Sandy Munro Cybertruck Engineering Analysis (Video)

It's always awesome to see Sandy break down engineering bits of Tesla vehicles!

A dumbed down version is imagining each door, window, light, power seat switch is assigned a IP address. Instead of having a control module for each one of these systems, you can have one big control module sending a signal through one wire loom to each specific IP to control these functions.

Each switch can be tied(connected) directly to the main wire loop that goes around the car instead of having each switches wires go from it's location to a control module near the front of the vehicle.

ED_SFO said:

A dumbed down version is imagining each door, window, light, power seat switch is assigned a IP address. Instead of having a control module for each one of these systems, you can have one big control module sending a signal through one wire loom to each specific IP to control these functions.

Each switch can be tied(connected) directly to the main wire loop that goes around the car instead of having each switches wires go from it's location to a control module near the front of the vehicle.

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That's a good explanation, yes. A computer network, not a light switch.

Automotive ethernet, like the computer networks we're more familiar with, is still a point to point protocol. There are a few ways automotive ethernet architecture can be implemented. If what Munro is accurate, Tesla is implementing a type of ring network. So you'll have the Central Control Module (CCM) will be wired to one Zonal Switch, which will then communicate with local control units and one or two other switches. Another way to do it is a Star of Stars architecture, where the CCM will be connected to a few zonal switches, which in turn may be connected to sub zonal switches or components.

Either case, it's not clear if Tesla has gone all in and replaced all feature ECUs with smart actuators, delegating all computation to the CCM, or some hybrid configuration, where in ethernet protocol is used in lieu of CAN bus communications, but the zonal switches are recieving the ethernet packets and translating it to CAN protocol for use with the feature ECUs in their zonal geography. The former would require Tesla to strong-arm any tier 1's still providing them parts to change everything about their package or produce them all in house, while the latter would allow Tesla to still use tier 1 providers on some parts, but mix in their own smart actuators for other parts.

However they implemented it, it's not a completely novel ideal, as IEEE already has standards wriiten on it, but it will be the very first time it will be this deeply implemented in a production vehicle. They've been using automotive ethernet for diagnostics connections in lieu of the OBDII connection since the early days of the Model S, but not for intervehicle communications. As far as I know, no one has replaced CAN with ethernet on a production vehicle yet, but it does exist in the test world.

He seemed like he really wanted to make some awesome purpose for the 48v advancement but I think it was a stretch when he made it out like that advancement allowed for the steer by wire system. I think they could have done steer by wire at 12V

anionic1 said:

He seemed like he really wanted to make some awesome purpose for the 48v advancement but I think it was a stretch when he made it out like that advancement allowed for the steer by wire system. I think they could have done steer by wire at 12V

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If the info on the steer motors being 5HP is correct, the amperage draw would be 310amps per axle.
while thats no big deal for a modern ICE vehicle with a good alternator, thats a noticeable range impactor for BEV for sure. At 48v thats 77 amps. Still not nothing but a huge change nonetheless

Much better video from Monroe.

As expected the ring bus architecture with zonal ECUs reduces cabling lengths, and 48V reduces cable thickness. Both of which are responsible for reducing cables in the CT. Not just the 48V.

But he did miss the fact that the 800V also means a different and smaller motor design. Both the PM and induction motors are custom built for 800V, there's no way around it. He also missed the opportunity to highlight what that means for performance, and that how the low top speed will give it more low down acceleration because of the higher gear ratio needed for towing and off road, to overcome motor stall.

Call me crazy, but I’m only more and more convinced Munro has been hired by Tesla to work on some aspect of the truck.

First 5mins is like a bad parody of TikToc sponsored influencer (and incorrect if a few facts?). Remaining 10mins is like a parody of the old Munro.


My imagination from there goes that when Sandy struck a deal to, say, work on the steel cold working process (which he sort of *wink wink-nudge nudges* here), the deal also included various media terms RE content creation, and that was a bridge too far for Cory.

cvalue13 said:

Call me crazy, but I’m only more and more convinced Munro has been hired by Tesla to work on some aspect of the truck.

First 5mins is like a bad parody of TikToc sponsored influencer (and incorrect if a few facts?). Remaining 10mins is like a parody of the old Munro.


My imagination from there goes that when Sandy struck a deal to, say, work on the steel cold working process (which he sort of *wink wink-nudge nudges* here), the deal also included various media terms RE content creation, and that was a bridge too far for Cory.

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I dont know about "hired" but Im not impressed with video. sounds like rehashing same lines we already heard from superfan-Sandy. I didnt learn anything new aside from different casting design.
He sounds like Swiftey!

(and I do believe CT is revolutionary machine and majority of people dont understand and dont appreciate it)

cbrtrckrsrvd112219 said:

I dont know about "hired" but Im not impressed with video. sounds like rehashing same lines we already heard from superfan-Sandy. I didnt learn anything new aside from different casting design.
He sounds like Swiftey!

(and I do believe CT is revolutionary machine and majority of people dont understand and dont appreciate it)

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This idea was seeded by Munro saying in the Musk interview #2 that the CyberTruck is the “best vehicles I’ve worked on”

Munro seems a bit confused or sloppy/worded these days, so

cvalue13 said:

This idea was seeded by Munro saying in the Musk interview #2 that the CyberTruck is the “best vehicles I’ve worked on”

Munro seems a bit confused or sloppy/worded these days, so

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that is a strange phrase. but he does go around looking for early reservation holders to buy CT for teardown and he does not have one in his shop or any CT from Founders release. I'll go with "poorly worded statement"

cbrtrckrsrvd112219 said:

that is a strange phrase. but he does go around looking for early reservation holders to buy CT for teardown and he does not have one in his shop or any CT from Founders release. I'll go with "poorly worded statement"

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Maybe poorly worded, yes

but to be clear I wasn’t suggesting he was hired by Tesla to do a tear down. That’s only part of their business. They also do consulting on product/component engineering/manufacturing.

eg, Tesla could have hired them to advise on some limited aspect of the truck, like consulting on how to engineer/manu the drain plus in smuggler’s bay, and that would mean Munro & Assts “worked on the truck”

Re CT stainless: Sandy tells us how he “knows what he’s talking about”, then proceeds to say his rifles wouldn’t be able to shoot through it because it’s “martensitic”.

Apparently Sandy only owns pistol caliber carbines, because any “rifle” cartridge (ie something commonly regarded as a rifle like .308 Winchester, .270, .243, 30-30, or even 5.56) will zip right through CT’s stainless panels.

I like Sandy, but he’s getting weird…

I'm really hanging out for that interview with the design team.