Theoretically, all electronic components could be provided in duplicate: if one component were to fail, an identical one would be available to takes its place. However, this solution is neither economically nor technically feasible since it would take up too much installation space inside the car.
Researchers at Fraunhofer EMFT, together with several industry partners, have developed a clever alternative within the AutoKonf project: A redundant, generic control unit. If the control unit responsible for the steering or braking function fails, the redundant generic control unit takes over the respective task and can safely guide the vehicle. To enable the redundant control unit to take over both steering and braking control tasks, electronic systems are being developed in the project to dynamically change the signal distribution and power supply, among other things.
The Fraunhofer EMFT team is working on integrating switching capability in connectors and interface modules. Among other things, classic switching matrices are being investigated and novel processes researched which function in the smallest of installation spaces while paying particular attention to reliability. For this purpose, a thermal design for the necessary assembly and connection technology is being developed.