Talk about vehicle tech today and the conversation quickly turns to software. Over-the-air updates, centralised computing, driver assistance, autonomy and connected services dominate the headlines. Every one of those capabilities depends on the quality of the data coming from sensors spread throughout the vehicle. Code can only make good decisions if it is fed with accurate, timely and trustworthy measurements, which makes sensing the foundation of modern vehicle tech.
The data appetite of the modern vehicle
A contemporary electric vehicle measures far more than its predecessors. Cell voltages and temperatures, pack current, coolant flows, motor and inverter temperatures, cabin climate, air quality, position, acceleration, yaw rate and a host of status signals are all monitored continuously. Driver assistance and autonomous functions add cameras, radar and lidar on top.
Much of this data travels over CAN bus, the robust, two-wire network that has linked vehicle electronics for decades. Even as higher bandwidth networks appear for cameras and central computers, CAN remains the workhorse for sensors and control units because it is simple, deterministic and resilient to electrical noise.
Where the gaps are
Despite this data abundance, important gaps remain. Battery management systems, for example, have traditionally relied on voltage and temperature alone. That is enough to manage charging and balancing, but not always enough to spot a cell that is beginning to fail. Healthy cells in parallel can mask a weak one, and temperature sensors may be too far away to see a local hotspot quickly.
Filling that gap requires different measurements. Metis Engineering’s Cell Guard sits inside the battery pack and measures volatile organic compounds, absolute pressure, air temperature, humidity and dew point, with an optional accelerometer for shock loads up to ±24g. These are the signatures of cell venting, moisture ingress and impact damage, and they give the vehicle’s software information it simply could not obtain from voltage and temperature. Independent testing by Sandia National Laboratories found that Cell Guard detected a thermal event in under 60 seconds, while a hydrogen-only competitor took seven minutes longer.
Sensing for comfort, efficiency and health
The same principle applies inside the cabin. Climate systems have historically worked from temperature and perhaps humidity. Add carbon dioxide, VOC and NOx measurement, as Metis Engineering’s Air Wise does, and the HVAC controller can ventilate according to real occupancy and outside pollution rather than fixed settings. That improves occupant wellbeing and alertness, reduces window misting and can cut the auxiliary energy load that eats into EV range.
Knowing where the vehicle is, all the time
For autonomy, fleet management and vehicle testing, accurate position is fundamental. Satellite navigation is excellent in open sky but fails in tunnels, multi-storey car parks and dense urban areas. Metis Engineering’s R&D UDR GPS CAN Sensor uses untethered dead reckoning, fusing satellite data with built-in inertial sensors so that it can continue to estimate position through complete signal loss without needing wheel speed or vehicle network inputs. Where maximum update rate matters in open-sky conditions, the R&D 50Hz GPS CAN Sensor delivers position at up to 50 Hz.
Why integration is the real challenge
Adding a sensor to a vehicle is rarely limited by the sensor itself. The cost lies in integration: wiring, protocols, drivers, calibration and validation. This is why Metis Engineering designs every product to connect natively to CAN bus, with configurable address and baud rate, and supplies each one with a DBC file and quick start guide. Engineers can plug a new sensor into an existing network and see decoded data in their usual tools almost immediately.
For legacy analogue sensors, the Analogue to Digital CAN Module bridges the gap, converting up to eight 0 to 5V inputs into CAN data at up to 333 Hz, alongside four channels of frequency and duty cycle measurement for PWM signals. It can even act as a low power vehicle wake-up device, with a sleep current below 1 mA and the ability to wake on a voltage threshold.
Robustness is part of accuracy
A sensor that works on the bench but drifts or fails in the vehicle is worse than no sensor at all, because it gives the software false confidence. Vehicle tech sensors must survive vibration, thermal cycling, moisture and the electrical transients of automotive power systems. Cell Guard, for example, has been developed in line with ISO 26262 processes, tested to ISO 7637-2:2011, ISO 16750-2:2012 and ISO 16750-4:2010, and is used by OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers in ASIL B applications. Metis Engineering is certified to ISO 9001.
From R&D to production
Many vehicle programmes begin with research and development sensors on prototype vehicles and move to production-grade parts later. Metis Engineering supports both ends of that journey, with a range of CAN-based R&D sensors and development kits for rapid evaluation, and products such as Cell Guard that have been deployed in more than 500 systems. The company’s customer base of over 200 automotive, motorsport and energy storage innovators includes the Bloodhound Land Speed Record project, Formula E and the World Rally Championship.
The foundation for what comes next
As vehicles become more electrified, more automated and more defined by software, the demand for trustworthy data will only grow. The most sophisticated algorithms still depend on sensors that measure the right things, reliably, and deliver the results in a form the vehicle can use. That is where the next gains in vehicle tech safety, efficiency and capability will be found.
To discuss sensing for your next vehicle programme, contact Metis Engineering at info@metisengineering.com.
