Page 10 - Understanding Automotive Electronics

2735 | FM Page ix Tuesday, March 10, 1998 10:49 AM

Preface

Since the introduction of electronics for emission control on engines, the
evolution of electronics in automobiles has advanced rapidly. The pace of
development has inspired four revisions of this book in roughly ten years to
avoid obsolescence. Rarely in history have technical developments moved at
such a pace.
Electronics have recently been incorporated on new automotive
subsystems and have become standard implementation on many others. Such
features as antilock braking systems and airbags could only be achieved
practically through the use of electronics. These features are rapidly becoming
standard features owing to strong pressures in the highly competitive North
American automotive market.
The first edition of this book was devoted primarily to electronic engine
control because this was the chief application at that time. A number of
automotive systems which were discussed in the chapter on the future of
automotive electronics in the second, third, and fourth editions are now in
production. These systems are presented in the appropriate chapters of this
fifth edition. This latest edition covers most of the automotive subsystems
incorporating electronics except for entertainment systems. These systems
have been omitted partly due to space limitations and because automotive
entertainment systems are closely related to home entertainment systems,
which are discussed in many excellent publications.
In its revised form, this book explains automotive electronics as of the late
1990s. It should prepare the reader for an understanding of present as well as
future developments in this field into at least the early part of the next century.
William B. Ribbens
November 1997

UNDERSTANDING AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS ix