About Navigator

ETAS EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR is an innovative product that provides interactive documentation to engineers on all functional aspects of a modern ECU. The EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR complements other development tools used by engineers by providing access to information that is relevant for understanding a single function or the entire ECU system and for conducting tasks, such as measurement & calibration.

The key purpose of EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR is to support its users to:

  • Find the right information efficiently in a large mass of information.

  • Understand the information efficiently (reading text, exploring interactive models).

  • Get the actual working task done efficiently with the help of the information and the tool (Identifying root cause for calibration errors with the help of dependency analysis in interactive models).

Overview

EHANDBOOK is the ETAS solution that aims at eliminating drawbacks confronted in static documentation approaches and provides a significant productivity gain in handling large documentations. EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR provides an interactive electronic documentation. It consists of a quick, interactive interface to access information, presented in dynamic form (e.g., graphical models with automatic layout). It also provides additional services, such as identification and highlighting of dependencies between models (signal flows).

Compared to other documentation solutions, EHANDBOOK provides an effective approach for handling large amounts of documentation content and the required tooling to work with information efficiently.

With the EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR, you are able to quickly and easily find and understand information required to efficiently conduct a large variety of working tasks.

Features

EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR provides the following key features:

  • Supporting of multiple EHANDBOOK files: EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR supports to load and combine multiple EHANDBOOK files. In order to work with EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR easily with all content, more than one EHANDBOOK container can be added to an EHANDBOOK project.

  • Flexible documentation structures: EHANDBOOK containers can contain multiple pre-defined documentation views. A Documentation view is a predefined table of contents (TOC) that contains documentation content relevant to different user groups. For example, calibration engineers can select a documentation view with only the relevant content for a specific functionality (e.g, for a calibration package), whereas system architects can select a documentation view on how all functions are structured (software architecture view). Interactive models: An integrated Model Viewer in the EHANDBOOK- NAVIGATOR allows you to explore ASCET block diagram models, Simulink models and C-Code derived models. It is possible for you to navigate within and across hierarchy levels in a model. Auto-layouts create suitable, seamless views of the model, where nested models can be flattened.

  • Label popup: The Meta data details for the labels and other entities of Function Overview Diagrams, Interactive models, SVG images and values for calibration parameters are displayed in the Label pop-up. The Label popup for Curves and Maps additionally displays the respective plots in 2D/3D visualization.

  • Seamless function wallpaper: Seamless function wallpaper supports to navigate from Function Overview to Interactive models in the same window. It helps to make the connections for Function Overviews and Function Specifications (ASCET/Simulink) or Function Implementation (C-Code) seamlessly.

  • Function Documentation: While exploring Interactive models, there might be a need to look at the corresponding documentation. EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR allows you to view the corresponding documentation in the Document Viewer. This is possible for ASCET block diagram models, Simulink models, C-Code derived model and it works across the hierarchy levels as well.

  • Semantic Search: The Search feature enables you to navigate large documentation content efficiently. You can precisely find semantic information in the documentation content and interactive models. Semantic information comprises of measurement variables, calibration parameters and system constants which are tagged in the content of the EHANDBOOK container. The search results, classified according to their semantic category, are displayed and highlighted in the content.

  • Dependency Analysis Service: The EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR allows you to determine dependencies between blocks of interactive models, e.g. inputs and outputs of functions, calibration parameters and measurement variables. The service works for ASCET block diagram models, Simulink models, C-Code derived models and wherever applicable it works across the hierarchy levels as well (i.e., connections in a sub-hierarchy are followed if it is a block diagram). Both highlighting and hiding of blocks and connections are supported. Highlighted blocks and components are displayed in red, whereas hidden blocks and components are displayed in grey.

  • Interoperability with INCA: The EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR allows you to establish a connection with a running INCA experiment. You get an integrated view on the algorithm specifications of a function (ASCET block diagram) and the values being measured in the INCA experiment. The values from a running INCA experiment for measurement variables and/or calibration parameters are displayed directly in the interactive model within the Model Viewer of the EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR. It is also possible to configure which of the measurement variables and/or calibration parameters, depicted in the interactive model, should display the values. Starting the visualization and stopping the measurement of an INCA experiment directly from the EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR is also supported. EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR also helps to prepare the initial setup at your desk even if no hardware is connected to INCA. At the later stage, once the setup is ready, you can connect your system to hardware device and execute the experiments.

  • Visualization of offline measurement: Now EHB is combined with already measured values and the time when it was measured. Compared to the live visualization where time moves forward at a constant pace (For example, a sample is taken every 250 ms), the offline visualization allows the calibration engineer to move back before the value changed to an unexpected value and he can investigate the cause. Either he can fix it by adjusting some calibration value (or even report a bug to the developer of the ECU software). Now, two cursors (Cursor A: and Cursor B:) are now available for offline measurement. You can also load the calibration files such as .a2l, .hex, .s19, .dcm, .cdfx, .xml, .dat, .mf3, or .mf4 to display the data (such as lower and upper limit, type and values (for calibration parameters)) in the Label pop-up. For this visualization of offline measurement, the newly added functionality called Measurement and Calibration Files in EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR allows the calibration engineer to use the previously recorded data, e.g., with INCA. This feature helps the calibration engineer to get a better understanding of the functions and signal flows.

