VCU
VCU control software
Development of vehicle control unit software for hybrid and electric vehicles: torque strategies, energy management, subsystem coordination and fault handling.
- Hybrid
- Electric
- Torque control
- Energy management
Electronics engineering · Electric mobility
Control software that makes the electric system work as one.
CAF develops embedded electronics, firmware and control strategies for electrified vehicles, from requirements definition to prototype validation on the test bench.
About us
Brazilian engineering for complex electronic systems.
We turn system requirements into functional, integrated and testable solutions. We develop the technology core, the control software and the integration architecture, and we work with hardware from qualified suppliers when that reduces risk and lead time.
2013Year CAF Engineering Solutions was founded
15+Years of automotive electronics experience in our technical leadership
MQB · MEBVolkswagen platforms our technical leadership has worked on, from the Golf 7 to the ID.3
PT · EN · ES · DETechnical support in Portuguese, English, Spanish and German
Services
Engineering for electric and hybrid vehicles, from software to battery.
Each service can be contracted on its own or combined into a complete project, from development to field support.
SYS
VCU, battery and motor systems
Development and integration of the complete propulsion system: VCU, battery, BMS, inverter and electric motor communicating over the vehicle network.
- VCU
- Battery and BMS
- Inverter
- Electric motor
HEV
Hybrid systems
Development of hybrid systems that integrate the combustion engine with the electric system: architecture, power-split strategies and coordination between combustion engine, electric motor and battery.
- Combustion engine
- Electric motor
- Energy management
BAT
Batteries: development, build and maintenance
Design, assembly and balancing of battery packs for electric and hybrid vehicles. Maintenance on GWM, BYD and other brands, including fault and DTC analysis.
- Packs
- Balancing
- GWM · BYD
- DTC analysis
CHG
Charging system with Chargebyte EVCC
Development of the vehicle charging system with the Chargebyte EVCC controller, integrating communication between vehicle, BMS and charger.
- Chargebyte EVCC
- Charger communication
- BMS integration
RTF
Combustion-to-electric retrofit
Conversion of combustion vehicles to electric propulsion: component specification, integration of motor, battery and VCU, and validation of the converted vehicle.
- Retrofit kits
- Integration
- Validation
DIAG
Vehicle diagnostics
Diagnostics consulting for electric, hybrid and combustion vehicles: network analysis, fault reading and root-cause identification.
- Electric
- Hybrid
- Combustion
- CAN · LIN
CONS
Specialized EV consulting
Technical support for companies electrifying fleets or developing vehicles: architecture, component selection, validation and production readiness.
- E/E architecture
- Components
- Validation
We also work on firmware and embedded software · simulation and HIL test benches with MATLAB/Simulink and LabVIEW · wiring harnesses and instrument clusters · R&D and innovation projects
Portfolio · Featured project
E-NAVEGA: electric propulsion control for vessels.
Software development for a VCU (Vehicle Control Unit) that coordinates the electric motors, inverters, batteries, chargers and converters of an electrified vessel. The project adapts control strategies already used in road vehicles to the operating, safety and efficiency demands of the waterborne environment.
Proposal in preparation · Waterborne mobility
Technology readiness level (TRL)1 → 9
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Starting point
Prototype, integration and bench testing
Target: validation in an operational environment
CONTROL ARCHITECTURE
Off-the-shelf hardware for the first application, to prioritize reliability. The control software and integration are developed by CAF.
Portfolio · Heavy vehicles
Complete electric platforms, from concept to production.
CAF experience with buses, trucks, industrial tractors and combustion-to-electric conversions, covering energy, control, charging and vehicle integration.
Complete vehicle
Electric bus and truck chassis
Led the engineering team developing electric chassis, including a low-floor bus, from concept to production.
Heavy logistics
Electric tractor unit
Electrification of a tractor unit for heavy freight, with up to 120 tonnes of towing capacity and lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.
Industrial
Electric industrial tractor
Electric tractor towing up to 45 tonnes gross combined weight, with up to 8 hours of operation per charge.
Retrofit
Combustion-to-electric conversion
Retrofit kits that convert combustion vehicles to electric propulsion, cutting CO₂ emissions.
Energy
Battery packs
Design, assembly, production and balancing of battery packs, including systems with CATL cells.
Software
VCU and motor control
Vehicle control unit software and electric motor control software.
Charging
Charging integration
Development, consulting and technical support for vehicle-to-charger communication with the Chargebyte EVCC controller.
Integration
Wiring harnesses and instrument cluster
Wiring harness engineering, instrument cluster development and integration of electrical and electronic systems.
Validation
HIL and virtual ECU
Hardware-in-the-Loop and virtual ECUs to test electronic modules before the physical vehicle exists.
Gallery
On the bench and on the road.
How we work
From requirement to validated prototype.
- RequirementsGathering customer and application needs.
- ArchitectureElectronic and functional architecture, hardware specification.
- SoftwareEmbedded software and control strategies.
- IntegrationSoftware, hardware and third-party components.
- TestingPrototypes, test benches, functional tests and fixes.
- ValidationTechnical validation, documentation and industrialization readiness.
Technical leadership
César Augusto Federici
Founder and CTO of CAF. Engineering degree from Universidade São Judas Tadeu (2009) and master’s in Automation and Control Systems from IFSP (2012), with more than 15 years in automotive electronics, from the assembly line to electric vehicle development.
- CAF Engineering Solutions · since 2024Heavy electric vehicles: battery packs, VCU, charging and an electric bus chassis
- IAV do Brasil · 2022–2024Electrical and electronics team leader, focused on infotainment and ADAS
- Volkswagen AG, Germany · 2018–2021E/E architecture specialist: MEB platform, ID.3 launch at Volkswagen Sachsen and virtual ECUs for prototype testing
- Volkswagen do Brasil · 2011–2018Senior process engineer: electronic architecture of new vehicles (Gol, up!, Golf 7, Audi A3), HIL simulation and a machine that made ECU flashing about 20 times faster
- National Instruments · 2008–2011Applications engineer and sales team leader for South America and the Caribbean: data acquisition, LabVIEW, TestStand and FPGA
CAN / LIN / FlexRay / MOSTE/E architectureElectric powertrainBattery packsHILVirtual ECUMATLAB/SimulinkLabVIEW · TestStandFPGACANalyzer
Have a system to electrify or validate?
Tell us about the technical challenge. We reply with a proposed architecture, scope and project phases.