Mouser - White Papers

Mouser Electronics White Paper As a result, the act requires all new vehicles in the EU to be fitted with driver drowsiness and attention warning systems (DDAWS). The deadline dates vary for new and existing designs, but the act targets all passenger-carrying vehicles (class M) and all goods-carrying vehicles (class N) and requires them to be fitted with a DDAWS if they are capable of speeds above 70kmph. The sensors that form the critical element in DMSs and OMSs will be small and discrete. Despite their size, the high volume of data that they collect will require highly capable connectors and cables to transmit the signals safely. Amphenol RF AUTOMATE Type A Mini-FAKRA cable assemblies are ideal for the data demands of such future vehicles. They use highly flexible cables and can transmit information at frequencies of up to 9GHz. Designed for the demands of a highly automated production line, these assemblies use an automotive industry-standard snap-on interface on one end and a secure threaded coupling mechanism on the other. The assemblies are constructed using a compact, modular housing and feature a four-channel quad-port configuration, providing a space- saving design of up to 80 percent when compared with traditional FAKRA connectors. To ensure their compatibility with all other Mini-FAKRA connectors, they use the universal Z color-coding and mechanical keying, enabling them to mate with all other key codes. Cabin Air Quality Monitoring The modern in-vehicle experience places great emphasis on passenger comfort and well-being. To achieve this, manufacturers must address the in-cabin environment, including air quality. Cabin air-quality monitoring—the process of assessing and maintaining the air quality within the interior space of vehicles—is especially important if occupants are present for extended periods of time. Providing good air quality in the cabin is more than simply a function of comfort. It is essential for the health of all occupants. Poor air quality can lead to fatigue, headaches, and dizziness, all of which impair concentration and pose a significant risk to safe driving. For some time, manufacturers have offered air filtering to improve the quality of the air inside the vehicle cabin. These are components of the vehicle's ventilation system, designed to remove airborne contaminants—including pollen, dust, and dirt—from the air that enters the cabin. Cabin air filters are made of a paper-like material with fine pores that trap particles as air passes through them. However, these filters are entirely passive. As they trap particles within their structure, they can become saturated over time. This is why they are designed to be easily replaceable, typically during routine maintenance activities. They are also ineffective at trapping contaminants such as carbon monoxide (CO, a component of vehicle exhaust) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 , created during natural respiration). Both CO and CO 2 are colorless and odorless, which means that drivers cannot detect if they are present in the vehicle cabin. High concentrations of either gas pose serious safety risks to occupants. Active in-cabin monitoring for these pollutants would allow early detection and intervention, reducing the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and other related incidents. Active in-cabin air quality monitoring uses sensors to analyze the environment. The monitoring system can alert occupants and drivers about the current air quality conditions, displaying a notification on dashboard screens or through audible alarms. Integration of monitoring with the ventilation system allows the automatic activation of air purification functions to improve air quality. The Amphenol Advanced Sensors T6743-40K-E nondispersive infrared (NDIR) CO 2 sensor implements a single-channel diffusion sampling method for cabin ventilation systems. These applications include automatic fresh air control and safety sensing for CO 2 refrigerants. The T6743-40K-E automotive CO 2 sensor features a patented ABC Logic™ lifetime calibration warranty and offers low power consumption, a compact design, and simple product integration. ADAS and Autonomous Systems As previously mentioned, ADASs are already providing users with sophisticated solutions for road safety. This automatic intervention has the potential to dramatically improve road safety. ADASs include features such as adaptive cruise control (ACC), which adjusts the vehicle's speed to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead. In the event of an obstruction, the ADAS will provide emergency braking by reacting far more quickly than a human driver could respond. The impact of such automated systems is significant. According to the National Safety Council, in the US alone, fully functioning ADAS could make a positive impact by reducing as many as 3.59 million road traffic collisions per year. Forward collision prevention, as provided by ACC and automatic emergency braking, could help prevent as many as 1.7 million incidents alone. To achieve this remarkable safety, ADASs use a variety of sensors, cameras, radar, and other technologies to monitor the vehicle's surroundings and assist the driver in different scenarios. To provide the response required, ADAS will depend upon systems that can collect, analyze, and act on information about the environment with the lowest possible delay or latency. ADASs allow the driver to have full control of the vehicle under normal circumstances but will be ready to act quickly to prevent collisions. However, ADASs can also be seen as a step toward fully autonomous vehicles that require no human input. Current automotive architectures are ill-equipped to handle the increased volume of data on which ADAS and autonomous vehicles will depend. The physical sizes of these architectures have grown over many years of introducing new systems, with iterative connections and duplication of wiring. The result is a "flat" wiring architecture—a highly complex structure comprising a considerable amount of cabling, making assembly inefficient and labor-intensive. This flat structure is unable to adapt to the new systems that the future of the automotive industry demands. Many manufacturers have moved to a more structured architecture, often referred to as a domain-oriented design. In this structure, vehicle systems are grouped together by function to provide control for the entire vehicle. Each domain—such as power train, safety, and infotainment—features its own controller.

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