Learn More

US CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
11500 N MOPAC EXPWY, AUSTIN, TX 78759-3504
T: 512 683 0100
F: 512 683 9300
INFO@NI.COM
NI.COM/GLOBAL – INTERNATIONAL BRANCH OFFICES©2022 NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS, NI, NI.COM, ENGINEERAMBITIOUSLY, LABVIEW, NI VERISTAND, AND SYSTEMLINK ARE TRADEMARKS OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS
CORPORATION. OTHER PRODUCT AND COMPANY NAMES LISTED ARE TRADEMARKS OR TRADE NAMES OF
THEIR RESPECTIVE COMPANIES. AN NI PARTNER IS A BUSINESS ENTITY INDEPENDENT FROM NI AND HAS NO
AGENCY OR JOINT-VENTURE RELATIONSHIP AND DOES NOT FORM PART OF ANY BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONSWITH NI. 152452