VX1000

The VX1000 ECU interface hardware enables powerful real-time access to control units for measurement and calibration purposes. It uses the debug and trace interfaces of microcontrollers for this purpose. The VX1000 communicates with tools such as CANape via standardized XCP over Ethernet. Compared to XCP drivers, which are integrated into the ECU software and communicate via vehicle networks, the hardware solution enables significantly higher data rates with less impact on runtime.

The VX1000 supports all common automotive microcontrollers such as the Infineon AURIX family, the Renesas RH850 family, and ARM derivatives from various manufacturers.

Interfaces between VX1000 and tools

VX1000 supports ASAM XCP over Ethernet for communication with an XCP master such as CANape or CANoe. XCP is the standard protocol for measurement and calibration tasks.

Interfaces between VX1000 and target

For communication with microcontrollers on ECUs, the VX1000 supports all common debug and trace interfaces and protocols, such as JTAG, SWD, DAP, Aurora, and HSCT/RHSIF/Zipwire. This enables direct access to microcontroller-internal signals and memory areas, which is ideal for high-performance measurement and calibration.

Bus interfaces

For connection to vehicle networks, the VX1000 offers support for CAN, CAN FD, FlexRay, and Automotive Ethernet. This allows the VX1000 system to be flexibly integrated into existing communication architectures.

Video interfaces

For applications in the ADAS field, the VX1000 also supports GMSL2/3 and FPD-Link III/IV. These interfaces enable the acquisition and processing of video and radar data in real time.

The VX1000 is mainly used in the automotive environment, but its concept is equally suitable for other areas such as power tools or medical technology. Ultimately, it is a generic tool that provides real-time insight into microcontrollers under real environmental conditions at their actual place of use. A typical application is the measurement and calibration of control algorithms.

The VX1000 covers a very wide range of applications. From EV projects with measurement grids in the µs range, to transmission control units in the oil pan, to brake control units with 200,000 measurement signals and very high measurement bandwidth, to radar sensors that capture internal signals as well as raw radar data.

The VX1000 system has been developed for use in demanding environmental conditions in vehicles, but can also be operated on test benches or in laboratories.

VX1000 PODs are characterized by high mechanical robustness and a wide temperature range. Sealed housings in accordance with IP67 are available for selected PODs. This means that the POD can be installed either directly in or outside the control unit – even in installation positions subject to high thermal or mechanical stress.

The VX1000 enables very fast measurement rates of up to 7 µs. The data trace in particular demonstrates its strengths here, but the VX1000 system also enables fast measurement grids of a similar dimension in copy-based measurement methods, albeit with a lower number of signals.

The data rate in real projects depends heavily on various factors, such as the microcontroller used, the interface employed, the measurement method of the specific project configuration, and the available runtime. For small controllers, approximately 1 Mbyte/s is achievable, which is already a considerable data rate for this class of targets. In other projects, over 50 Mbytes/s can be achieved with virtually no feedback. If raw radar data or large data blocks are also recorded, measurements well over 100 Mbytes/s are possible.

Software integration:

The VX1000 can be used directly for asynchronous measurements without any changes to the ECU software: In combination with CANape and CANoe, data acquisition with measurement grids down to 50 µs is possible via “polling mode.”

After integrating the free driver ( vector.com/vx1000-appdriver ) into the ECU software, full functionality is available, such as significantly higher data rates, even faster measurement grids, consistent measurements synchronized with processes in the ECU, or measurement data acquisition immediately after starting up the ECU.

Link: vector.com/vx1000-appdriver → https://vector.com/vx1000-appdriver

The driver is implemented as an AUTOSAR Complex Device Driver (CDD) and can be easily integrated into almost all architectures, including non-AUTOSAR projects. Documentation, tutorial videos ( vector.com/vx1000-tutorials ), and our support are available to ensure smooth integration.

Link: vector.com/vx1000-tutorials → http://vector.com/vx1000-tutorials

Hardware integration:

The small design of the VX1000 PODs facilitates their mechanical integration into control units. For mounting on the outside of the ECU, the POD can be installed in a sealed housing. Various adapters are available for electrical connection to the debug interface of the target microcontroller.

For integration into ECUs with as little impact on installation space as possible, the POD or the ECU connection can be specifically customized as a service.

The clock used for measurement time stamps is synchronized via IEEE 1588 PTP. The VX1000 can act as either a time transmitter or time receiver. If PTP is not available, the clock can also be synchronized by the tool using software time synchronization with the help of XCP mechanisms.

If all devices in the measurement setup synchronize their clocks with each other, measurement data from different sources can be precisely aligned in time. This is particularly important for distributed measurements where the temporal assignment of data is crucial.

In addition to the official product page vector.com/vx1000 , a large number of KnowledgeBase articles are available, which can be accessed directly via the Vector Support Portal vector.com/vx1000-kb