In automotive electronics, an 'electronic control unit' (ECU), also called a
control unit or
control module, is an
embedded system that controls one or more of the electrical subsystems in a
vehicle. Some modern cars have up to 70 ECUs, including:
★
Engine Control Unit
★
★ also called
Powertrain Control Module (PCM)
★
Transmission Control Unit - TCU
★ Telephone Control Unit - TCU
★ Man Machine Interface - MMI
★ Door Control unit
★ Seat Control Unit
★ Climate Control Unit
Managing the increasing complexity of ECUs and number of ECUs in a vehicle has become a key challenge for OEMs.
"Electronic Control Unit" is also the name of a song by
Peter Gabriel