The application of increasingly sophisticated technologies in the automotive world is also pushing independent garages to upgrade their maintenance equipment. One example is Adas. The introduction of in-vehicle software, sensors and cameras has pushed up the bar for service on all four wheels. Today, in fact, calibrating cameras, radar and lidar requires not only technical expertise but also specific equipment. In the case of Adas, a multitude of diagnostic and calibration tools, able to analyse the data collected and reset the parameters of sensors and cameras, are on the market. On this aspect, Hella Gutmann designed the physical panels, CSC-Tool SE or CSC-Tool Mobile, and virtual panels, CSC-Tool Digital. In addition to calibrating front cameras, long-range radar and lidar, the complete modular CSC-Tool system enables the calibration of 360-degree cameras, rear cameras and 24 GHz radar for environmental detection. CSC-Tool Digital, on the other hand, represents the latest step of the range of calibration tool offered by Hella.
Compared to others, the CSC-Tool Digital does not need to find a place in the workshop to house the large panels to be used as front camera targets, nor the need to carry them around. CSC-Tool Digital receives the front camera targets on the projection screen, remotely and via the associated Apple TV box. The multimedia system is connected to the workshop IT via Wlan and to CSC-Tool's short-focus projector via Hdmi cable. "If a target is not present it can be ordered or bought directly online and have it on CSC-Tool Digital in a few moments," Hella assures. Workshops working on recent vehicle models benefit even more since new digital targets are made available faster than physical ones, making it possible to work on the newest vehicles almost in real time." The company decided to focus on digital development following a series of in-house tests. The results indicated that unlike an image on a monitor, a vehicle's camera is not actively illuminated by light. In contrast, the image profile is perceived by the camera in the same way as on a printed panel. In addition, the size of the projection surface is large enough to create targets the same size as Oe calibration panels. "Due to an efficient interaction between the projector and the specially coated screen, the image profiles are shown in high definition and can be dynamically adapted to the prevailing light conditions". Even small manual operations have been made easier and faster with CSC-Tool Digital. Electric target height adjustment, for example, is carried out by simply clicking a button. In this way, a laser rangefinder measures the distance between the tool and the vehicle, and that distance is shown in real time on the screen. After that, CSC tool is moved until the value shown coincides with the value shown on the mega macs. Only the precise alignment to the thrust axis is performed by two wheel-mounted linear lasers, as is done in CSC-Tool SE.
