Cooperation paves the way for autonomous driving

A key necessity for autonomous driving and x-by-wire systems is the correct timing of fail-operational systems. Coordinated software tools and close cooperation between Vector and AbsInt make it easier for ECU developers to analyse the Worst-Case Execution Time (WCET) of projects based on MICROSAR from Vector. This proves that the timing behaviour of autonomous driving systems meets strict safety standards and requirements.

The collaboration between the companies brings together the expertise of two industry leaders in safety-related embedded systems. The partners attune Vector's safety-certified MICROSAR platforms with AbsInt's rock-solid timing analysis tools. In this way, developers produce predictable systems that fulfil significant fail-operational requirements.

With the advent of 'hands-off' autonomous driving, vehicle control is shifted to autonomous systems within specified scenarios. These systems must adhere to strict functional safety and timing requirements during active driving. Knowing precisely the upper bound on a function's runtime is vital, also called WCET. This is crucial for proving safety-related availability. Determining the WCET is a significant challenge and typically demands considerable effort. By joining forces, the companies allow easier systems analysis where timing is crucial to functional safety.

Fail-operational systems must continue operating even in the presence of single faults or failures, such as autonomous driving or x-by-wire systems. These use cases need a high degree of safety, reliability, availability, and predictable and deterministic behaviour. Vector's MICROSAR platforms deliver a state-of-the-art solution for developing fail-operational systems. Based on the AUTOSAR standard and with additional extensions, they support the realisation of adaptive and scalable software architectures. AbsInt's timing analysis tools improve Vector's solution by supplying rigorous and certified methods for determining the worst-case execution time of the software functions – a crucial factor for ensuring the proper timing behaviour of the system and avoiding timing faults.

"Our collaboration with AbsInt is essential to enable WCET analysis of complex automotive software. Together, we're shaping the future of fail-operational systems, ensuring safety in autonomous driving", says Dr Falco Bapp, manager of Solution Management at Vector.

"Good analysis precision requires a precise understanding of the underlying Vector software, which we obtain through our cooperation. Our joint customers benefit of many years of close cooperation", adds Dr Christian Ferdinand, managing director of AbsInt.

Furthermore, Vector's TA Tool Suite and AbsInt's timing analysis tools complement each other to supply a full timing toolchain for determining timing behaviour throughout all project lifecycle phases.