Chassis Control Systems

Abstract The future of chassis control systems is strongly dependent on the development of sensors, electronic controllers, and the intelligence of the engineers to find useful solutions to improve driving safety and driving comfort. Chassis control is structured into the three degrees of freedom: longitudinal, lateral, and vertical dynamics. According to this, the vehicle aggregates under consideration are the brakes, the drive train with the traction forces, the steering systems at the front and the rear axles, and the springs and dampers. Following this systematic approach, this chapter deals with the different parts of the cars and their applications, the possibilities to influence these functions, and finally, the necessary electronic systems to have the networking of the systems/functions. New technological solutions such as electronic power steering, electric drive trains, and electronic control systems allow the impressive improvements for the future. The chapter discusses the communication between the systems and the technical solutions, which are already used. The high exchange rate of data requires special bus systems and gateways to connect the systems and the busses with each other. It is shown how the different domains will be connected to the required functions of today and the future.