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AutoXray Relies on Spartan FPGAs to Provide Field Reprogrammability
 is a fast growing company
in the automotive diagnostic market which designs, manufactures and distributes
handheld, inexpensive, diagnostic scanners that easily allow customers
to retrieve engine performance data. AutoXray customers range from
the professional auto technician to the shade tree mechanic. The
company chose to design with the low-cost Xilinx Spartan family of FPGAs
because it needed a low-cost method of providing field programmable hardware.
“Vehicle standards are constantly changing. The Spartan FPGAs provide us with the ability to reprogram our hardware whenever necessary,” said President of AutoXray, Bill Miller. “The Xilinx FPGA allows our customers to upgrade software and hardware right over the Internet.” “Field programmability means our customers never have to buy another scanner simply because the specs change,” Miller said. “Our competitors, however, must send out new hardware.” AutoXray chose Xilinx for its recently announced EZ-Link diagnostic scanner. The EZ-Link Scanner allows customers to utilize many of the latest advancements in engine and powertrain diagnostics. Features include OBD-II trouble code retrieval, freeze frame data, live sensor data monitoring, and data capture. Vehicle support includes all OBD-II equipped GM, Ford, Chrysler, and most Asian and European models. Auto part stores utilize the EZ-Link Scanner as a way to entice customers to purchase sensors and switches from the store, instead of an auto shop. Consumers who previously had to pay around $70 for a diagnostic scan at the dealer can now trouble-shoot their own vehicles. As a result, the scanner can easily pay for itself with two or three scans. The EZ-Link Scanner connects to the vehicle via the diagnostic connector in the car. The scanners contain sophisticated software that allows communication with the Engine Control Module (ECM). The tools can then access trouble codes stored in the ECM memory, or read the sensor data as the ECM software reads. The ECM controls most functions of today's vehicles. Inputs come from individual sensors such as the Oxygen Sensor, Manifold Air Pressure Sensor, Throttle Position Sensor, Mass Air Flow Sensor, or Crankshaft Position Sensor. Each of these sensors is critical for providing input to the control functions of the ECM. If one of these sensors is faulty, the ECM can detect the problem and log a trouble code. These codes can be retrieved later via the EZ-Link Scanner. The EZ-Link Scanner is self powered, compact, and portable. “Our scanner runs on batteries that must be able to last up to 500 hours, Miller said. “We must be low power to meet this need.” Miller added that the Xilinx Spartan FPGAs were the only devices on the market which combined low power, reprogrammability and low cost to meet their design objectives. AutoXray partnered with Memec Design Services Group (a division of Insight Electronics), to assist in the logic design. Verilog HDL, Synplicity, Silos, and the Xilinx Alliance software tools were used to synthesize, simulate, and place and route the design. “The Alliance Series software provided ease-of-use, controlability, and the support of industry standards we needed to successfully attain our time-to-market requirements,” Miller said. AutoXray’s design is based solely on its intellectual property and uses a high speed processor interface to program the part in circuit whenever a new protocol is needed. “Using Xilinx, we have the ability to create our own protocol processors,” Miller said. “With the high I/O count, our EZ-Link Scanner has dual processing capability, allowing us to market a high performing diagnostic scanner for $300 instead of $1200.” AutoXray is based in Tempe, Arizona, and can be located on the Internet
at www.autoxray.com |
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