A Hardware-in-the-Loop–Centric Unified Automation Architecture for Scalable, Real-Time Validation of Model-Based Automotive Chassis and Powertrain Control Systems

Validation of automotive embedded control systems has grown increasingly complex as chassis and powertrain architectures expand in software content, cross-domain coupling, and real-time execution demands. Conventional cross-level-integration (xiL) validation frameworks treat model-in-the-loop (MiL), software-in-the-loop (SiL), and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) environments as sequential, loosely coupled stages, a structure that introduces semantic drift, redundant test effort, and systemic gaps in coverage. This paper proposes a HIL-centric unified automation architecture in which HIL serves as the central execution authority across all fidelity levels. The architecture establishes three foundational abstractions—declarative test specifications, canonical plant models compliant with the Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) standard, and standardized execution interfaces—that eliminate environment-to-environment inconsistency and enable automated synthesis of real-time functional models and dynamic HIL configurations. Formalized scenario orchestration and multi-level fault injection are integrated into continuous validation pipelines, enabling large-scale, data-driven safety campaigns. Representative benchmarks enabled by the framework include validation of at least 80% of safety-relevant scenarios prior to physical prototype availability, a reduction in late-phase defect discovery of 50% or more, diagnostic coverage exceeding 90% across injected fault classes, and end-to-end validation turnaround within 24 hours of a software or calibration change. The contributions reposition HIL from a late-stage quality gate into a continuous decision intelligence platform, directly addressing the validation scalability challenges of software-defined vehicle development.