Rapid Prototyping of Automotive HMI Systems Utilizing Vector CANape and Mathworks Simulink

Automotive electronics systems are continuously becoming more complicated with an ever increasing list of features. As the level of content increases, so does the interaction between the systems. This additional complexity can translate into a more confusing HMI experience for the driver if it is not designed carefully. This is especially true for features that interact across multiple systems, where each must seamlessly integrate. It becomes clear that a method to rapidly prototype such HMI systems is desirable to enable testing of HMI concepts as early in the design process as possible. This paper will describe one such method that we have successfully utilized incorporating the use of Vector CANape software to quickly create prototype HMI experiences that integrates Mathworks Simulink feature code, touchscreen interaction, user inputs and the vehicle CAN network to simulate an in vehicle HMI experience.