Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) is a system of additional brake controls that can expand and improve functionality. anti-lock brakes .
This is usually achieved by monitoring a number of different systems and sensors and changing the amount of force applied to each individual brake caliper. By adjusting the amount of braking force applied depending on the road and driving conditions, EBD brakes can help prevent dangerous skids.
How does electronic brake force distribution work?
Since most original equipment manufacturers offer at least one model with EBD, there are many different types of EBD brakes you may encounter.
However, EBD systems commonly use components such as:
- speed sensors
- brake force modulators
- electronic control units
- yaw sensors
- steering angle sensors
Many of these components are also used by other brake related systems like electronic system stability control and traction control .
The way EBD brakes normally work is for the system to look at data from the speed sensors to determine if any of the wheels are spinning at the same speed as the others. If a discrepancy is found indicating that the tire may be skidding, corrective action can be taken.
These systems can also compare yaw sensor data with steering angle sensor data to determine if the vehicle is overloaded. This data is then processed by the electronic control unit to determine the relative load on each wheel.
If the ECM determines that one or more wheels are under lighter load than the others, it can use brake force modulators to reduce the braking force for that wheel. This happens dynamically so that the braking force can be continuously modulated according to the prevailing conditions.
What’s the point of electronic brake force distribution?
The purpose of EBD is similar to that of related technologies such as anti-lock brakes and traction control. All these technology are designed to prevent the vehicle’s wheels from locking up, which can cause the driver to lose control very quickly. Unlike other braking systems, EBD is able to dynamically modulate the braking force applied to each wheel.
The general idea behind electronic brake force distribution is that the wheels lock up more easily when they are under light load. Traditional metering valves solve this problem by applying different levels of brake force to the front and rear wheels, but these hydraulic valves are not capable of responding to different circumstances and conditions.
Under normal circumstances, the vehicle’s weight will shift forward as it slows down. Since this puts more stress on the front wheels than on the rears, EBD systems can respond to this situation by reducing the braking force on the rear wheels. However, a car that is heavily loaded at the rear will behave differently. If the trunk is full of luggage, the EBD system is able to take this increased load and modulate the braking force accordingly.
What is the best way to drive a vehicle with electronic brake force distribution?
If you get into a car with EBD, you should drive like any other car with anti-lock brakes.
These systems work behind the scenes to automatically adjust for additional trunk weight, icy or wet conditions and other variables so no extra effort is required on your part. However, when braking and cornering, extra care is advised until you are familiar with driving.