Comparison of the accelerator-pedal-to-engine-control-module interfaces on vehicles with low and high reported rates of unintended acceleration

Abstract

This paper examines the AP-to-ECM interfaces of five vehicles equipped with electronic throttle control systems. All five vehicles employ simple voltage level sensing from two or three sensors in the accelerator pedal assembly. The purpose of this paper is to identify differences in the AP-to-ECM interfaces of vehicles with high reported rates of unintended acceleration compared to vehicles with low reported rates of unintended acceleration. This paper does not attempt to identify the root causes of unintended acceleration; however, it points out important design issues that suggest a set of best practices for an electronic throttle control design.