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X-by-Wire systems are expected to enhance vehicle driving performance and safety. Regarding the dependable and cost-effective electronic platform for X-by-Wire systems, we have so far proposed a network centric architecture based on a concept of autonomous decentralized systems. In this architecture, in case a certain node fails, the remaining normal nodes autonomously execute a backup control to maintain the system function. Following the concept proposal, in this study, we have designed the middleware for cluster node status monitoring because it is essential to identify the failed node accurately to execute the autonomous backup control. The middleware has been implemented on the FlexRay-based prototype brake-by-wire system. This paper describes the features of the middleware indispensable to the network centric X-by-Wire systems.

X-by-Wire systems are expected to enhance vehicle driving performance and safety. This paper describes an electronic platform architecture for X-by-Wire systems that satisfies both cost-effectiveness and dependability. In the first part of this paper (Part 1), we have proposed a new electronic architecture based on a concept of autonomous decentralized systems. In the latter part (Part 2), the proposed architecture implementation to the actual vehicle control systems will be discussed. We clarify that, due to system level redundancy the proposed architecture provides, vehicle control systems can basically consist of low cost fail-silent nodes. Furthermore, for cost optimization, considering a tradeoff between hardware cost and fault detection coverage, we design a suitable hardware architecture for each node according to node function.

The X-By-Wire (XBW) is one of the promising technologies for integrated vehicle dynamics control system for the next-generation. The system, in view of ECU architecture, combines multiple ECUs by a high-speed. In this, however, the failure of one ECU leads to system-wide failure. To avoid it, all the ECUs have to be fault tolerant, which is not a realistic solution in terms of cost. We propose a concept for a cost-effective and fault tolerant vehicle control architecture for real-time and scalable X-by-Wire systems. The concept is based on the Autonomous Decentralized Systems [1][2]. The features of the proposed concept are a shared data-field, self-operation, self-check, and self-backup. The proposed architecture will realize a fault-tolerant system without making all the subsystems fault-tolerant.

The improvement of the efficiency in new car development is one of the most important subjects to every automobile company and various methods have been adopted for the improvement. As many divisions participate in the new car development over a long period, it is important that every division concerned advances the development in step with each other. In other words, an appropriate management in the new car development will contribute to the development efficiency very much. As one of the ways to solve this subject, many automobile companies adopt a system whereby the company appoints a new car development project coordinator (hereinafter referred to as "the coordinator") from the R&D division, and gives him the broad authority of managing and coordinating the new car development as a conductor from commencement to completion of development.