Minebea, a pioneer in the automotive industry, has been at the forefront of electronic door handle technology for more than three decades. In Minebea’s Access Solution Segment, the focus is on automotive components (door latches, door handles, door mirrors, etc.), wireless communication devices, and industrial machinery components. When it comes to door handles, its expertise extends to the development and production of innovative features such as antennas, sensors, strain gauges, and motors. Door handles have also been developed as a Minebea Mitsumi Group’s Integration product, which include antennas, sensors, strain gauges, motors, and other technologies. Collaborating with U-Shin engineers, Minebea focuses not only on aesthetics but also on additional functionalities. Optional features include welcome lights, touch sensors, LF antennas, and inertial lock mechanisms to prevent door opening upon impact in collision events.
The Base Board RDK4 has been proving a door-opening function in the Minebea project in many ways. First of all, it is the first applied project of a customer whose highlights are revealed now. The project demonstrates the door-opening function that the RDK4 can perform in the predevelopment of automotive applications. Specifically, this is an OEM project with Minebea. The application is an electronic door handle and it was particularly important for Minebea to test and implement the basic functionalities.
Key components and advantages of the RDK4
The Base Board RDK4, available in the market for one year, specifically caters to OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers in the automotive industry. It provides a compact solution for motor control units, enabling efficient and rapid development of applications. By freeing up resources, developers can focus on the next stages of mobility evolution and actively compete on a global scale.
Technical details of the RDK4 at a glance:
- The RDK4 is based on the Infineon PSoC™ 4100S Max microcontroller, which is automotive-certified.
- It also includes a system basis chip (SBC) and essential automotive interfaces such as CAN-FD and LIN.
- The board’s unique advantage lies in its integration of diverse components for motor control development.
Developers can thoroughly test and evaluate different components, including controllers, sensors, CAN-FD, LIN, etc. to identify the best fit for their specific application and the corresponding functions. By significantly reducing the time for predevelopment, which typically involves ordering and assembling hardware components, OEM and Tier-1 developers gain a substantial time advantage. The RDK4 streamlines feasibility analyses and accelerates innovation.
Rutronik makes advance investments for customers’ predevelopment
The development timeline for a board is part of the predevelopment phase and depends on various factors, making a generalized cost-benefit analysis challenging. In the case of the RDK4, Rutronik estimates the following timeline:
- Hardware design development: approximately two months
- Final testing phase for integrated components: nearly one month
- Additional time for component delivery due to supply chain challenges
Overall, around three months of work, plus component delivery times, were necessary to complete the new design. Notably, the personnel costs* of approximately €20,000 compare favorably with the RDK4’s acquisition price of approximately €100.
Booster in the predevelopment phase for cutting-edge applications
The RDK4 proved invaluable for Minebea, allowing it to save one to two months by leveraging the RDK4. This time-saving advantage was particularly crucial given its tight schedule.
“The RDK4 was a great help, as we saved one to two months’ time by using the development kit. This was very valuable for Minebea, especially given the very tight schedule.”
Dr. Sebastian Rettenberger, Software Team Leader at Minebea AccessSolutions Deutschland GmbH
This feedback is music to the ears of the developers and field service engineers in the Rutronik System Solutions R&D department founded five years ago and headed by Stephan Menze. The focus across all base and adapter boards of Rutronik System Solutions is on reducing time-to-market to proactively support customers. The RDK4’s precise evaluation of the functions that are essential for door handles proves that the modular board concept, which combines various components, makes all the difference.
“We prioritize versatility, ensuring that our boards cover a wide range of components to enable developers to test the features and functions of different applications, in line with our broadliner approach.”
Stephan Menze, Head of Global Innovation Management at Rutronik
Scan the QR code to watch the RDK4 video (https://youtu.be/lmOJwln3MAM)
About Rutronik System Solutions
Rutronik System Solutions established its presence to support firmware and hardware developers during the predevelopment phase. The goal is to accelerate innovation processes and the market introduction of new applications. With the realization of the RDK4, there is a focus product for the automotive industry and its challenges on the path to sustainable mobility. Optimization also means that OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers have a partner in Rutronik with respect to expertise in both hardware and software development, willingly shares knowledge, and provides access to cutting-edge, automotive-certified components. “We observe that the development teams of our customers are starting with test cycles in mind for a specific function of their application,” continued Stephan Menze. “They then move on to other versions of the component to explore additional application features using our boards,” he concluded. Thanks to the Arduino interface of all base and adapter boards, they can be easily combined with one another. This modular concept opens up even more development approaches that can be implemented quickly, cost-effectively, and simply, yet in a technically sophisticated way.
* Based on information from Stepstone on the average salary of a hardware developer with average professional experience.
For more information and a direct ordering option, please visit our e-commerce platform at www.rutronik24.com.
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