IDE launched for ECU-level automIDE launched for ECU-level automotive software dev without hardwareotive software dev without hardware

Renesas Electronics Corporation has launched a new IDE that swiftly enables engineers to create software for automotive ECUs containing multiple hardware devices. The fully integrated environment supports co-simulation, debug and trace, high-speed simulation, and distributed processing software over multiple SoCs and MCUs – all without the requirement for actual hardware. This software development environment recognises the automotive industry's move toward 'Software First' product development, in which a vehicle's value is increasingly defined by its software, as well as the 'Shift Left' software design approach, which emphasises software verification and validation earlier in the development cycle before hardware is available. The first development environment tools are available now for the R-Car S4 and RH850/U2A devices.

"Renesas is committed to providing a development environment that helps our automotive customers realise their vision for Software First while continuing to support their evolution toward Shift Left software development," said Hirofumi Kawaguchi, vice president of Renesas' Automotive Software Development Division. "We are confident that this development environment will help our customers transform their E/E architecture and facilitate the early development of ECUs and new products, and ultimately deliver more value."

Its integrated development environment with multi-device support allows software development at the ECU level, adding further value in vehicles and contributing to the Software First approach. By offering a simulation environment from the early stages of product development, the platform allows verification and application development before the production of actual devices and ECUs, realising the Shift Left concept.

The new development platform is intended to lessen the impact on the environment by supplying a turn-key solution that speeds up time to market and saves energy.