

Hitting the road faster with virtual ECU based on AUTOSAR
27-05-2024

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI";"></span><font color="#ffffff"><b><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI";">The Automotive
Landscape</span></i></b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><font color="#ffffff"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">The automotive
industry is entering the era of Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs), where
vehicles' features and functions are predominantly driven by software. Users
expect the same convenience from their vehicles as their smartphones, demanding
access to the latest features and updates without dealership visits.</span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><font color="#ffffff"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">SDVs rely on
centralized domain control units, enabling frequent software releases while
decoupling hardware and software development cycles. However, managing the
complexity of software in vehicles with numerous Electronic Control Units
(ECUs) presents challenges. This places pressure on OEMs to deliver updates
while ensuring reliability and security. A Centralized domain control unit
incorporates powerful computers for various vehicle functions, managed by an
embedded software layer. However, as vehicle functions become automated, risks
such as independent braking or steering arise, rigorous testing and realistic
assessments become required.</span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><font color="#ffffff"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><b><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">The Solution
for All </span></i></b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><font color="#ffffff"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">The complexity
of ECUs in modern vehicles is growing rapidly. This raises the bar for reliable
validation, necessitating new testing methods, including virtualization.</span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><font color="#ffffff"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">Validation
cannot occur in isolation and often occurs late in the development process.
Traditional methods struggle to keep pace as software development remains
tightly coupled with hardware development. Digital Twins with Virtual ECU come
to the rescue.</span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><font color="#ffffff"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">vECU
accelerates hardware and software development, shortening product timelines
from years to weeks and enabling faster delivery of new technologies. It
supports code reusability across models, decreasing redundancy and costs.
Standardized software boosts efficiency and innovation in the automotive
industry.</span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><font color="#ffffff"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">Achieving start
of production (SOP) with accelerated development is not sufficient; the ability
to continuously validate and deliver software updates via Over-The-Air (OTA)
updates has emerged as a critical differentiator.</span><span style="font-family:
"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><font color="#ffffff"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><b><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">What is vECU?</span></i></b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><font color="#ffffff"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">The essential
components for vECUs include replicating realistic scheduling behavior, which
involves simulating timing and triggering information, and actions like
preemption and interruption by the operating system. Additionally, it's crucial
to integrate a comprehensive software architecture to validate interface
compatibility, identify data discrepancies, and ensure compliance with
standards.</span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><font color="#ffffff"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">Establishing
simulated bus connectivity is key for testing ECU communication, with options
to generate or substitute the real stack simplifying testing procedures. For
AUTOSAR Classic Platform users, a vECU should include the application layer,
AUTOSAR Runtime Environment (RTE), and OS, with flexibility for integrating
basic software modules (BSWs) for simulation purposes.</span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><font color="#ffffff"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><b><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">The importance
of Virtual ECU to accelerate Software-Defined Vehicles era?</span></i></b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><font color="#ffffff"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">vECUs are
revolutionizing the landscape by expediting the validation process for OTA
updates, enabling early software deployment, and integrating into agile
methodologies. They offer enhanced system testing ensuring deterministic issue
reproduction and debug visibility. Additionally, vECUs facilitate functional
safety and security validation, leveraging features such as fault injection.
Their software nature ultimately simplifies supply chain collaboration.</span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><font color="#ffffff"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">End-users can
personalize their driving experience, receive seamless updates through OTA capabilities,
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and AI assistants. Software-Defined
Vehicles (SDVs) can also optimize performance using AI and machine learning.</span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><font color="#ffffff"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><b><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">Level of vECU</span></i></b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><font color="#ffffff"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">Understanding
the capabilities and limitations of vECUs involves considering the different
abstraction levels they offer.</span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">Level 0: Core
software algorithms without hardware dependencies, suitable for initial code
validation.</span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">Level 1: ECU
application production code without middleware or OS, for realistic testing.</span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">Level 2: Includes
middleware, testing software interactions with ECU components and protocols.</span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">Level 3: Full
middleware and partial OS for a near-identical ECU testing environment.</span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">Level 4a:
Host-based implementations for enhanced performance and flexibility.</span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">Level 4b: Full
production software with virtual hardware access on the host, closest to real
ECU emulation.</span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><font color="#ffffff"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><b><i><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">The future of
vECU</span></i></b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><font color="#ffffff"> </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">As the
automotive industry embraces new technologies, vECUs will play an increasingly
crucial role. Advancements in virtual modeling and simulation will further
enhance the capabilities of vECUs, enabling even more comprehensive and
realistic testing scenarios.</span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">Sources: </span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">(Micronova,
n.d.)</span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><font color="#ffffff"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;">(Mudduluru,
n.d.)</span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 116%; font-family: "Segoe UI", sans-serif;"><font color="#ffffff">(dSPACE, n.d.)</font></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>