Sensotronic Brake Control

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Sensotronic Brake Control (SBC) is an electro-hydraulic brake system developed by Daimler
and Bosch. The SBC system was introduced on the R230 SL-class, which went on sale in Europe
in October 2001.[1]

Contents

1 How it works

2 Advantages and disadvantages

3 Industry recognition

4 Problems

5 Sensotronic Brake Control applications

6 Other production electro-hydraulic brake systems

7 References

How it works
In a hydraulic brake system, the driver applies force by a mechanical link from the pedal to the
master brake cylinder. In turn the master brake cylinder develops hydraulic pressure in the
wheels. In contrast, the electro-hydraulic brake SBC provides the brakes with a brake fluid
supply from the hydraulic high-pressure reservoir, which is sufficient for several braking events.
A piston pump driven by an electric motor supplies a controlled brake fluid pressure between
140 and 160 Bar in the gas diaphragm reservoir.
When the driver presses the brake pedal - or when ESP intervenes to stabilize the vehicle - the
SBC control unit calculates the desired target brake pressures on each individual wheel. Through
the use of independent pressure modulators the system regulates the hydraulic pressure at each
wheel. These four pressure modulators consist of one inlet and one outlet valve, controlled by
electronic output stages.

The system employs a travel sensor and a pressure sensor at the pedal to measure the speed and
force of the driver's command. The control unit processes this information and generates the
control signals for the wheel pressure modulators. Normally, the master brake cylinder is
detached from the brake circuit. A pedal travel simulator creates normal pedal feedback. If ESP
intervenes, the high-pressure reservoir supplies the required brake pressure quickly and precisely
to selected wheels, without any driver involvement.

Advantages and disadvantages

With fine-grained control of pressure at each wheel, SBC offers a unique platform in which to
implement skid protection and traction control compared to cf. Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
and Electronic Stability Control (ESC), respectively. Moreover, the system offers innovative
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 - assists with smooth stopping in town traffic.
In case of computer failure, SBC reverts to an hydraulic master cylinder, but driver effort and
stopping distance is reported to increase.[2] In case of pump failure the high-pressure reservoir is
capable of retaining enough pressure to stop the vehicle electronically. Information on other
types of failure remain an open question.

Industry recognition
In 2001 the -Club, an association of international experts in the field of brake technology,
honored Robert Bosch GmbH and DaimlerChrysler AG for the development of the
electrohydraulic brake SBC. However, sensotronic brake system (2001) is basically a copy of
brake by wire system develloped in Prius(1997) by Toyota motor Company. All the parts and
system diagram are almost identical in both systems.

Problems
In May 2004, Mercedes recalled 680,000 vehicles equipped with the system; in March 2005 a
total of 1.3 million vehicles were recalled. In 2006 high-volume models such as the E-class
returned to conventional hydraulic brake systems. Low-volume luxury models such as the SL,
the Maybach and the SLR continued to use SBC due to the prohibitive cost of redesign.[3]
Setup of SBC in a Car
Following on from the Mercedes innovations ABS, ASR, ESP and Brake Assist, this system is
regarded as yet another important milestone to enhance driving safety. With Sensotronic Brake
Control electric impulses are used to pass the drivers 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 drivers workload. These include Traffic Jam Assist, Soft-Stop.

Sensotronic Brake Control applications

2003-2006 E-Class

SLR

Maybach

2003-2006 CLS-Class

2001-2011 SL-Class

Other production electro-hydraulic brake systems

Toyota Prius (Introduced in 1997; uses an ehb system from Advics)

Toyota Estima Hybrid (Introduced in 2001 in Japan)

Ford Escape Hybrid (Introduced in 2003)