The door control module (DCM), also called a door control unit (DCU), is a type of automotive electronic
that provides intelligent control for vehicle doors, and their peripheral electric parts and components,
that enable features such as power windows, anti-pinch technology, central door locking, rearview mirror
adjustment, door lighting and more. The increased importance of DCM/DCU is inevitable in the context of
advancing automotive electronic technologies, and the widespread applications of controller area network/
local interconnect network (CAN/LIN) bus technology, that drives the development of automotive data
transmission, driver and passenger safety and comfort, vehicle weight reduction and design modularity.
A DCM needs circuitry for the following: power, power window drive, rearview mirror drive, heater drive,
central door locking drive, lamp drive, CAN bus interface, key interface and more. These serve features such
as power windows, rearview mirror folding and horizontal/vertical adjustment, electric heating and lighting.
And, as functional requirements continue to increase, designs will only grow in complexity
As the market places increasing demands on DCMs, they are becoming smaller, lighter in weight and lower in
cost; also, they are consuming less power. More importantly, functionality and scalability are both improving.
As a result, DCMs are raising new requirements for their connectors. First, as DCM functionality is enhanced,
different configurations have been adopted by different vehicle models, calling for flexible scalability:
• 1-in-1 (1 DCM per door)
• 2-in-1 (1 DCM for each side of the car)
• 4-in-1 (1 DCM per vehicle, controlling all 4 doors)
Because the mounting space for the DCM is restricted, the connector is required to have a lower and narrower
profile. Also, to meet ergonomic requirements for connector operations, both the insertion and the withdrawal
force must not exceed 75N.
The DCM is a key component in automobile body electronics that accomplishes the electric control for primary door functions,
including door lock, rearview mirror, power windows and auxiliary lighting. The following nine factors most influence the number of
DCM connector circuits required:
