Adaptive road lighting system

The problem of good visibility when driving a car arose almost simultaneously with the car itself. At one time, to ensure this, both kerosene lamps and other, sometimes quite exotic, light sources were used. However, even the current lighting system is not final; it is constantly changing and improving. An example of this is an adaptive lighting system.

How and what should be illuminated?

The problem of traffic safety, especially in poor visibility, as well as in twilight and darkness, is directly related to the lighting of the road along which the car is moving. But there are several mutually exclusive points here:

the road must be illuminated at a considerable distance in front of the vehicle so that the driver can take timely measures to prevent danger;
the roadside must be illuminated, allowing timely detection of pedestrians and animals near the roadway;
the intensity of the light should be such as not to blind oncoming drivers;
The brightness of the light should be different in city and country road conditions.

The classic headlight system is divided into low and high beams, which shine only directly, but each of them has its own purpose. If the low beam is intended to illuminate the side of the road and the road at a short distance ahead, and is also used when passing oncoming cars and driving in the city, then the high beam is turned on when driving on country roads, illuminating the road far ahead.

Afs off that this is a Lexus

4-3. Using lights and windshield wipers

To switch to high beam when low beam is on, move the lever away from you.

To turn off the high beams, move

position towards you.

briefly turn on the high beam, pull the lever towards you and release it.

You can signal with high beam headlights both with the headlights on and off.

This system allows you to turn on the headlights and parking lights for 30 seconds when the engine switch is turned off.

After the engine switch

signals is in position

, pull the lever towards you and

devices, pull the lever towards you and release it.

When replacing the AFS ECU (headlight turn control ECU) with a new one, perform vehicle information synchronization.

If you replace the AFS ECU (headlight turn signal ECU assembly), initialize it.

Initialization of the AFS ECU (headlight turning control ECU) (setting the zero point of the suspension height sensor in the AFS ECU (headlight turning ECU assembly)) must be performed after the suspension height has been changed due to replacement of suspension parts or after removal and rebuilding. installation or replacement of the right rear suspension height sensor.

After the AFS ECU (headlight turn control ECU) is initialized, the headlight beam direction needs to be adjusted.

If a malfunction is detected in the AFS (Adaptive Front Lighting System), the height sensor signal cannot be initialized. Perform troubleshooting before initializing the system.

SYNCHRONIZE YOUR CAR INFORMATION

When to use GTS:

Connect GTS to DLC3.

Turn on the ignition and make sure that the AFS OFF indicator blinks continuously at a frequency of 0.5 Hz.

Enter the following menus: Body Electrical / AFS / Utility / ECU Information Sync.

Adaptive road lighting

Many people have worked and are working on the problem of creating safe conditions when driving in the dark. =”500″ height=”306″[/img]

The point is that adaptive lighting is used, which can be implemented in the following ways:

use an additional light bulb for illumination when maneuvering (at speeds up to seventy km/h). A similar lamp turns on when you turn the steering wheel or change the position of the turn signal;
use turning headlights. With such head adaptive cornering lighting, the headlight turns, depending on the speed of movement, following the steering wheel by fifteen to twenty-two degrees when turning outward and up to seven degrees when turning inward;
use both methods of adaptive lighting.

AFS system functions

Translated from English, the phrase Advanced Frontlighting System means “adaptive cornering lighting system.” Compared to conventional headlights, this is an evolutionary improvement, as it involves the use of different methods of adjustment to specific road conditions. Moreover, there is a fairly wide field of activity for companies that care about the safety of drivers and passengers. So we can expect that existing adaptive lighting systems will continue to improve.

What can a modern AFS system do?

The main functionality of such devices is the adaptation of cornering, as well as the change in lighting intensity, which is carried out automatically taking into account the speed of the vehicle. Since in a car, when turning the wheels, the front part with rigidly installed headlights turns with a delay, the light beam does not have time to capture those sections of the road that are required. The AFS system solves this problem. It includes three main components:

input devices that allow you to analyze data characterizing the spatial state of the car (wheel rotation angle, driving speed, lighting level, data from video cameras about the road situation, longitudinal acceleration of the car, etc.);
the electronic unit;
actuators.

