1 Introduction

In recent years, the increasing demand for enhanced performance, power efficiency, and advanced safety features have led to the incorporation of sophisticated electronics into modern vehicles. A key component of this shift is the rise of zonal controllers, which segment the vehicle's electrical system into smaller regions or zones to enable more precise control over power distribution and consumption. However, this increased complexity has also introduced new technical challenges, particularly with regards to diagnosis and fault detection.

To address these requirements, automotive systems are switching from using legacy mechanical fuse boxes to power distribution boards featuring eFuses, which feature remarkable wire and system safety schemes like I2T protection. Using the wide array of enhanced diagnostic capabilities of an eFuse, diagnosing between a zonal controller or other subsystem normal operation and fault states is made simple. A prime example of this is the ability to distinguish between a zonal controller in shutdown mode versus an actual open-load fault condition, enabling more accurate diagnostic outputs and faster troubleshooting for service technicians.

A typical high-level zonal controller architecture is shown in Figure 1-1, where eFuses on the Power Distribution Board provide power directly to each zonal controller.

Figure 1-1 Zonal Controller Architecture