In-depth Analysis of the Current Situation and Trends of Reliability Testing for Automotive Electrical and Electronic Systems

I. Introduction

II. Current Situation of Reliability Testing for Automotive Electrical and Electronic Systems

(I) Key Driving Factors for Reliability Testing Requirements

• Complex Automotive Electronic System Architectures
  • Modern automobiles integrate numerous Electronic Control Units (ECUs), ranging from engine management systems to Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and infotainment systems. For example, a typical luxury car may contain more than 100 ECUs that communicate and cooperate with each other. Such a complex architecture requires comprehensive reliability testing for each unit as well as the entire system.
  • Sensors such as millimeter-wave radars and cameras in ADAS systems have a direct impact on the vehicle’s safety performance. For instance, the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system relies on sensors to accurately detect obstacles, and any minor malfunction could lead to serious consequences. Therefore, reliability testing for these critical components, including failure mode analysis and durability testing, is of particular importance.
• Strict Regulations and Quality Standards
  • Governments of various countries and international organizations have formulated a series of strict regulations on automotive safety and quality. For example, the ISO 26262 functional safety standard requires that automotive electronic systems be able to enter a safe state in the event of a failure. This forces automobile manufacturers to conduct reliability testing on electrical and electronic systems to prove compliance with regulatory requirements.
  • In China, standards such as GB/T 28046 stipulate the environmental conditions and test methods for automotive electrical and electronic equipment, including content related to reliability testing. Automotive enterprises need to conduct reliability testing strictly in accordance with these standards in order to legally sell their products in the market.

(II) Main Reliability Testing Methods and Technologies

• Environmental Reliability Testing
  • Temperature Testing: Automotive electronic components need to maintain reliable performance under various temperature conditions. For example, in high-temperature testing, electronic components in the engine compartment may have to withstand temperatures as high as 120 °C, while in cold regions, electronic equipment must work properly at temperatures as low as -40 °C or even lower. Through temperature cycling tests (such as repeated cycles from -40 °C to 120 °C), the usage of vehicles in different seasons and environments can be simulated to detect changes in the material properties of electronic components, the reliability of solder joints, and the stability of electrical performance.
  • Humidity Testing: High-humidity environments may cause electronic components to get damp, short-circuit, or corrode. Constant humidity and heat tests (such as maintaining a certain period of time at 40 °C and 90% relative humidity) can evaluate the moisture-proof performance of electronic equipment. For example, if the moisture-proof performance of a vehicle’s on-board computer and circuit board is poor, malfunctions may occur in a high-humidity environment, affecting the normal operation of the vehicle.
  • Vibration and Mechanical Shock Testing: Vehicles generate vibrations during driving, and electronic equipment needs to be able to withstand these vibrations without damage. Sinusoidal vibration testing can simulate the vibration frequencies and amplitudes of vehicles on different road conditions, such as the low-frequency vibrations at engine idle speed and the high-frequency vibrations at high speeds. Mechanical shock testing is used to simulate the instantaneous impact forces of vehicles in situations like collisions and driving over potholes, to check the mechanical strength of electronic equipment and the firmness of internal connections.
• Durability Testing
  • Life Testing: Long-term operation tests are conducted on automotive electrical and electronic products to determine their service life. For example, life testing is carried out on the LED light sources of automotive headlights. By simulating the usage of vehicles under various lighting conditions, the brightness attenuation and color change of the light sources are recorded to ensure that they can provide sufficient lighting intensity and quality within the specified service life.
  • Fatigue Testing: Fatigue testing is performed on frequently used electronic devices, such as power window controllers and door lock controllers in automobiles. By simulating the frequent operation by users (such as repeatedly raising and lowering the windows thousands of times), the wear of electronic components, the fatigue life of mechanical parts, and the reliability of electrical connections are checked to ensure that these devices can work properly throughout the entire service life cycle of the vehicle.

(III) Management and Analysis of Reliability Testing Data

• Challenges in Data Collection: During the reliability testing process, a large amount of data is generated, including test environment parameters, equipment performance indicators, and failure modes. This data comes from different test equipment and test stages, and the data formats and standards may not be consistent. For example, the temperature and humidity data recorded by environmental test equipment may have a different format from the data recorded by electrical performance test equipment, which poses difficulties for data integration and analysis.
• Data Analysis Methods: Currently, commonly used data analysis methods include statistical analysis and failure analysis. Statistical analysis can help determine the reliability indicators of products, such as the Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF). Through the statistical analysis of a large amount of test data, the failure probability and reliability level of products under different conditions can be evaluated. Failure analysis focuses on studying the causes and mechanisms of product failures. When a product fails during the testing process, through physical analysis (such as observation with an electron microscope, composition analysis, etc.) and electrical performance analysis of the failure location, it is determined whether the failure is caused by material defects, design issues, or manufacturing processes, so that corresponding improvement measures can be taken.

III. Trends in Reliability Testing for Automotive Electrical and Electronic Systems

(I) The Rise of Intelligent and Automated Testing Technologies

• Application of Intelligent Testing Systems: With the development of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies, intelligent testing systems will be widely used in reliability testing. These systems can automatically adjust test parameters, identify failure modes, and predict the reliability of products. For example, by learning from a large amount of historical test data, an intelligent testing system can automatically set the optimal test conditions such as temperature, humidity, and vibration according to the type of product and test requirements, improving the efficiency and accuracy of testing.
• Popularization of Automated Testing Equipment: Automated testing equipment can enable continuous testing 24/7, reduce human intervention, and improve the repeatability and consistency of testing. For example, automated electrical performance testing equipment can test multiple performance indicators of automotive electronic equipment, including voltage, current, and resistance, according to preset programs, and can quickly and accurately record and analyze test results.

(II) Development of Virtual Reliability Testing

• Model-based Reliability Assessment: Using computer models to conduct reliability assessments of automotive electrical and electronic systems will become an important trend. By establishing physical models and failure models of the system, the operation and failure situations of the system can be simulated in a virtual environment. For example, for the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) of a complex automotive powertrain, its circuit model and thermal model can be established to simulate the temperature distribution and electrical performance changes under different working conditions, predict possible failure points, and thus optimize the design and test plan before actual testing.
• Combination of Virtual Testing and Actual Testing: Virtual reliability testing can be combined with actual testing to form a complementary testing strategy. In the early stage of product design, virtual testing can be used to quickly screen design options and evaluate potential reliability issues. Then, the results of virtual testing can be verified and supplemented through actual testing. This combination can significantly shorten the product development cycle and reduce testing costs.

(III) Integration of Reliability Testing and Supply Chain Management

• Early Involvement of Suppliers in Testing: Automobile manufacturers will increasingly emphasize the early involvement of suppliers in reliability testing. Starting from the component design stage, automobile manufacturers and suppliers jointly formulate reliability testing plans to ensure that components meet the reliability requirements of the entire vehicle in terms of design. For example, during the design process of automotive electronic chips, chip suppliers need to conduct reliability design and testing according to the requirements of automobile manufacturers, including high-temperature aging testing and anti-static testing, to ensure the reliability of chips in the complex automotive environment.
• Supply Chain Quality Traceability System: Establishing a supply chain quality traceability system enables quick location of the source of problems in the event of reliability issues. Through batch management of components, production process records, and tracking of test data, when reliability failures occur in automotive products on the market, the specific supplier, production batch, and production process can be traced back, and recall or improvement measures can be taken in a timely manner to reduce the impact on brand image and user safety.