Standardising the Design of Automobile Electronic Inter-Connection Architectures Using the Analytical Hierarchy Process

The specification of automobile electrical and electronic inter-connection architecture is becoming increasingly complex The designer not only has a wider range of devices and control circuits to choose from, but must also consider the "best" strategies for supply, manufacture, assembly and service Details are presented relating to a methodology that embraces a comprehensive scheme of decision criteria Life Cycle Cost Analysis is used to calculate a realistic cost comparator between architecture alternatives This information is used with decision factors of design, manufacture, assembly and logistics as input to the Analytical Hierarchy Process The result is a multi-criteria decision technique that pro motes a scientific selection of design alternatives. A comprehensive set of criteria are considered in such a way that a Concurrent Engineering approach to architecture design is promoted