Selecting an Approach to Build Flexible, Cost-Effective ECU Production Test Systems

Electronic control units (ECUs) were invented in the 1970s. At that time, people needed to improve fuel economy due to the oil crisis, which meant finding a way to make engines run cleaner and pollute less. Engines used a mechanical device called a distributor to control spark timing and a carburetor to control the fuel mixture. This mechanical system had minimal tuning and adjustment capabilities. The advent of the microprocessor in the 1970s provided an enabling technology capable of performing the complex high-speed calculations required for controlling spark timing and fuel mixture. In the early 1980s, ECUs became a standard component in most vehicles. As a computer designed to solve a very specific problem, the ECU is a fundamental component in an automobile.