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EV Controller Units
This article consolidates the most common EV controller and compute terms and clarifies what each controller does, its voltage domain, and how these controllers relate to modern E/E (Electrical/Electronic) architectures such as domain controllers, zonal controllers, and centralized compute. This is a cross-cutting topic that spans both HV/LV (High-Voltage / Low-Voltage) electrical systems and the ADAS/AV (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems / Autonomous Vehicle) stack because most “control units” and all compute platforms operate in the low-voltage domain while commanding and supervising high-voltage systems indirectly.
Controllers and compute operate primarily on low-voltage power, but they command and supervise high-voltage devices via messaging and safety interlocks.
This table consolidates common EV controller-unit terms and clarifies scope, voltage domain, architectural role, and how they relate to zonal architectures and ADAS compute:
| Controller type | What it is | Controls / responsibilities | SDV trend | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCU (Microcontroller Unit) | A safety-reliable embedded compute chip used inside many ECUs (often real-time) | Deterministic control logic, sensor/actuator I/O, diagnostics, network messaging | Still essential; moves “down the stack” as features consolidate upward | Not a “unit” by itself; it is the silicon inside ECUs, ZCUs, gateways, many VCUs |
| ECU (Electronic Control Unit) | Generic term for any embedded vehicle controller | Single function or small set of functions (examples: window lift, seat motor, HVAC flap, airbag module) | Being eliminated or absorbed | Parent term: VCU, PCU, DCU, ZCU are all ECUs |
| VCU (Vehicle Control Unit) | Vehicle-level supervisory controller (motion/vehicle state) | Driver input interpretation, torque arbitration, drive modes, vehicle state supervision, coordination with BMS and powertrain controllers | Becoming software services on central compute | Does not switch HV power directly; issues commands over CAN/Ethernet (and other legacy buses where used) |
| PCU (Powertrain Control Unit) | Powertrain-focused control unit (sometimes merged with VCU) | Motor torque control logic, regen coordination, transmission control (if present), powertrain thermal coordination | Often merged into VCU or central compute | Naming varies by OEM; function is more stable than the label |
| DCU (Domain Control Unit) | Functional-domain controller | Domain aggregation for body, chassis, infotainment, or ADAS; ECU consolidation; local decision-making within a domain | Transitional architecture toward fewer, larger computers | Grouped by function (domain), not by physical location |
| ZCU (Zonal Control Unit) | Physical-location-based controller (zonal architecture) | Aggregates local sensors/actuators, smart I/O, bridges LIN/CAN to Ethernet, reduces harness length and ECU count | Core building block of modern SDVs | Some OEMs use “zonal gateway” or “zonal controller” interchangeably |
| Central Compute (ADAS / SDV Computer) | High-performance compute platform (often SoC-based) with safety supervision | Sensor fusion, perception (AI inference), planning, cross-domain coordination, OTA-enabled software services | Increasingly dominant compute node | May include SoC(s) + safety MCU/safety islands + Ethernet switch fabric; ADAS is software running here |
