One of the first tasks taken over by control units in vehicles was the regulation of the injection and/or the ignition. The first “European” Control Unit was the D-Jetronic which was introduced in production towards the late 1960’s.
As a result of the ever stricter regulations regarding emission controls, as well as the increasing demand for the optimisation of fuel consumption, the Engine Control Unit became one of the most complex and most expensive automotive components. Passenger- and commercial vehicles, motorbikes, or ships – combustion is regulated almost exclusively by control units.
Even two-stroke petrol engines got equipped with engine control units for regulation. The classic carburettors had piece by piece become relics of the past.
Example: ME7.1 Engine Control Unit (Bosch)
An engine control unit is a computer responsible for monitoring and regulating all motor functions in the car, motorbike and other vehicles, enabling the combustion process to take place at optimal efficiency.
Structure
- robust hardware
- complex and extensive software
