Windshield camera calibration for precise operation
Professionalism and precision are the key prerequisites when it comes to modern driver-assistance safety systems.
📷 IMG — Diagnostics and adjustment of a car’s ADAS camera
Technically, windshield camera calibration is critically necessary every time the windshield is replaced. It must be done so that the data stream transmitted by the sensors and optical elements is correctly interpreted by the vehicle’s ADAS safety systems (for example, automatic emergency braking or the lane assistant). In other words, calibration ensures that the windshield camera perceives the real world accurately, without distance or angle errors, and reacts to changes or hazards in time.
When is windshield camera calibration necessary?
During windshield replacement, the cameras and sensors are transferred from the old windshield to the new one. Even though we work with top-quality original manufacturer (OEM) glass, the camera’s new position in the glass bracket may differ from the previous one by as much as 1 degree.
Scientific studies show that even a tiny 1-degree deviation can significantly affect the emergency braking system and/or cause false activations. To eliminate this error, professional windshield camera calibration is required.
📷 IMG — ADAS rig and targets for camera calibration
During this process, the old angle data is deleted from the vehicle’s control unit (ECU) and new data parameters are set that are perfectly aligned with the sensor’s new physical position. As a result, windshield camera calibration fully guarantees that the ADAS systems will operate flawlessly, in the manufacturer-specified mode, even after the repair work has been carried out.
When else is windshield camera calibration necessary?
Manufacturers specify this procedure as mandatory not only when the glass is replaced, but also in the following situations:
- After a collision, impact, or any bodywork repair to the front of the car.
- After the camera itself, the radar, or related sensors have been replaced with new ones.
- After suspension repair and wheel alignment (geometry) work, which changes the car’s position relative to the road.
- After updates to the vehicle’s main software (firmware) that affect the safety modules.
Calibration using state-of-the-art equipment from Hella
At our service center we never work “by eye” – safety is our priority. All camera, radar, and sensor adjustment is performed on a Hella Gutmann CSC original (OEM) calibration rig.
📷 IMG — Hella Gutmann CSC rig in action at the auto service center
We use only the latest, officially licensed Hella software and the specific calibration targets, so that your car receives the most accurate windshield camera calibration possible, fully compliant with the manufacturer’s recommendations.
A big plus for our customers – once the calibration process has been successfully completed, an official printout (report) from the Hella system is available. This printout serves as technical proof that the work has been done correctly, and it clearly shows all the new and stored operating parameters of the ADAS system.