Continental and Synopsys collaborate to propel software development for SDVs

Continental has entered into a strategic partnership with Synopsys to expedite the development and validation of software features and applications for Software-Defined Vehicles (SDV). This collaboration seamlessly integrates Synopsys' cutting-edge virtual prototyping solutions for virtual Electronic Control Units (vECU) into Continental's Automotive Edge (CAEdge) cloud-based development framework. The outcome is the provision of digital twin capabilities for software development, offering automakers an accelerated software development cycle and a quicker time to market.

Gilles Mabire, CTO at Continental Automotive, emphasised the intricate nature of developing for Software-Defined Vehicles, stating, “The Software-Defined Vehicle requires working on hardware, software, applications, and validation in parallel, all while maintaining the highest level of quality and safety.” He expressed that Synopsys' virtual ECUs and vehicle digital twin capabilities enable them to advance software solutions efficiently, facilitating rapid deployment to vehicles.

The modern SDV promises an advanced user experience through continually enhanced software features. CAEdge, as a cloud-based development environment for software-intensive vehicle architectures, facilitates the accelerated development of solutions. It connects vehicles to the cloud, featuring a virtual workbench for the development, supply, and maintenance of software-intensive system functions. Digital representations of real-world physical devices, such as vECUs and the vehicle digital twin, streamline the development and validation of software solutions before general hardware availability.

Mabire added, “By combining our CAEdge framework with Synopsys’ virtual ECU technologies, we are directly addressing the vehicle manufacturers' needs to accelerate software development and automate software validation in a modern cloud-based environment.”

Synopsys' virtual prototyping tools simplify the deployment of individual vECU and vehicle digital twins, supporting a broad range of abstraction levels (L1 through L4). These tools, combined with CAEdge, empower developers with the full capabilities of a digital twin throughout the Software-Defined Vehicle's development pipeline, automating software validation and delivery processes during development and the vehicle’s entire lifecycle.

Tom De Schutter, VP of Engineering in the Systems Design Group at Synopsys, acknowledged the collaborative efforts, stating, “The combination of CAEdge and Synopsys virtual prototyping tools marks a significant step in accelerating the deployment of the Software-Defined Vehicle.”

Continental will showcase both CAEdge and the Synopsys vECU technology integration at CES 2024, demonstrating the latest mobility innovations from road to cloud. The private exhibit will be located in Central Plaza, across from the Las Vegas Convention Center, from January 9 to January 12, 2024.