#SMART TOOL LEVEL CALIBRATION DRIVER#
#SMART TOOL LEVEL CALIBRATION CODE#

Calibration is also called for whenever a sensor or its mounting bracket is removed and replaced, there is a change in tire size, a front airbag deploys and deflects off the windshield, or repairs are made to a car roof that has a sensor bracket mounted to it. This can occur in a collision, even a minor fender bender, or be a byproduct of common service work such as windshield replacement, suspension repairs or wheel alignment. Another method is to check for adaptive cruise control switches inside the car (usually on the steering wheel) or a warning light for an automatic emergency braking and/or adaptive cruise control system that illuminates on the dash as a test when the car is first started.ДЄDAS sensor calibration is required whenever a sensorвЂ™s aiming is disturbed in any way. If an external visual inspection does not indicate the presence of a sensor, opening the hood could reveal one. While many radar sensors are centrally mounted, others are offset to one side of the automobile, which affects the calibration process.Д«ecause they are sometimes hidden, determining whether a vehicle has a radar sensor can be more difficult than identifying the presence of a camera sensor. Radio waves can pass through glass and plastic bumper covers or grill materials, and the sensor usually has a cover to protect it from stones and other road debris. In a few cases, the radar sensor is mounted in the front facing camera housing ahead of the rearview mirror. Radar sensors are usually mounted in or behind the front bumper or grille. This 'see through' image shows how a radar sensor may be positioned behind a solid plastic cover in the grille.

In fact, some car dealers will refuse to calibrate a camera sensor on a car that has an aftermarket windshield installed.ДЇigure 3. Because of this, many automakers specify that only an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) windshield be used if replacement is necessary on a car with a camera sensor. A problem in any of these areas can interfere with a sensorвЂ™s ability to provide accurate information. These components turn the constantly changing analog image the camera sees into digital information that ADAS can use to control various safety-critical systems.Д¬amera sensors вЂњseeвЂќ the world through the windshield, and are designed for specific rates of light transmission through glass that has minimal imperfections and distortion. What makes ADAS camera sensors unique is the high-powered microprocessors and advanced data processing algorithms that are built into the assembly. The high-definition image receptors used in camera sensors are not all that different from those found in other digital camera applications.

Some automakers, including Subaru and Land Rover, use dual cameras spaced apart from one another to provide enhanced depth perception. Many camera sensors mount against the inside of the windshield as part of an assembly integrated with the rearview mirror others attach to the inside of the roof вЂ“ either directly or as part of a mirror housing. (Image: Subaru)Д«ecause cameras are optical devices that must be able to вЂњseeвЂќ the road, it is usually easy to identify when a car is equipped with this type sensor. ADAS failures may also raise questions about the quality of an auto repair shopвЂ™s work.ДЇigure 2.

#SMART TOOL LEVEL CALIBRATION DRIVER#

Problems like these can cause a driver to lose trust in a carвЂ™s ability to provide safe transportation.

#SMART TOOL LEVEL CALIBRATION CODE#

A diagnostic trouble code (DTC) being stored in the vehicleвЂ™s computer memory.

A warning light or message on the instrument panel.

However, calibration can also be required as a byproduct of common car service work such as windshield replacement, suspension repair or wheel alignment.ДЇailure to calibrate a sensor when necessary can result in faulty information that will cause ADAS to operate improperly or not at all. Misaimed sensors often result from collisions вЂ“ even a minor fender bender can knock ADAS sensors out of alignment. Consider that a sensor on the car that is out of alignment by a fraction of an inch or even one degree will be aimed at an area significantly off axis 50 or more feet down the road. Most ADAS sensors are very precisely aimed and require calibration if their positions are disturbed in any way. Some systems use information from a single type of sensor, but others combine information from multiple sensors вЂ“ a process called sensor fusion вЂ“ to obtain a more accurate вЂњviewвЂќ of the situation. Steering sensors are also used to help determine the direction of vehicle travel. The most common are camera, radar and ultrasonic sensors. To do their jobs, ADAS rely on inputs from a variety of sensors that allow the systems to вЂњseeвЂќ what is happening around the automobile. LIDAR is not yet used in production vehicles.

Smart tool level calibration