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http://wardsauto.com/print/technology/new-9-speed-pushes-tech-limit-gm-says
Like the old 6-speed units, which GM refined over the years and expects to continue applying to its vehicles into the near future, the 9-speed was developed through a partnership with crosstown rival Ford.
Both automakers also derive 10-speed variants from the work. Ford brought that gearbox to market recently in the F-150 large pickup, while GM got first dibs on the 9-speed. GM's first application of the 10-speed will be in the '17 Chevy Camaro ZL1, a 640-hp supercharged version of the sports coupe due later this year in the U.S.
[...] In-house logics software inside a 32-bit transmission control module handles all shift events for smooth, precise ratio changes, GM says. It also monitors transmission performance and compensates for wear in parts such as the clutch plate to maintain consistent performance over time.
"This transmission shifts very smoothly, very precisely," Kline says.
The controller is mounted outside the gearbox to reduce packaging and manufacturing complexity, and it pulls vehicle-specific calibration from the cloud to be added to the core program as the car or truck exits the assembly line. It also enables manual shift control and grade logic, GM says.
The 9T50 features a wider 7.6:1 overall ratio, compared with 6.0:1 in its 6-speed predecessor, a deep 4.69 first gear for off-the-line performance and a tall 0.62 top gear for fuel-efficient, low-rpm highway cruising and optimal NVH.
Sixth gear is equivalent to eighth gear on the new transmission, too, so compared with the 6-speed the 9-speed offers two fuel-saving overdrive gears. Seventh gear is the direct-drive gear, while ninth gear is in use up to 52% of the time.
While the article doesn't say, my guess is that the design is also optimized for automatic/robotic assembly — even though the manufacturing plant is in Mexico.
(Score: 2) by stretch611 on Tuesday January 03 2017, @03:07PM
Why is it that every time "the cloud" is mentioned, someone's got to post a boilerplate anti-cloud response? The "cloud is always bad" brigade is missing the point just as badly as the "cloud is always good" lobby.
When it comes to retail goods, the cloud is almost always a bad thing for consumer rights.
What is stopping it from updating to a bugged release? With the cloud who knows where it does it. At least with a (non-cloud upgraded) car, If I need a firmware update and go to the dealer (or mechanic)[ if the update bugs out, I am somewhere that can fix the car (and hopefully stored a backup first.) What's to stop an update from bricking your car in your garage. (I hope they have the sense not to have it update while in motion.)
Having something that can automatically updates from the cloud can be a security nightmare. Even tech companies can get it wrong... regularly. Do they used encrypted and signed firmware updates? What safeguards consumers against DNS spoofing? What happens when the tech people there forget to renew the domain? Car companies are not known for their robust security... quite the opposite. What makes you think they can deal with this securely when people in the industry have problems?
And the biggest issue it was happens when the company decides to no longer support that car/model or transmission unit? They shut the server down. What happens when you can no longer update? Will it still work at all? If you need to replace the transmission in the future, will the firmware be available? Car companies are not in the practice of open-sourcing their proprietary code... even after it is no longer used. Your fancy car becomes a useless junker, regardless of the shape it is in.
What happens to the gearhead who wants to run an after market firmware (if one is available.) Does the firmware auto update to the factory code? or does it brick?
So yes... adding "cloud" to retail items is bad almost every time. It is almost always an erosion of consumer rights and ownership. It is not difficult to find news stories of apple/google/amazon remotely bricking devices, removing programs, ebooks, or music from devices... even cases where they removed public domain works. Recently they even bricked Samsung Galaxy Note 7s... while it was a safety issue... what is there to prevent them from just forcing you to upgrade? Sound impossible? I guarantee it is many CEO's wet dream... car company or not.
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
(Score: 2) by EvilSS on Tuesday January 03 2017, @04:09PM