Systems engineering approach to engine test stand development for micropatching evaluations
Date
2022
Authors
Lobato, Peter Eliot, author
Bradley, Thomas, advisor
Daily, Jeremy, advisor
Windom, Bret, committee member
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Abstract
This project applies systems engineering methodology to develop an engine test stand used to extract, patch and validate the binary file of a diesel engine electronic control module. Electronic control modules operate modern systems ranging from aircraft and spacecraft to automobiles, heavy trucks and industrial equipment. These systems are often used for decades, which may be beyond the period for which manufacturers provide support. The binary code operating these embedded controllers may need to be patched as part of maintenance or compatibility with updated requirements. The objective of this thesis is to design an evaluation system to test the extraction, patching and deployment of binary code operating an engine control module of a legacy engine platform, a Cummins 6.7L diesel engine with a Cummins CM2350 engine controller, which does not have source code available. However, through binary analysis and micropatching, it is possible to update the binary of the ECM firmware by applying a patch to change specific attributes of the operation of the ECU. To verify the results of the patch, the binary is deployed to the engine controller and the operation of the engine is assessed. An engine on a dynamometer test stand was reconfigured to be an evaluation platform for assuring non-interference attributes of the ECM binary. Requirements were identified, architecture was established, and validation was tied to corresponding test stand requirements. A method to solve an iterative numerical calculation with convergence criterion set incorrectly was implemented on the ECM, and that method was then patched with a correct convergence criterion. The evaluation system was documented for other operators to execute the evaluations.
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Subject
Cummins
engine test stand
systems
ECM
binary
micropatching