Seat heater control units regulate the energy supply to the seat heater and provide a comfortable surface temperature according to the preselected level of heating. A wide range of different activation temperatures must be taken into account and the control system must be adapted to the different types of seat cover upholstery, e.g. fabric seat covers have a different thermal conductivity than leather seat covers. For this purpose, the control unit evaluates a temperature sensor positioned in the seat heater. Monitoring and diagnostic functions ensure reliable operation. IGB Automotive has succeeded in packing the entire sensor, control and communication functions into a miniaturized control device which is installed in the seat heater and connected to the vehicle control unit via a Lin-Bus interface.
To control and regulate ventilation seats, the function of IGB control units can be expanded to monitor the fan speed and Peltier active cooling.