Challenge

The customer required an improved control system for operating a small towable excavator. The unit was operated using an off-the-shelf hydraulic controller. This controller did not provide the full range of features that the customer desired. The customer also required an advanced user interface in the form of single and dual joystick control for driving the unit.

Solution

New Eagle began by reverse engineering the existing components. This was accomplished by characterizing the outputs to the various actuators, along with drawing a system schematic. With knowledge of how the original system operated, New Eagle engineers then developed a plan to replace the hydraulic electronic controller with a New Eagle MotoHawk unit. The required list of I/O drove the decision to integrate an ECM-112. This controller, along with a custom wire harness, was fitted to the excavator. Using the automated model-based design process of MotoHawk, the control logic for the joystick inputs and hydraulic actuators were quickly developed. After a successful calibration exercise the excavator was capable of meeting all of the design requirements.

Results and Impact

The improved system allowed the customer’s unit to drive in single and dual joystick control modes along with two dig function modes. These user interface improvements allow the end user to more easily become accustom to operating the equipment and therefore add to the value proposition of a small towable excavator

Project Features

MotoHawk ECU

System Calibration

Prototype Wiring

Challenge

A customer was working toward production level controls for a vehicle subsystem. A recent project with this customer incorporated the rapid prototyping of a demonstration vehicle with model in the loop software verification. These efforts contribute towards the customer’s overall development of system technology to OEM production quality levels.

Solution

New Eagle developed controls and estimation algorithms in Simulink®. These were used both in the model-in-the-loop verification efforts and in automatic code generation for off-the-shelf controllers. New Eagle implemented a dynamic model of the actuator in Simulink with which to stimulate the controls algorithms for model-in-the-loop verification. These simulations were scripted to run with parameters representing different environmental conditions and manufacturing tolerances of actuator parts.

Results and Impact

The customer has been able to move forward in pursuit of OEM platform contracts and the development of their production quality system.

Project Features

MotoHawk ECU

Model-in-the-Loop verification

Prototype vehicle wiring harness

System modeling

Simulink controls development

Challenge

A customer decided to enter a zero emissions electric vehicle in an off-road endurance race. The two-week race required competition vehicles to traverse as much as 500 miles per day across dunes, mud, and rocks in South America. No electric vehicle had ever competed in the race’s history. The customer contacted New Eagle with less than 2 months before they had to ship their vehicle to the country in which the race was being held. They purchased an electric motor and inverter directly from a manufacturer, but needed help controlling and calibrating the motor/inverter. In addition, they were lacking basic components to complete their EV system, like a DC/DC converter, contactor control unit, and display.

Solution

With its numerous, flexible options, the New Eagle EV Supervisor™ Programmed Kit was the perfect tool to help the customer integrate its electric vehicle system components easily and quickly. The fully pre-programmed control module connects to all of the major EV system components and sends a torque request to an inverter/motor system. New Eagle engineers worked closely with the customer’s engineering team to customize and calibrate the software to the meet their vehicle specifications. In addition to supplying the customer with a controller, New Eagle engineers designed and built a custom Contactor Control Unit, a custom display, and supplied a vehicle wiring harness, DC/DC converter, and pedals. New Eagle Engineers worked on-site with the customer’s engineering team for one week to support the control system and debug any issues.

Result and Impact

The customer had a fully-functioning electric vehicle within less than two months from contacting New Eagle. The vehicle entered the race and completed the first stage—a historic feat. The vehicle was able to traverse some the most inhospitable terrains during the toughest motor competition in the world.

Project Features

New Eagle EV Supervisor Programmed Controller kit

Custom EV Display

Custom Contactor Unit

Challenge

A customer set out to develop a new 3D-printed vehicle as a tribute to the classic sports car during its 50th anniversary celebration at an auto show. The customer planned to integrate an electric powertrain in the 3-D printed vehicle. The customer needed a controller and cooling system for the EV system components as well as a touch-screen vehicle display.

Solution

As a complete solution provider for Electric Vehicles, New Eagle was a clear choice to design an EV cooling system and supply EV components. New Eagle engineers worked closely with the customer to understand the vehicle performance requirements, packaging constraints, and timeline requirements. Within three weeks of beginning work on the project, New Eagle engineers had developed a complete cooling system for the motor, inverter, battery pack, and DC/DC converter. New Eagle supplied detailed schematics of the design to the customer as well as an analysis of system performance.

Result and Impact

Within weeks of contacting New Eagle, the customer had the designs for a cooling system solution comprised exclusively of off-the-shelf, ready to ship system components. The vehicle was presented to President Barak Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, and has since garnered celebrity status.

Project Features

Custom 50/50 EGW cooling system for motor, inverter, battery pack, and DC/DC converter

Fully waterproof touch screen enabled display, the Raptor VeeCAN 800

Challenge

A turbine engine manufacturer engaged New Eagle because they had a legacy control system and obsolete and outdated hardware.  They needed a partner that could rewrite their control software and put it onto a reliable automotive-grade control module to run their turbine engine.