  • MDA 8: Measure Data Analyzer 8 is also an ETAS Product which helps to visualize and analyze the measurement data. You can connect the EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR through MDA 8 configuration. Connect feature in MDA 8 starts a new EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR to display a corresponding documentation file (*.ehb) navigate between hierarchy model and model image of ASCET/Simulink model in the Document Viewer) for the currently loaded measurement file. It is also possible to request to show the documentation of a signal in MDA 8 in the currently loaded documentation. It searches globally for that particular signal and displays all the occurrences in EHB. It is possible to conduct an analysis in EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR by updating the measurement file in MDA 8.

  • ClickPic: Helps to navigate easily navigate between hierarchy model and model image of ASCET/Simulink model in the Document Viewer.

  • Virtual Connections: The virtual connections are highlighted in the Interactive models (ASCET/Simulink/C-code models) and Function Overview diagrams.

  • History: The EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR keeps a record of the recently viewed topics and models while exploring the content of an EHANDBOOK container. It provides you the benefit of viewing a list of previously visited locations and allows you to go back to any of those locations whenever necessary. The history is cleared when a new container is loaded.

  • Printing: The EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR allows you to take print-outs of both the content and the interactive models. You may modify the page setup, if required before printing. Modifications include scaling, page orientation, page size, margins setup, etc.Display in System Tray: The EHANDBOOK- NAVIGATOR allows to customize such that it displays it in Windows System Tray when you close the Product

  • Export as Image: The EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR allows to export the selected model or the function overview diagram as an image.

  • Display values for the highlighted paths in the interactive models: The EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR displays values for the labels only for the highlighted signals. This helps to visualize only the right labels.

  • Linking of the Hardware Devices: The EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR supports linking of the hardware devices either to a single device or multiple devices. This is needed while handling the visualization of the labels and values coming from INCA or from a measurement file.

  • Extract content of EHANDBOOK container: The EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR allows to generate a new container by selecting the required function components from the loaded container.

  • Export to PDF: The EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR allows you to export the contents of a particular functional component to a PDF file.

Benefits

With the EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR, you are able to efficiently conduct a large variety of working tasks. Listed below are the benefits acquired by using EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR.

  • Information is found quickly and precisely, especially for measurement variables and calibration parameters.

  • Documentation views can be switched for easier, working-task specific navigation.

  • Understanding the functioning of the ECU software and functions is supported by means of graphical, interactive models.

  • Bookmarks can be created to store the location of the container topics, sub- topics and interactive model for later retrieval.

  • Comments can be added to specific portions of the Document Viewer. It can also be imported while importing another container into it. You can also copy the comment to the clipboard, which can be used in any other application by pasting it from the clipboard.

  • Navigation is easy between hierarchy levels in complex ASCET block diagram models, Simulink models and C-Code derived models.

  • Meta data details of the labels and other entities of Function Overview Diagrams, Interactive models and SVG images are shown in the Label popup. For the Curves and Maps, it is displayed in the 2D/3D view.

  • Seamless overview on hierarchically nested functions is obtained through flattening of hierarchy levels. This is enabled by built-in innovative auto-layout algorithms.

  • Built-in analysis algorithms allow calculating and highlighting dependencies in interactive models. This helps understand the dependencies between calibration parameters and measurement variables.

  • Helps to debug ECU software and functions showing running values for measurement variables and calibration parameters from a connected INCA experiment.

  • The calibration engineer uses the data which are recorded previously with the help of the Measurement and Calibration File which helps to visualize offline measurement.

  • The calibration engineer can load measurement files (.dat/.mf3/.mf4) to display/view the recorded data in the interactive models.

  • The calibration engineer can load calibration files (.a2l and .hex/.s19/.ptp) to display/view the data (such as lower and upper limit, type and values (for calibration parameters)) in the Label pop-up.

  • Connecting from MDA 8 to EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR helps the calibration engineer to inspect the values and refer the documentation which is loaded in EHB.
    You can also open the signal documentation in EHANDBOOK which helps to focus on the value and the documentation simultaneously.

  • The calibration engineer can pass a measurement file from MDA 8 to EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR to conduct the analysis in EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR using the same measurement data as loaded in MDA 8. This helps to understand better how the two applications are interoperate each other.

  • Enabling the high screen resolution setting during installation displays the Model Viewer and the Function Overview Diagrams properly.

  • Support of variant-coded labels

  • Search functionality is improved such that the labels in the interactive models can be searched in the nested hierarchies.

  • Displays the short name of a label in the Model Viewer.

  • The values for Scalar Parameters and System Constants are annotated which helps to understated better.

  • Supporting of the STRUCTURE data type in Simulink models establishes an end-to-end signal flow across two ECU functions via labels.

  • Create a new function overview icon on the toolbar helps to create a new function overview diagram and also allows to edit it at any point of time.

  • The external links when clicked provide a warning dialog for the user to choose either to open the URL in a default application like browser or file, otherwise to copy the same and use it for a different purpose.

  • The navigation bar helps you to navigate through the models quickly.

Privacy Disclaimer

Please note that personal data is processed when using EHANDBOOK-NAVIGATOR. As the controller, the purchaser undertakes to ensure the legal conformity of these processing activities in accordance with Article 4 No. 7 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR/EU). As the manufacturer, ETAS GmbH is not liable for any mishandling of this data.