COVER STORY Testing

Hardware-in-the-loop Test
of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
The new generation of advanced driver assistance systems uses physical environment data along with logical
information for the predictive computation of driving situations. This data is obtained from navigation databases,
service providers or from networks with other vehicle. It is important to integrate this information into available
test processes to assure these systems in the Hardware-in-the-loop test bench. This article demonstrates how
Audi AG and Audi Electronics Venture GmbH use innovative technological solutions to facilitate the simulation of
such scenarios.

4 ATZelektronik 05I2009 Volume 4

1 Introduction and Test System
The test system is based on the Hardware-
in-the-loop (HiL) technique, which exam-
ines the electric control units using a test
bench instead of testing it in the real vehi-
cle. Unavailable hardware components are
being replaced by software models run-
ning on a real time system. The test envi-
ronment consists of a dynamic vehicle-be-
haviour model, interface modules and the
real ECUs (electric control units). The vehi-
cle being tested is replaced by the vehicle-
behaviour model. Since the ECUs, the ve-
hicle-behaviour model and the vehicle bus
system are interconnected in the HiL simu-
lation, they form a closed loop simulation,
Figure 1. The important requirements for
this implementation are the real time cap-
abilities of the software models [1]. The
combination of the model and the real
time system allows the reproduction of a
real vehicle which provides all the neces-
sary vehicle-signals for the stimulation of
the control units in the HiL simulation.
This approach is well established and the
simulation models reached a high level of
detailing. The HiL simulation makes it
possible to test the functionality of the ve-
hicle-components both separately or com- m test processes. For common Assistant Sys-
bined. This is crucial for the quality of the
system due to the numerous possible com- m The Authors
binations of standard and extra equip-
ment. The functional algorithms in the
test which access different sources of data Dr.-Ing.
require that the sensor data being evalu- Maximilian Miegler
ated must be plausible to each other. For is Head of the HiL
the later described scenario of prospective Functional Testing
route preparation it means that the exter- r Department at Audi AG
nal GPS data and the internal measure- in Ingolstadt (Germany).
ments of the vehicle-sensors must be co-
herent. This is essential for a correct data
fusion for the determination of the posi- Dipl.-Ing.
tion. The main challenge is to expand the Reinhard Schieber
existing simulation of the environment is responsible for linked
with environmental data. This data has to HiL Simulators in the
be generated at runtime or must be re- Domains Powertrain,
quested from other sources which provide Chassis and Driver
it. Thus, the predictive systems in a HiL Assistances Systems at
simulation also make use of information Audi AG in Ingolstadt
which is unknown for the vehicle. (Germany).
2 Concept Dipl.-Ing. (FH)
Andreas Kern
The simulation of the environment has is responsible for
to supply the tested functions with all projects which uses
the necessary information to integrate simulation methods
interactive and predictive Advanced to develop Driver
Driver Assistant Systems into existing Assistances Systems at
the Audi Electronics
tems it is important to provide the infor-
r Venture GmbH in
Ingolstadt (Germany).

Thomas Ganslmeier
M.Sc. (TUM)
is Ph.D. Student working
on Environmental Simu-
lation for Advanced
Driver Assistance
Systems at Audi Elec-
tronics Venture GmbH in
Ingolstadt (Germany).

Dipl.-Ing. (FH)
Mirko Nentwig
is Ph.D. Student working
on HiL Simulation for
Advanced Driver Assist-
ance Systems at Audi
AG in Ingolstadt
(Germany).