Solution

New Eagle began reverse engineering the customer’s old system into function specifications and then quickly converted that function specification into software using model based development tools. Parallel to the software development effort, New Eagle focused on improving the electrical system. The turbine wiring harness was completely redesigned to interface with all of the new components that New Eagle helped specify and source. When the system was ready for testing, New Eagle then developed a design validation test plan and was able to verify implementation of all the required functions. New Eagle delivered a running engine two months after starting development with the customer.

Result and Impact

The new system allowed the customer to ramp up their production, significantly cut costs, decrease build time, and deliver a higher quality product to their customers. The customer was also able to take over the software and electrical design as they built up their own engineering team.  New Eagle provided training and support as needed to help the customer become familiar with tools and software. The customer are now continuing development on their own. New Eagle Distribution is able to supply and source the customer with many of the components they need in time to meet their production schedule.

Project Features

Custom Display

Automotive-grade control module

Custom wiring harness

Challenge

A customer wanted to build electric vans for hotel shuttle operations in order to save on fuel costs. Before working with New Eagle, the customer built an inefficient DC version of the van without any control or monitoring. Not satisfied with the overall performance of the van, the customer bought a new electric powertrain. New Eagle was brought in to develop controls for this new powertrain, help source components, and design a new wiring harness to integrate the whole system together.

Solution

New Eagle began controls development using its EV Supervisor software and then customized the software to fit the unique requirements of this vehicle. New Eagle was able to get their first van functional within a week of being onsite. The van then underwent significant refinement and customization to the specific requirements of the customer including new model years and van types. New Eagle was able to reverse engineer and tightly interface with the OEM system to maintain FVMSS compliance and control the instrument cluster. New Eagle provided significant sourcing support and technical review of all components, including the building software interfaces as required.

Results and Impacts

The customer now has a completely designed kit that they are using in serial production conversion of vans. New Eagle continues to manage the software development and performs change requests as required by the customer. New Eagle Distribution delivers to them many of the components on the vehicle from its extensive electric vehicle parts bin.

Project Features

EV Supervisor Software

Challenge

Powertrain Integration desired to provide an alternative fuel engine for use on medium to heavy duty (14,000 to 33,000 pound GVW) vehicles. The 8.0L engine was supplied by GM and an LPG fuel system was supplied by CleanFUEL USA. Powertrain Integration chose New Eagle to supply the ECM and develop the control strategy in a joint effort. 

Solution

With strategy requirement input from Powertrain Integration, New Eagle developed the ECM software. Features include a torque-based strategy with switch-type O2 feedback control. The torque strategy forward path include both slow (ETC) and fast (spark) torque control. Diagnostics were designed to meet alternative fuel OBD requirements, and J1939 communications provided scan-tool support and the interface to other vehicle control modules. Torque security features included forward vs. reverse path diagnostics, parallel paths of code, and a secondary module that provides additional critical checks. Additional features included cruise control, PTO control, DFCO, throttle learning, and fuel system control, to name a few.

Results and Impact

The result was a MY14 production engine control system that is currently on vehicles such as Freightliner school buses and delivery vehicles. Powertrain Integration has chosen New Eagle to continue to move forward with MY15 improvements, as well as looking ahead regarding MY18 heavy-duty OBD monitor requirements.

Project Features

112pin ECM with 24pin secondary module

Engine control software, including OBD and J1939

Full development-to-production project

Challenge

An engineering firm had been a customer of the distribution side of the New Eagle business and had used some engineering support services in the past. When this client’s old controls provider left them without a solution for an ongoing project and without the ability to continue development on existing system, the client needed to recover the project timeline and be able to actuate all the hydraulic cylinders involved in rig-up on the construction timeline. This particular system had a high level of complexity and involved over 10 control modules to control all the hydraulic components.

Solution

The client needed to take control, so it turned to New Eagle.  We began with an immediate on-site meeting, and worked with the client to distill the functional and diagnostic requirements of the system. We sourced controller hardware, provided electrical design support, and developed the software that allowed the rig to function, all in just the span of a few months.  New Eagle followed through on the development of software and provided on-site support at the appropriate times during the rig construction schedule for the first testing of controls functionalities. New Eagle made as-needed modifications to the control software to meet the functional demands of the end-line customer, as well as supported additional technical activities during rig construction such as networked sensor configuration, CAN bus evaluation and debugging, and rig performance data-logging.

Results and Impact

The client was able to keep up with the construction schedule for their customer, due in part to timely and consistent support from New Eagle during the development and test-out process. Following completion of the first rig, New Eagle has worked with the customer to shift focus to other rig variants and provide continuous improvement of the controls solution.

Project Features

MotoHawk ECUs

Distributed control system with over 10 ECUs

On-site support

Hardware selection and resource assignment support