digital.auto
digital.auto
tool chain
Digital tools for interoperability along the SDV tool chain.
The open tool chain
for software-defined vehicle
One of our goals is to support an open tool chain for development of the software-defined vehicle (SDV). Most OEMs will need to implement a best-of-breed tool chain with tools from different specialist tool vendors for different purposes: from prototyping and simulation over CI/CD to operations support and monitoring. In this game, interoperability is key.
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Traditional OEM development processes and value streams are often focused on hardware engineering in combination with deeply embedded, safety-critical features. The software-defined vehicle will require an additional value-stream, which plays by different rules, supporting agile development, post-SOP updates for non-safety critical features. This new, digital value stream is moving at a different speed, compared to the traditional, physical value stream. Both value streams require different methods and tools. They need to be loosely coupled, with standardized interfaces to ensure interoperability on the tool-level as well as the runtime level. Hardware abstraction and related standards are playing an important role here.
digital.auto following the digital and the physical value stream.
The physical value stream continues to be managed by methods like the V-model (especially important for verification and validation of functional safety-related components), in combination with Model-based Sytems Engineering (MBSE).
The digital value stream is utilizing best practices from the agile world like DevOps.
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Both value streams utilize different tools: from requirements management to modeling, development and testing. Therefore, we take best of the digital and the physical value stream to support OEMs in building industry-leading toolchains.
playground.digital.auto
Our open and web-based prototyping environment: the digital.auto playground
The playground.digital.auto is an open and web-based prototyping environment to develop SDV solutions. It is Python based, which allows standardized language bindings and ensures compatibility with SDV development tools, such as Eclipse Velocitas. We are currently working on a beta version and everyone with a GitHub account can access it for free. The digital.auto playground will be an Eclipse project soon.
Within the playground.digital.auto we provide the following features:
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Rapid, cloud-based prototyping without custom set-up and installation
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Fast and efficient validation of new digital vehicle features, including UX testing and user feedback management
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From simple sandbox tests to advanced tests with custom backends and simulation-based test data generation
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High-level of re-use through our open project library
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Support for industry standards, e.g. COVESA VSS singnal2service vehicle APIs
Industry Partners
Standards & Open Source
Academic Partners
The digital.auto dreamKIT
Our PoC hardware to try out digitally developed software-defined vehicle features on a physical device.
The digital.auto dreamKIT is a proof-of-concept (PoC) hardware, providing a hands-on, physical experience for SDV applications. With the dreamKIT you can try out your digitally developed SDV features on a physical device. Therefore, it allows you to transfer your use case from the virtual exploration phase into the productization phase.
The digital.auto dreamKIT includes a vehicle computing unit, a central gateway, and a mock-up in-vehicle infotainment touch screen. dreamKIT has CAN and Ethernet interfaces to connect with external devices, that can form a Zonal E/E Architecture network topology.
The dreamKIT is a proven PoC device, which is used in multiple international show cases, as well as in different co-innovation challenges for software engineers.
Feature overview for development, experimentation, and innovation:
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Seamless integration with playground.digital.auto: SDV applications developed on playground could be deployed to the dreamKIT within seconds, wirelessly using socketIO technology.
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Built in SDV runtime environment: powered by Eclipse SDV solutions.
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Ease of customizing and experimenting a zonal EE architecture: dreamKIT has built-in central gateway – which has CAN/ CANFD and Ethernet interfaces - to connect and expand the network topology to different zone controller ECUs
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Ease of connecting an AUTOSAR embedded ECU: dreamKIT has a SDV runtime environment, that with minimal configuration (via OTA) could recognize and integrate with an external device.
SDV inter::op
With the digital.auto SDV inter::op initiative, we focus on interoperability along the tool chain. Therefore, the first step is to identify relevant SDV standards. The second step is to build an ecosystem of committed tool vendors along the SDV value chain.
Since it will be impossible to capture all standards and different types of tools from the beginning, we started with a very use case driven approach: creating inter::op proof points for specific use cases.
The long term goal will be to formalize our work and eventually deliver a more complete inter::op test suite.