| Sensotronic
Brake Control |
Definition
Sensotronic Brake Control
(SBC™) works electronically, and thus faster and more precisely, than a conventional
hydraulic braking system. As soon as you press the brake pedal and the sensors
identify the driving situation in hand, the computer makes an exact calculation
of the brake force necessary and distributes it between the wheels as required.
This allows SBC™ to critically reduce stopping distances. SBC™ also
helps to optimise safety functions such as ESP®, ASR, ABS and BAS. With
Sensotronic Brake Control, electric impulses are used to pass the driver's braking
commands onto a microcomputer which processes various sensor signals simultaneously
and, depending on the particular driving situation, calculates the optimum brake
pressure for each wheel. As a result, SBC offers even greater active safety than
conventional brake systems when braking in a corner or on a slippery surface.
A high-pressure reservoir and electronically
controllable valves ensure that maximum brake pressure is available much sooner.
Moreover, the system offers innovative additional functions to reduce the driver's
workload. These include Traffic Jam Assist, which brakes the vehicle automatically
in stop-and-go traffic once the driver takes his or her foot off the accelerator.
The Soft-Stop function - another first - allows particularly soft and smooth stopping
in town traffic When drivers hit the brake
pedal today, their foot moves a piston rod which is linked to the brake booster
and the master brake cylinder. Depending on the pedal force, the master brake
cylinder builds up the appropriate amount of pressure in the brake lines which
- in a tried and tested interaction of mechanics and hydraulics - then presses
the brake pads against the brake discs via the wheel cylinders.
By
contrast, in the Mercedes-Benz Sensotronic Brake Control, a large number of mechanical
components are simply replaced by electronics. The brake booster will not be needed
in future either. Instead sensors gauge the pressure inside the master brake cylinder
as well as the speed with which the brake pedal is operated, and pass these data
to the SBC computer in the form of electric impulses. To provide the driver with
the familiar brake feel, engineers have developed a special simulator which is
linked to the tandem master cylinder and which moves the pedal using spring force
and hydraulics. In other words: during braking,
the actuation unit is completely disconnected from the rest of the system and
serves the sole purpose of recording any given brake command. Only in the event
of a major fault or power failure does SBC automatically use the services of the
tandem master cylinder and instantly establishes a direct hydraulic link between
the brake pedal and the front wheel brakes in order to decelerate the car safely.
The
central control unit under the bonnet is the centrepiece of the electrohydraulic
brake. This is where the interdisciplinary interaction of mechanics and electronics
provides its greatest benefits - the microcomputer, software, sensors, valves
and electric pump work together and allow totally novel, highly dynamic brake
management:
In addition to the data relating to the brake pedal actuation,
the SBC computer also receives the sensor signals from the other electronic assistance
systems. For example, the anti-lock braking
system (ABS) provides information about wheel speed, while Electronic Stability
Program (ESP®) makes available the data from its steering angle, turning rate
and transverse acceleration sensors. The transmission control unit finally uses
the data highway to communicate the current driving range. The result of these
highly complex calculations is rapid brake commands which ensure optimum deceleration
and driving stability as appropriate to the particular driving scenario. What
makes the system even more sophisticated is the fact that SBC calculates the brake
force separately for each wheel.
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