Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Kenneth J Henry

Allan Joseph Kotwicki

James W McNamee

Alfonso Vazquez-Cuervo

Gerald E Homstad

An on-line system for emulating the operation of a motor vehicle drivetrain including a torque converter, a converter clutch and a shiftable ratio automatic transmission. Nonlinear differential equations describing the ability of the drivetrain input torque to accelerate the engine inertia and the ability of the drivetrain output torque to overcome the road load and accelerate the vehicle inertia are coupled by a drivetrain model, and periodically integrated forward in real time to provide desired (predicted) engine and vehicle speed values. The predicted engine speed forms the basis for a speed control signal which is applied to an engine dynamometer to load an engine under test as though it were actually installed in a motor vehicle including the modeled drivetrain elements.

Emulation system for a motor vehicle drivetrain

A noise tolerant time division multiplex system including a transmitter and receiver, each constructed as a monolithic integrated circuit and interconnected by a serial data wire. Data as well as power is supplied to the transmitter from a plurality of parallel connected input switches. The transmitter includes a parallel in/serial out shift register controlled by timing logic and further includes a tri-state driver for generating a three-level serial output signal indicative of the status of the input switches. The data is generated at a high rate to eliminate any deleterious effects of noise on the system. The receiver chip receives a regulated energizing potential from the transmitter chip over two additional wires, generates a timing signal from the three-level signal and loads the data in binary format into a serial in/parallel out shift register. When the data is properly positioned in the receiver register the data is transferred to latches which energize appropriate relays to control the direction of rotation of various motors controlling the seats, windows and door locks of an automobile.

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Southfield, MI, United States of America

Kenneth J Henry