On-Board Diagnostics Documentation Engineer

Summary

The OBD Compliance Engineer owns the end‑to‑end creation, maintenance, and release of On‑Board Diagnostics (OBD) documentation for the drive system domain, including the Front Zone Controller, Inverter, Generator/Range Extender, and all related ECUs. Produces comprehensive, compliant, and audit‑ready technical descriptions, AECDs (Auxiliary Emission Control Devices), summary tables, monitor descriptions, DTC mappings, and all related OBD deliverables. Ensures traceability from requirements and calibrations to released OBD documentation, supporting certification and regulatory submissions.

Key Responsibilities

1) OBD Content Ownership & Authoring

• Create and maintain OBD Technical Descriptions for each applicable ECU (functional overview, diagnostic architecture, monitors, MIL logic, enable/disable conditions).
• Author AECD documentation for range extender/generator and any auxiliary emissions‑affecting strategies, including intent, logic, boundary conditions, and safeguards.
• Develop Summary Tables and cross‑references (DTC ↔ monitor ↔ enabling conditions ↔ fault thresholds ↔ freeze frame ↔ permanent DTC rules).
• Document DTCs (definitions, severity, detection logic, healing logic, MIL request criteria, OBD mode mapping), readiness monitors, Mode $06/monitor test results, freeze frame, and permanent DTC behavior.
• Capture UDS/OBD service coverage (e.g., Modes $01–$0A, UDS services, DIDs) and vehicle network details relevant to OBD.

2) Compliance, Standards, & Certification Support

• Align documentation to current OBD II/UDS/WWH‑OBD standards and regional requirements (e.g., SAE J1979/J2012, J1979‑2, ISO 14229 UDS, ISO 27145, CARB/EPA guidance).
• Prepare, review, and maintain certification‑ready packages, ensuring completeness, consistency, and accuracy across all drive system ECUs.
• Ensure change control and traceability from requirements/calibration to final OBD documents; maintain revision history and approval records.
• Support regulatory and customer audits by providing clear evidence, cross‑references, and rationale for monitoring strategies and AECDs.

3) Cross‑Functional Collaboration & Inputs

• Work with controls, systems, calibration, diagnostics, and software teams to extract design intent, thresholds, disablements, and diagnostic behaviors.
• Partner with HIL/vehicle test to confirm monitor enablement, detection timing, MIL/permanent DTC behavior, and freeze frame content.
• Coordinate with suppliers (e.g., inverter/generator ECU vendors) for alignment on DTC definitions, UDS services, and OBD data items.

4) Data, Traceability & Quality

• Maintain master DTC list for drive system ECUs with consistent naming, severity, and mapping to OBD modes and service diagnostics.
• Keep monitor logic matrices (enable/disable, timers, counters, debouncing, environmental dependencies) and healing/confirmation logic tables updated.
• Implement rigorous document QA: internal checks for completeness, consistency across ECUs, and alignment with released software/calibrations.
• Drive continuous improvement of templates, checklists, and document structures to streamline future releases.

5) Tools, Templates & Automation

• Own and evolve document templates for Technical Descriptions, AECDs, and Summary Tables to ensure uniformity across ECUs.
• Utilize requirements and calibration sources (e.g., Doors/Polarion/Jama, A2L/HEX, change logs) to keep OBD docs current.
• When applicable, generate summary tables from canonical sources (DTC databases, calibration extracts) to minimize manual errors.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years in OBD/diagnostics documentation, powertrain/drive systems, or emissions/diagnostics compliance roles.
• Strong understanding of OBD fundamentals: DTCs, readiness monitors, Mode $06, MIL logic, freeze frame, permanent DTCs, and UDS/OBD service mappings.
• Familiar with EV/HEV drive systems (inverter, e‑motor, gearbox) and range extender/generator architectures; able to articulate diagnostic intent and limits.
• Experience with requirements management (e.g., Doors/Polarion/Jama), calibration artifacts (A2L, HEX), and network/diagnostics tools (Vector CANoe/CANape, ETAS INCA/Service tools).
• Excellent technical writing skills, strong attention to detail, and ability to translate control logic into clear, compliant documentation.
• Knowledge of regulatory guidance and certification expectations (e.g., CARB/EPA submissions for OBD/AECDs; familiarity with WWH‑OBD a plus).