Figure 1: Principle of a Hardware-in-the-loop

test bench

ATZelektronik 05I2009 Volume 4 5

COVER STORY
Figure 2: Connection of the navigation system
mation of a radar sensor for vehicle de-
tection, a camera for image processing
and position data for GPS systems. The
latter require a mapping of the simula-
tion into the real world. The demands on
the virtual environment are:
– real-time capabilities of all the in-
volved components
– idealised sensor models
– video display for image processing
– coherence of the data of all involved
sensors, also for internal vehicle dy-
namics values
– connection with a vehicle dynamics
model – closed loop simulation
– real road
– scalability
– applicability of vehicle independent
information sources like GPS, data
servers, Car2Car, et cetera
– realistic simulation of traffic partici-
pants.
3 Simulation of the
Vehicle Environment
The requirements mentioned above are
all fulfilled by the application of Auto-
motive Data and Time Triggered Frame-
work (ADTF) and Virtual Test Drive (VTD)
a modular simulation environment de-
veloped by Audi. These tools are also
used in the development of predictive
systems, which generates a synergy ef- f
fect in the whole development process
[2]. Virtual Test Drive provides a 3-dimen-
sional image output together with co-
herent object information of the envi-
ronment and the other traffic partici-
6 ATZelektronik 05I2009 Volume 4
Testing
pants. This information is received via
parametrical sensor models, which en-
able the adjustment of the position, the
range or the angular aperture of the sen-
sors. Whenever an object enters the field
of the sensor in the simulation, an inter-
r lar concept offers a high degree of reus-
face sends the information to the ECUs
for further processing.
4 Modular Design
To ensure the scalability and expandabil-
ity considering future systems, the Auto-
motive Data and Time Triggered Frame-
works is used to connect the environ-
ment simulation with the existing test
architecture. ADTF emerged from a de-
velopment project for Advanced Driver
Assistance Systems to assist the develop-
er with the handling of standard tasks
like the link-up with the vehicle-bus or
Figure 3: ADTF standard modules
video and parameter visualisation [3]. By
the use of the communication modules
included in ADTF (for instance modules
for Ethernet and CAN communication)
it is possible to connect and synchronise
the simulation with the HiL test archi-
tecture, Figure 2. Additionally, the open
interfaces of the framework allow the
integration other functions implement- t
ed in modular blocks. Hence, it is possi-
ble to modify the information in the
simulation and supply it with supple-
mentary data from external sources.
With ADTF it is also possible to integrate
data sources which are not connected to
the vehicle. By exploiting the ADTF-mod-
ules, it is therefore possible to integrate
information from service providers, data-
bases or other traffic participants into
the test system in future application sce-
narios, Figure 3.
In addition to the previously men-
tioned advantages, the proposed modu-
ability and an easy handling. This makes
the creation and modification of a
project configuration possible even with
no programming skills. Later in this arti-
cle, the integration of the “MMI Naviga-
tion plus” navigation system into the
Hardware-in-the-loop architecture will
demonstrate the concept and the possi-
bilities arising from the application of
synthetic environment data on the inte-
gration testing, Figure 4. The GPS coordi-
nates needed for the navigation system
in order to determine the position, are
collected from the position of the vehicle
in the environment simulation and are
transferred to the control unit.
Figure 4: Retrieval of data from arbitrary sources
5 Realisation MMI Navigation
plus as a Position Dependent Sensor
Integrating the GPS based navigation
system “MMI Navigation plus” enables
the functionality of the navigation unit
in the laboratory, Figure 5. This includes
both the navigation task, which is im-
portant for the end customer, as well as
the functionality as a position depend-
ent sensor. That sensor is realised by the
expansion of the available navigation
software and supplies the other vehicle
systems with the digital road map. Thus,
the vehicle systems can access the infor-r
mation of the recent and future road
Figure 5: Integration of predictive road data into the HiL test system
curvature or the distance to next turnoff.
This knowledge can be used in other ve-
hicle systems for decision making or to
optimise the functions of existing assist-
ance systems. To provide the respective
control unit in the HiL simulation with
the PSD it is necessary to integrate the
navigation unit into the overall system.
The navigation system provides the pre-
dictive road data based on the current
position and driving direction. To pro-
vide the PSD it is therefore essential to
serve the navigation control unit during
the simulation with plausible und co-
herent velocity, acceleration and posi-
tion data. To accomplish this, the virtual
vehicle of the vehicle dynamics has to
drive on a path which matches the
course of a real existing and digitalised
road. This is important for the assign-
ment of the virtual vehicles position to
the real geographical position. The vehi-
cle parameters of the velocity, accelera-
tion and the resulting position of the
virtual vehicle in the simulation are
computed by the vehicle dynamics mod-
el of the HiL system. The course of the
road and the direction for the virtual ve-
hicle are provided from the environ-
ment simulation.
6 Road Design
The reproduction of the real roads is ob-
tained by a powerful editor available
within the simulation platform. The edi-
tor enables the modelling of the desired
road in a pre-processing step based on
digitalised road maps Figure 6. This makes
it possible to reproduce real roads in the
Cartesian coordinate system of the simu-
lation. The number of traffic lanes, turn-
ing lanes, right-of-way regulations and
traffic signs can also be taken into ac-
count in the road design. In addition to
the logical road information, the Editor
contains a 3D-graphics bibliography from
which static elements can be added into
the simulation. The graphical appear-
ance gives the simulation a realistic video
output.
ATZelektronik 05I2009 Volume 4 7
COVER STORY
Figure 6: Reproduction of a real road for the environment simulation
7 Test Configuration
Required driving manoeuvres can be ex- x more important.
actly specified and reproduced by in the
simulation. The creation of driving sce-
narios is mainly done through a graphi-
cal user interface. This makes it possible
to add additional traffic participants into
the simulation and to specify accurately
defined driving manoeuvres based on the
modelled road. It is also possible to con-
figure a driving route which is needed for
the navigation system.
8 Coupling the HiL Vehicle
Dynamics with VTD
When VTD is connected with the HiL sim-
ulator, the vehicle dynamics are comput-
ed on the real time system. The reason lies
behind the strict real time requirements
which are demanded by the Stimulation
of the driver dynamics control units like
ESP. A high model quality is particularly
essential in the border area of the vehicle
dynamics. This is achieved by the continu-
ous enhancement and validation of the
models in recent years. The coordinates of
the wheel contact points, the gradient
and the coefficient of friction of the road
are transmitted through ADTF from VTD
to the real time model in the HiL. Addi-
tionally, some initial conditions and
events like the scenario reset or the pass-
ing through specific points are trans-
ferred. The position and the location of
the vehicle, which are sent back to VTD,
arise from the simulation of the vehicle
dynamics. The vehicle model and the traf- f
fic information are still computed from
inside VTD, since this information does
not have to be computed in strict real
time conditions. For these components
8 ATZelektronik 05I2009 Volume 4
Testing
the road and traffic information, which
are easily accessible from inside VTD, are
9 Driver Model
The Driver Model is able to follow speci-
fied paths, so that the vehicle can drive
on a prearranged route in the virtual en-
vironment of the simulation. It is real-
ised as a VTD software component which
assigns an acceleration and steering an-
gle similar to the real human behaviour.
The virtual driver also takes the traffic
rules and speed limits into considera-
tion. Therefore, it is able to autonomous-
ly drive on a road and make turning ma-
noeuvres independently. Another option
available by the driver model is the exe-
cution of driving manoeuvres like lane
switching or velocity changing in special
situations. The same driver model is used
for all the involved vehicles in the simu-
lation. This allows the creation of very
complex scenarios. The driving com-
mands and the mentioned road informa-
tion for the test vehicle are sent via the
middleware ADTF to the real time system
of the HiL. Thereby, the VTD-Driver sort
of drives the vehicle of the HiL simulator
inside the virtual world of VTD.
10 Integration of the
Navigation Control Unit
The integration of the navigation system
into the test system is done by a GPS sen-
sor model which is realised in ADTF
(Figure 5). The position data of the virtual
vehicle is transferred in geographical co-
ordinates from a sensor model and are
fed into the navigation control unit to-
gether with the dynamics information of
the vehicle model. The computation of
the vehicle position is as follows: The GPS
sensor model is implemented in C++ and
is integrated into the test system as a soft-
t
ware module in ADTF. The sensor model
is conceived as a perfect sensor, which is
not affected by noise. This is done on pur-r
pose, because the hardware integration
focuses on the functionality and the in-
teraction of the single subsystems. VTD
sends the current position information
in Cartesian format to ADTF. The conver- r
sion of the simulation coordinates into a
geographical position and the merging
with the velocity and acceleration infor- r
mation are done in ADTF. The transfor- r
mation of the coordinates is realised by
the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM)
System which is valid almost all around
the world. It establishes the connection
between the geo and Cartesian coordi-
nates using the Mercator projection [4].
11 Coupling of the Navigation System
The trajectory of the simulated vehicle
resembles the course of a real digitalized
road. Consequently, the computed geo
coordinates are laying on a road know
for the navigation system. These coordi-
nates, together with the dynamics data,
are fed through an interface into the
navigation control unit. The GPS-system
thereby receives plausible positions, ve-
locity, and acceleration information,
which are used by the control unit to de-
termine the position on the digital road
map. This approach supplies the control
unit with all required sensor informa-
tion for the calculation of the position,
making the behaviour of the navigation
control unit in the simulation analogous

