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DFSS Preparation Index — Yazaki Pune

This page is a personal learning index for preparing to conduct the DFSS program at Yazaki Pune. The objective is not to become a design engineer in every topic, but to build enough instructor literacy to facilitate DFSS discussions credibly across Wiring Harness, Electronics & Instrumentation, and CDDC components.

Introductory Module — Yazaki Product Landscape

Purpose: Build a working overview of the three major Yazaki product families expected in the DFSS program.

  • Wiring Harness (WH) — approx. 30%: LV/HV power, signals, ground, protection, OEM variation, crimp/cavity/ECN issues, vibration, fretting, chafing, moisture, APQP/PPAP design flow, manufacturing flow and QC gates.
  • Electronics & Instrumentation (EI) — approx. 45%: AR HUD function chain, EI sub-categories, PGU technology, field of view, virtual image distance, ASIL, compute architecture, optical/SMT/software challenges, ISO 26262 and ASPICE context.
  • CDDC Components — approx. 25%: Connectors, terminals, junction boxes, PDU, BMS, BFT, HVIL, last-mate-first-break, EMI shielding, USCAR/ISO validation, stamping, moulding and assembly flows.

Useful starting links:
Yazaki Corporation: https://www.yazaki-group.com/global/
Yazaki India: https://www.yazaki-group.com/global/network/asia_oceania/india.html

Tier 1 — Non-Negotiable Instructor Literacy

1. Automotive E/E Architecture & In-Vehicle Networks

Why this matters: You should be comfortable when participants mention BCM, zone controller, CAN-FD, LIN, Ethernet backbone, ECU, domain controller, gateway, ADAS or BEV architecture.

Learn enough to explain: distributed vs domain vs zonal architecture, ICE vs BEV electrical complexity, CAN vs CAN-FD vs LIN vs Automotive Ethernet, gateway role, power/signal/data flow.

Links:
CAN FD basic idea: https://www.can-cia.org/can-knowledge/can-fd-the-basic-idea
Automotive Ethernet overview: https://www.vector.com/int/en/products/solutions/networks/automotive-ethernet/
LIN overview: https://www.csselectronics.com/pages/lin-bus-protocol-intro-basics
Vehicle E/E architecture overview: https://www.vector.com/int/en/know-how/technologies/e-e-architecture/

2. The Three Yazaki Product Families — Engineering Internals

Why this matters: This gives tactile product feel. DFSS examples should sound like they belong to wiring harnesses, connectors, terminals, PDUs, BMS, BFT, HUD and electronics—not generic manufacturing examples.

Learn enough to explain: functions, design degrees of freedom, CTQs, likely failure modes, manufacturing challenges, testing logic and customer-driven variation for WH, EI and CDDC.

Links:
Yazaki products: https://www.yazaki-group.com/global/products/
Yazaki automotive products: https://www.yazaki-group.com/global/products/automotive/
Yazaki wire harness systems: https://www.yazaki-group.com/global/products/automotive/wire_harness/

3. Reliability Physics & Field Failure Modes

Why this matters: DFMEA failure modes, robust design noise factors and validation plans become much sharper when you can connect them to physics-of-failure mechanisms.

Learn enough to explain: fretting corrosion, thermal cycling, vibration fatigue, solder fatigue, moisture ingress, insulation degradation, contact resistance drift, chafing, creep, plating wear and connector intermittency.

Links:
NASA reliability and physics of failure handbook: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20090028823
CALCE reliability resources: https://calce.umd.edu/reliability
Coffin-Manson fatigue background: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffin%E2%80%93Manson_relation
Fretting corrosion overview: https://www.te.com/usa-en/resources/fretting-corrosion.html

4. AIAG-VDA DFMEA 2019 — Instructor Mastery

Why this matters: This will be one of the most-used tools in the DFSS program. You should be able to review and improve a participant’s DFMEA, not merely describe the steps.

Learn enough to explain: 7-step method, planning and preparation, structure analysis, function analysis, failure analysis, risk analysis, optimization, results documentation, AP table replacing RPN, structure-function-failure network.

Links:
AIAG & VDA FMEA Handbook: https://www.aiag.org/training-and-resources/manuals/details/FMEAAV-1
AIAG Core Tools: https://www.aiag.org/quality/automotive-core-tools
FMEA overview: https://asq.org/quality-resources/fmea

5. APQP/PPAP and IATF 16949 Design Context

Why this matters: DFSS must feel connected to the participants’ actual automotive development rhythm. DMADV should map naturally to APQP phases and PPAP evidence.

Learn enough to explain: APQP phases, PPAP submission logic, design records, DFMEA/PFMEA/control plan linkage, customer-specific requirements, IATF 16949 design and development context.

Links:
AIAG APQP manual: https://www.aiag.org/training-and-resources/manuals/details/APQP-3
AIAG PPAP manual: https://www.aiag.org/training-and-resources/manuals/details/PPAP-4
IATF official site: https://www.iatfglobaloversight.org/
AIAG Core Tools: https://www.aiag.org/quality/automotive-core-tools

Tier 2 — High-Value Instructor Depth

6. Connectors, Terminals & Crimping Science

Why this matters: Crimping and connector issues are likely to appear repeatedly in DFSS examples. This is one of the most valuable technical areas for practical credibility.

Learn enough to explain: cold welding, crimp height and width, pull force, conductor crimp, insulation crimp, terminal deformation, CFM, cross-section analysis, contact resistance, plating, sealing and connector validation.

Links:
SAE/USCAR-2 connector specification: https://saemobilus.sae.org/standards/uscar2-9-performance-specification-automotive-electrical-connector-systems
TE crimp quality handbook: https://www.te.com/usa-en/resources/application-tooling/crimp-quality-handbook.html
Molex crimping handbook: https://www.molex.com/en-us/resources/training/crimping-handbook

7. HV Power Distribution, BMS & Charging Systems

Why this matters: EV architecture is strategically important. Projects may involve HV harnesses, PDU, BMS, BFT, fuse boxes, HV connectors and safety interlocks.

