What Is An ECU? Electronic Control Unit (ECU) Explained

What are the different types of ECU?

The differentiation is done depending on the tasks each unit would perform, and they are listed as below:

• Brake control module

It is commonly used in vehicles with ABS, and BCM ensures that the wheels do not skid and helps in ease of brake management. It also prevents wheels from locking up at the time of using the brake. 

• Engine control module

It mainly controls the fuel and its ignition timing that is important to power up the engine and its correct use for driving the car. 

• Telematic control unit

This TCU ensures that onboard services are running correctly. It helps control satellite navigation in the car, along with internet and connectivity with phones inside the car. 

• Suspension control module

It is connected with your vehicle's suspension system and ensures the correct height of the suspension. It should be able to adjust with optimal changes as per changing driving conditions. 

• Transmission control module 

It is common in an automatic vehicle as it helps ensure a smooth shift in the car by assessing the engine of the car. It also helps in the smooth acceleration of the car. 

Details on how the ECU works

The working of the ECU isn't that simple. The electronic device has base numbers with parameters filled in memory. There are different sensors working around ECU, and it helps in better management of electronic systems. It should help in efficient driving of the car and improve the output. Therefore, this, it helps in better handling of electronic systems. 

Use of airbags during accidents 

The car has several sensors that are known as crash sensors, and it indicates the ECU about the crash. The ECU can measure the speed of the vehicle accurately when there is an accident, and using the onboard memory, it would consider whether to launch the airbags then and there or not. 

If the data is accurate enough, close to accidents, it should deploy the use of airbags, and all these will happen in milliseconds, and the use of airbags can save lives. Therefore, this is how the ECU works responsively when there is a worsening condition or the car tends to break down. 

How to work with faulty and dead ECU?

Having a faulty ECU is the worst thing to happen in a car, and it will heavily impact the car's overall performance. There will be a drop in fuel economy and other changes in thevehicle during gear shifts. The engine light would stay on, indicating there are certain errors resulting from minor to major in the car system. 

However, when the ECU is not working anymore, the start would not start, and it controls the engine ignition. In addition, other features will stop working as the engine cannot be started at that point. This is where one should understand the correct functioning of ECU for smooth car driving. 

How does ECU manage the control system with the latest features in cars?

As vehicle manufacturers continue to add additional functions and features to the car, space tends to become an issue. Each feature requires supportive ECU, and so, there should be an adequate incremental approach to help drive the car smoothly. 

This is where there can be a need for integration to help reduce the chance of complexity and make suitable use of space inside the car. The vehicle's latest and smart set up would put every function in one domain controller for ease of usage. It is important to take off the latest safety features, and it should be rightly consolidated into the running ECU of the vehicle. It would help in the smooth running of the vehicle and have everything in one place to control.