to that of a real driving test. In that way, the
navigation system can display the predictive
road information for the current simulation
position in addition to the visualisation on
the navigation screen. Through the regular
CAN- and MOST-bus-connections, the PSD is
consequently available as sensor data for
other vehicle control units within the test
system. By this means, it is possible to embed
vehicle functions which evaluate PSD into
the automated test process.
12 Summary and Outlook
The predictive “Audi Adaptive Frontlighting
System” (AFS) is an implementation which al-
ready uses predictive road data. The function-
ality of this system could be further optimised
by means of PSD. The information of the pre-
ceding road and the steering angle, are con-
sidered for the orientation of the headlights.
Applying the environment simulation makes
it possible to integrate the optimised func-
tionality into the test process. This helps to
assure the aimed demands on quality.
By the application of the proposed tech-
nique it is possible to qualify available meth-
ods for future tasks. Methods which are already
established can still be deployed. ADTF and
VTD open new possibilities for the simulation
in the context of static and dynamic vehicle
environments. Virtual methods are continu-
ously available from the development up to
the validation. These methods can be used for
the development of algorithms, the integra-
tion into the full vehicle and to automate the
validation of the final software. The possibility
of integrating vehicle independent sources of
information by extending the environment
simulation makes the system adaptable for
Car2X functionality.
References
[1] Kim, S. and Jung, H., Functional Suspension Model for
Real-Time Vehicle Dynamic Analysis. Proceeding on In-
ternational Conference on Automotive Engineering, Dec.
10–13, 2001, Koogmin University, Seul Korea
[2] Weiss, C.; Neubohn, A.; von Neumann-Cosel, K.; Kuhn,
A.:Virtual Testdrive and KISS – Closed Loop Computer
Simulations for The Development of Active Safety Func-
tions. FISITA World Automotive Congress, 2008,
München
[3] Löbl, C.; Engineering-Framework für Fahrerassistenz-
und Sicherheitssysteme. 13. Internationaler Kongress
Elektronik im Kraftfahrzeug, Oktober 2007, Baden-Baden
[4] Snyder, John P.: Map Projections – A Working Manual
(U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1395). US
Government Printing, 1987. vii, 23, 25, 55, 58
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