In automotive electronics, body control module or 'body computer' is a generic term for an
electronic control unit responsible for monitoring and controlling various electronic accessories in a vehicle's body.
Typically in a car the BCM controls the
power windows,
power mirrors,
air conditioning
Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C (US) or air con (UK), is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior temperature, and in some cases, also controlling the humidity of internal air. Air c ...
,
immobilizer system,
central locking, etc.
The BCM communicates with other on-board computers via the car's
CAN bus
A controller area network bus (CAN bus) is a vehicle bus standard designed to enable efficient communication primarily between electronic control units (ECUs). Originally developed to reduce the complexity and cost of electrical wiring in auto ...
system, and its main application is controlling load drivers – actuating
relay
A relay
Electromechanical relay schematic showing a control coil, four pairs of normally open and one pair of normally closed contacts
An automotive-style miniature relay with the dust cover taken off
A relay is an electrically operated switc ...
s that in turn perform actions in the vehicle such as locking the doors, flashing the
turn signals (in older cars), or dimming the interior lighting.
References
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Automotive Central Body Controller
Automotive electronics