· Simpler electrical/electronic architecture in the vehicle

· Broad area of application in all vehicle segments

With its domain control unit (DCU), Bosch offers a solution to the growing number of individual control units and sensors in the car. In the vehicles of the future, the software of new functions, individual hardware components, and sensors will be housed in a single central control unit. Summing up the benefits of this new architecture, Dr. Werner Struth, president of the Bosch Chassis Systems Control division, says: “DCU reverses the trend toward ever more complex automotive electronics, increases safety, and also reduces costs.” The first vehicles featuring this technology will appear in the market in 2010.

Up to now, the increasing number of safety and assistance functions has resulted in a growing number of control units and sensors, with each sensor having to be installed separately. Since more and more functions are using the sensor information and intervention capabilities of existing systems, integration and application are becoming increasingly complex. As a scalable integration platform, the domain control unit allows functions to be pooled in a centralized system architecture. All Bosch DCUs include the sensors of the ESP® electronic stability program, which measure yaw rate and lateral acceleration. As an option, airbag sensors can be integrated, as well as yaw and acceleration sensors to measure values along other axes. As a result, the measured variables are available for various control systems simultaneously, saving computing capacity and increasing safety. With the help of its own central computation module, the DCU can also compute data itself: for example, direction and speed of vehicle movements. These data are used above all by the new safety and assistance systems developed by the Bosch “Vehicle Motion and Safety” unit. This unit brings together all the networked functions that provide more safety, comfort, and vehicle dynamics. Central computation allows their interventions to be harmonized in the best possible way.

Platform for innovative vehicle functions
As the domain control unit is equipped with an AUTOSAR standard-compliant interface, it is no problem to integrate customer-specific software and further applications. Computing power is also scalable, and can be adapted to the scope of functions in the respective vehicle. The DCU can thus be installed in vehicles from every segment. With networked systems, it will be easier in the future to achieve innovative functions, such as those that call for the networking of ESP® with the drivetrain or the steering system. Information is exchanged with other domains in the vehicle via the FlexRay bus system, whose data rate is as much as twenty times higher than the CAN bus systems used up to now.

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some 275,000 associates generated sales of 38.2 billion euros in fiscal 2009. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 300 subsidiaries and regional companies in over 60 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for growth. Each year, Bosch spends more than 3.5 billion euros for research and development, and applies for some 3,800 patents worldwide. With all its products and services, Bosch enhances the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial. The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-two percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH. Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch.com.

PI6759 - September 2009