The first versions of AFLS adaptive lighting systems could only illuminate blind spots when cornering, but the addition of video cameras made it possible to automatically adjust the intensity of the light beam. Thus, drivers have the opportunity to drive with the high beams constantly activated, without dazzling oncoming vehicles. Currently, the development of such systems is carried out not only by large automakers, but also by individual independent companies. Among the most famous are Hella, AllAutomotive Lightning, Valeo.

Note that a large number of accidents in the dark before the advent of adaptive lighting systems occurred precisely because the driver was unable to obtain detailed visual information about the condition of the road. The sudden appearance of a wild animal, cyclist or other large object in front of the car sharply increased the likelihood of an emergency. The side of the road, as a rule, is not sufficiently illuminated, since correctly adjusted, but firmly installed headlights are designed to illuminate the road primarily in the direction of travel of the vehicle. The work of adaptive lighting is best illustrated using the example of a regular flashlight. If you attach it to your head or clothing, it will illuminate only that part of the space that is located directly in front of the lighting fixture. Everything that is on the side remains invisible. But it is enough to take the flashlight in your hand to significantly expand its capabilities. A slight movement of the brush - and you see what is happening around you.

Note that if we consider motorcycles, the situation here is somewhat different: there is a suborder of motorcycles/scooters whose headlights are located on the front shield. In this case, turning the steering wheel does not immediately turn the headlights, that is, these vehicles can be compared with a regular car. On the contrary, on motorcycles where lighting devices are installed directly on the handlebar (for example, Vespa scooters), turning it leads to a synchronous rotation of the light beam, that is, such systems can be conditionally called adaptive. According to official data from European insurance companies, vehicles equipped with an adaptive optical system are approximately 35-40% less likely to be involved in serious accidents. So the AFS system in a car is by no means a tribute to fashion, as many even experienced motorists believe.

Device, principle of operation

The functionality of a typical adaptive lighting system includes the following modes:

city light is a function that is activated if the vehicle speed is within 55 kilometers/hour. This mode is characterized by a large area of illumination and the presence of a cut-off line spatially parallel to the road surface. At the same time, the illumination range is relatively short. It is possible to turn on additional lighting devices that allow you to detect objects when performing maneuvers such as turns;
The country road light is activated if the vehicle speed is between 60-100 km/h (usually a country road). This mode is analogous to the usual low beam headlights, but the light beam is more shifted to the right side, that is, it shines on the lane of the road along which the car is moving;
The highway light turns on if the vehicle speed exceeds 100 km/h. It is important that in such conditions driving in a straight line and making turns is carried out with maximum safety. The mode is analogous to low beam, but with a slightly increased range;
high beam - a mode that is almost completely similar to the classic one, but allows you not to switch when another vehicle is moving towards you. It is characterized by the presence of two different methods of controlling the light beam: an adaptive or vertically positioned cut-off line;
The adaptive cornering lighting function is considered the most popular, regardless of the developer of the AFS adaptive road lighting system. The front main headlight rotates at an angle of about 15º in the direction of the turn. The specific angle value is calculated depending on the speed of the machine;
finally, the highway lighting mode in adverse weather is activated if it is snowing, raining, hailing or there is dense fog. In this case, the light beam is scattered with the maximum permissible power. The low range of illumination helps reduce the amount of glare on the road surface, which is typical for a wet highway.

How these systems work

Currently, different manufacturers have implemented several different options for adaptive headlights, of which AFS and AFL can be mentioned.

How does AFS work?

A similar system was developed for cars of the Volkswagen family. It implements the principle of changing the position of the headlight. The AFS system is built on the fact that when the vehicle maneuvers, the computer changes the position of the headlights in accordance with the change in the position of the steering wheel. Each headlight rotates at its own angle; for internal rotation it is larger, for external rotation it is smaller.

