Zonal ECU: electronics also grouped by location

Useful to know

Bosch's Zone ECU is a link between powerful automotive computers and distributed sensors, actuators and other blocks. Zonal architecture groups connections spatially, instead of each function necessarily having a completely separate circuit. [1]

This helps to understand the difference between the place of calculation and the place of action. The central computer can perform logic, and the zone block can serve nearby physical components. When comparing architectures, it is not just the boxes: the distribution of functions and connections is the essential characteristic that defines the system organization.