Modern measurement technology is indispensable in the automotive industry to put prototypes through their paces before they reach the customer as a final version. The systems must deliver reliable and accurate results and support as many different interfaces as possible. For this purpose, the engineering specialist in-tech has developed the flexible measurement system orangeRack, which provides the power supply and energy management for all measurement technology in the vehicle and also enables quick access to all communication buses for live analyses.

The orangeRack from in-tech equips test vehicles with suitable measurement technology via plug & play. An integrated breakout unit provides all important communication interfaces to the vehicle for connecting data loggers, tablets and PCs. Whether CAN, LIN, Flexray, OBD or analogue signals - depending on the application, a wide variety of signals can be easily tapped and measured in the vehicle.

Measurement also possible at standstill

"The special feature of our system is its own integrated power supply so as not to influence the vehicle's electrical system. The integrated rack battery supplies the measurement technology with power and is charged via its own power supply unit. In this way, we prevent the vehicle battery from being discharged and the car from being unable to start," says Christian Wagner, Managing Director of in-tech GmbH. The data loggers can thus read out the vehicle's data even when the vehicle is stationary without discharging the car battery, for example overnight.

Energy consumption intelligently controlled

This procedure is made possible by intelligent energy management: the rack battery is charged while driving by the alternator in the vehicle or the DC/DC converter in the case of electric vehicles. When the engine is not running, the rack automatically disconnects from the alternator. This means that the vehicle battery is not stressed by the measurement technology.

Jump-start included

The current on-board voltage of the test vehicle is displayed to the user at all times via the rack. If the vehicle battery should nevertheless be flat, start-up support is also possible via a bridging function.