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ZF presents its new Parking ECU, a scalable and cost-effective electronic control unit that enables a variety of automatic parking functions to a wider range of vehicles while using real-time cameras and ultrasonic sensors. It is particularly suitable for automatic parking functions. Supported by a System-on-Chip (SoC) that enables computational power of up to 16 TOPS, the Parking ECU uses a mix of data from ultrasonic sensors and 360° surround cameras based on a display technology provided by Chinese partner Calmcar which is part of the ZF ecosystem in which the company invested in 2019. The ECU also offers more extensive connectivity options, such as Ethernet, CAN, LVDS, DSI, all in a defined and particularly compact housing.
One of the salient features of the new parking ECU is its strength in combining incoming data from 360° surround cameras and ultrasonic sensors to perceive the depth of a parking space, enabling assistance in both parallel and standard parking. With functions such as automatic and remote parking assistance, the ECU manually plots a route via the “virtual place” function to move the car into the free parking space with minimal intervention from the driver. In addition to improving basic parking functions, the new Parking ECU offers high-level options such as automatic stored parking and automatic payment. Particularly useful functions in urban areas, especially in garages since the ECU uses cameras and sensors to reconstruct in real time a map of the place where the car that installs it is located.