Overview of
Anti-lock Brake System
Jonathan Brown
ABS 2
Fall 2001
Anti-lock Brake System
• System maximizes the amount of brake
pressure applied to wheels in suboptimal conditions
• Motivation for ABS
– Prevents uncontrolled skidding
– Creates a safer automobile
– Originally used in aircraft
Overview of Features
• Controller receives wheel speed from
independent sensors on each wheel
• Controller calculates acceleration on
each wheel
• When rapid deceleration is detected,
signals are sent to the actuators to
modulate brake pressure
Domain Research
• Investigated anti-lock braking
• Needed to apply ABS knowledge to
automotive domain
• ABS Constraints
– All input is from wheel speed sensors or the onboard computer
– Pressure is released in response to rapid
deceleration
– The ABS performs a self-test during ignition and
every time the brakes are applied