Elektrobit partners Synopsys for virtual automotive system testing platform

Elektrobit (EB), a German-based supplier of embedded and connected software products and services for the automotive industry and Synopsys, US-based systems designing company are collaborating to accelerate automotive electronic systems development using virtual environments. The two companies are collaborating to bring together Synopsys Virtualizer Development Kits (VDKs), EB operating systems, development and test tools, and complementary expertise to enable pre-silicon and pre-Electronic Control Unit (ECU) hardware availability and software development.

The new virtual system accelerates testing cycles and enables automotive tier 1 and OEM companies to transition from physical to virtual system testing. Synopsys claims that its VDKs deliver fast simulation of ECU hardware from individual processors to full automotive electronic systems (virtual ECU). EB is using Synopsys VDKs to port its ‘AUTOSAR’ operating systems, featuring EB corbos and EB tresos product lines, to new automotive processors from leading semiconductor vendors up to 12 months before silicon availability. The integrated solution is said to have been used to establish a virtual development environment demonstrator, bringing together a virtual ECU based on NXP's high-performance S32 automotive processing platform with tools from EB and Synopsys. This solution enables system analysis and visualisation, configuration and update management, test drivers, and system management. The solution enables automotive developers to increase interactive software debugging productivity and accelerate testing cycles by deploying the solution in regression. Leading tier 1 and OEM companies have deployed the joint solution for applications ranging from automotive control to autonomous driving and gateway.

Martin Schleicher, executive vice president, Business Management at EB said, “Automakers engaged at the forefront of automotive development are faced with increased electronic hardware complexity and software content that needs to be delivered within very challenging development timelines. Together, Synopsys and Elektrobit are providing technologies and expertise enabling automotive engineers to start software development earlier and dramatically accelerate system testing using virtual ECUs.”

Dev Pradhan, senior director, Automotive Engineering at NXP Semiconductors said, “Automotive companies desire to deliver their customers new and more advanced functions based on the NXP S32 Automotive Processing Platform and require development tools that enable them to start early and accelerate system testing. Ecosystem collaborations amongst industry leaders such as Synopsys and Elektrobit are a key enabler for our customers to increase their development productivity and address current and future system and software development challenges.”

Burkhard Huhnke, vice-president, Automotive Strategy at Synopsys said, “Reducing automotive development cycles from 5 years to 2 years requires a disruption in the current hardware-dependent and linear development approach. The collaboration between Synopsys and Elektrobit brings virtual prototyping, software technologies, and expertise to automotive tier 1 and OEM companies looking to transition from physical to virtual development environments and accelerate their time to market.”