To assess the magnitude of the required change in the position of the headlights, the AFS headlight system uses the measurement results of numerous sensors available on the car - steering wheel position, speed, directional stability, etc. For example, changing data from the ESP (stable stability) sensor indicates that the car is in a maneuvering state, which means that AFS will turn off and the headlights will not follow the curves of the road. The light will only be directed straight ahead.

AFS only works with bi-xenon devices, both high and low beam.

About the work of AFL

The AFL adaptive lighting system is used on Opel family cars. It is a combined option. To provide adaptive lighting, the AFL system, like the AFS, uses headlights to rotate when the steering wheel position changes, but in addition there are additional backlights.

When the car is moving at high speed, the AFL headlight system monitors steering wheel turns, according to which it turns the headlights. However, at speeds below seventy kilometers per hour, AFL turns on an additional light with a wide illumination angle when performing maneuvers. Thanks to this, turns are illuminated, and maneuvering in narrow places and at intersections becomes much safer.

An additional advantage of AFL is that it is speed dependent - when maneuvering or changing lanes on a motorway, the AFL system will not turn on. The use of bi-xenon headlights ensures equal illumination on low and high beam, because One light bulb is used for this. AFL switches from high beam to low beam automatically.

Ensuring safety when driving a vehicle is always one of the main tasks of manufacturers. This becomes especially relevant in dark times. One of the options for solving this problem was the creation of various options for adaptive head lighting, allowing the driver to significantly improve visibility at night.

Toyota LandCruiser Prado 150 AFS 2009-2015 — repair kit for headlights (reflectors) with AFS system

Dear customers!

The Alpha-Light company produces exclusive lighting solutions for cars.

PLEASE COMPARE THE SIZES OF YOUR VEHICLE REFLECTORS WITH THE DRAWINGS PROVIDED BEFORE PURCHASING. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR INCORRECTLY SELECTED REFLECTORS.

We present to you a repair kit for headlights with AFS Toyota LandCruiser Prado 150 2009-2015 model year. This repair kit allows, with minimal intervention, to significantly improve the light in a Toyota LandCruiser Prado 150 with standard adaptive xenon headlights.

The repair kit is made on the basis of time-tested reflectors from Alpha Q5 modules, the quality of which we are 100% confident in. It is worth saying that our reflectors not only have a well-designed optical design, but also a high-quality reflective coating, unlike 70-80% of lenses offered on the Russian market or Chinese trading platforms.

Without exception, all reflector mirrors additionally undergo a visual inspection, after which they are sent to production to give them the required shape. At the same time, a curtain frame is made from stainless steel on CNC machines, intended for BOLT-ON installation in a regular place on the headlight.

After manufacturing all the components, the modules are sent for assembly, where the position of the curtain in the reflector is MANUALLY calibrated within 0.1-0.2 mm to ensure the correct location of the “hot spot” and the best illumination of the road. As a result, we get a module that truly surpasses the new original one in terms of lighting quality

The advantages of our solution are:

quick replacement of bolt-on modules using standard fasteners (without adapter frames and additional adjustments)
The quality of light is significantly better than that of the same car with new original headlights
standard lenses with microprismatic notches are used, providing a soft cut-off line, unlike ready-made modules
individual adjustment of the “hot spot” of each module for the best illumination in low beam mode, due to which the brightness at the cut-off line is significantly higher than that of ready-made Koito Q5 or Hella 3R modules.
the use of truly high-quality Alpha reflectors and an unprecedented 2-year warranty

We guarantee our kits for 2 years from the date of purchase without mileage limitation, provided that you purchase original Philips or Osram lamps from us. Otherwise, the warranty is 6 months, since low-quality lamps lead to rapid and irreversible contamination of the reflectors.

If you don’t like the light of our modules, you can return them absolutely free of charge, and we will reimburse you for all transportation costs (only if you purchase original Osram or Philips lamps from us, since low-quality lamps often have strong deviations from the geometry)