Learn enough to explain: HVIL, insulation monitoring, pre-charge, contactors, busbars, fuses, BMS functions, thermal risk, creepage/clearance, EMI shielding and charging interface basics.

Links:
ISO 6469 electric road vehicle safety: https://www.iso.org/standard/68665.html
IEC 62196 charging connectors: https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/65839
CharIN CCS overview: https://www.charin.global/technology/ccs/
Battery University BMS basics: https://batteryuniversity.com/article/bu-908-battery-management-system-bms

8. HUD & Optical Display Engineering

Why this matters: AR HUD appears to be a major EI area. You need enough optical literacy to engage system engineers, optical designers, mechanical designers and project managers.

Learn enough to explain: picture generation unit, virtual image distance, field of view, eyebox, luminance, ghost image, distortion, sunlight load, windshield interaction, calibration and optical EOL testing.

Links:
Texas Instruments AR HUD technology overview: https://www.ti.com/lit/wp/dlpy006/dlpy006.pdf
Continental HUD overview: https://www.continental-automotive.com/en-gl/Passenger-Cars/User-Experience/Head-Up-Displays/
Automotive HUD basics: https://www.synopsys.com/automotive/what-is-automotive-head-up-display.html

9. EMC/EMI, Thermal & CFD for Automotive

Why this matters: EMC and thermal robustness are classic DFSS areas. They also connect naturally to parameter design, noise factors and validation strategy.

Learn enough to explain: conducted emissions, radiated emissions, immunity, shielding, grounding, cable routing, thermal derating, hot spots, CFD intent and robustness against environmental variation.

Links:
CISPR 25 standard page: https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/64645
TÜV SÜD CISPR 25 overview: https://www.tuvsud.com/en-us/industries/mobility-and-automotive/automotive-and-oem/automotive-testing-solutions/emc/cispr-25
ISO 16750 environmental testing: https://www.iso.org/obp/ui
LV 124 overview: https://www.testxchange.com/magazine/lab-tests-lv-124/

10. Materials, Processes & DFM

Why this matters: Much of the real variation enters through moulding, stamping, plating, SMT, soldering, assembly and tolerance stack-up. This is where CTQs become manufacturable or fail.

Learn enough to explain: injection moulding variation, stamping burrs and springback, plating thickness, terminal material choices, solder process defects, SMT defects, tolerance design, Cpk cascade and DFM trade-offs.

Links:
Design for Manufacturing overview: https://www.engineersedge.com/manufacturing/design_for_manufacturing.htm
IPC electronics manufacturing standards: https://www.ipc.org/standards
SMT defect overview: https://www.epectec.com/articles/smt-pcb-assembly-defects.html
Plastic injection moulding design guide: https://www.protolabs.com/resources/design-tips/injection-molding-design-guidelines/

Tier 3 — Contextual Awareness

11. ISO 26262 — Functional Safety Awareness

Why this matters: You do not need to teach functional safety in depth, but you should understand HARA, ASIL, safety goals and safety requirements when BMS, PDU, HUD or software-linked projects come up.

Links:
ISO 26262 official page: https://www.iso.org/publication/PUB200262.html
ISO 26262 overview: https://www.synopsys.com/automotive/what-is-iso-26262.html
Functional safety overview: https://www.tuvsud.com/en-us/services/functional-safety

12. Software Lifecycle — ASPICE & ISO/SAE 21434

Why this matters: EI and software teams may refer to ASPICE, software lifecycle, cybersecurity engineering or customer audit expectations. You only need the shape of the frameworks.

Learn enough to explain: process capability levels, requirements traceability, software development process expectations, cybersecurity risk management and lifecycle thinking.

Links:
Automotive SPICE official VDA QMC page: https://vda-qmc.de/en/automotive-spice/
ISO/SAE 21434 official page: https://www.iso.org/standard/70918.html
SAE ISO/SAE 21434 page: https://www.sae.org/standards/isosae21434-road-vehicles-cybersecurity-engineering

13. Validation Standard Landscape

Why this matters: You should be able to look at a participant project and know which standard family is likely relevant, even if you do not know the standard clause-by-clause.

Useful map: USCAR for connectors, ISO 16750 for environmental testing, LV 124/LV 148 for automotive electronics, ISO 6722 for cables, CISPR 25 for EMC, ISO 6469 for EV safety, ISO 26262 for functional safety.

Links:
SAE/USCAR-2 connectors: https://saemobilus.sae.org/standards/uscar2-9-performance-specification-automotive-electrical-connector-systems
ISO 16750 environmental testing: https://www.iso.org/obp/ui
LV 124 overview: https://www.testxchange.com/magazine/lab-tests-lv-124/
ISO 6722 cables: https://www.iso.org/standard/50022.html
CISPR 25 EMC: https://webstore.iec.ch/en/publication/64645
ISO 6469 EV safety: https://www.iso.org/standard/68665.html

Suggested Study Sequence

  1. Start with the introductory Yazaki product landscape.
  2. Study Automotive E/E Architecture before going deeper into products.
  3. Study DFMEA, APQP and PPAP before building examples.
  4. Study connectors/crimping and reliability physics together.
  5. Study HV/BMS/PDU, HUD and EMC/thermal based on likely participant project areas.
  6. Keep ISO 26262, ASPICE, cybersecurity and validation standards as reference layers.

Personal preparation goal: By the time the program begins, I should be able to ask better questions, recognize participant terminology, create relevant dummy-data examples, and facilitate DFSS thinking without pretending to be the prod