dSPACE and Elektrobit Team Up to Offer Complete AUTOSAR-Compatible Control Software Solution

SAE 2007 World Congress, DETROIT –  A strategic product alignment between automotive software companies dSPACE and Elektrobit has resulted in the emergence of a complete AUTOSAR-compliant solution for electronic control unit (ECU) software development.

Elektrobit’s tresos® ECU product, used in combination with dSPACE’s new SystemDesk product, delivers an interactive tool chain for users to complete ECU development steps in compliance with the AUTOSAR (AUTomotive Open System ARchitecture) standard for automotive electronics. 

The interplay between the two tools is based on standard AUTOSAR file formats.  In the AUTOSAR software architecture, the creation and configuration of the basic software can be completed with Elektrobit’s tresos® ECU.  The application layer and system design aspects are handled by dSPACE’s SystemDesk.

SystemDesk from dSPACE
SystemDesk is a tool for developing software for both single and networked electronic control unit networks. Its purpose is to support the planning, implementation and integration of complex system architectures. It also simplifies process-oriented development in teams for both manufacturers and suppliers. Interaction with dSPACE's AUTOSAR-compliant production code generator, TargetLink®, also improves integration with functional development.

tresos® ECU from Elektrobit
tresos® ECU from Elektrobit is an integrally designed development and configuration platform for embedded standard software. In the tresos® ECU AUTOSAR suite, the requirements for the basic software can be configured graphically, and AUTOSAR formats can be read in. The tool then automatically makes the required operating system core and other AUTOSAR-compliant formats available.  tresos® ECU’s flexible plug-in design allows users to integrate their own tools and software modules, while ensuring that the individual components interact consistently.

Interaction Between the Tools
The heart of the tool coupling is a complete, consistent description of an individual electronic control unit (ECU) that always complies with the AUTOSAR standard. This description includes information about the application software modules and the configuration of the basic software.

The ECU description is synchronized both in SystemDesk’s overall system and software architecture model, and in tresos® ECU’s basic software configuration. This provides a view of each ECU, including the corresponding application software module, as well as information such as the mapping of software modules onto tasks and connections to I/O and system services.

tresos® ECU supports the configuration and generation of the entire AUTOSAR basic software, such as the operating system, communications stack and I/O. The dependencies between application modules and basic software, and dependencies within the basic software, can also be managed in tresos® ECU. Together, the two tools are a complete solution for ECU development, according to AUTOSAR.

About Elektrobit
Elektrobit is a technology company specialized in embedded software and hardware solutions for selected automotive and wireless environments. Elektrobit delivers software systems and navigation solutions for cars, advanced reference design terminals, IP radio base station modules, as well as R&D services and testing, material handling and process automation equipment for the electronics industry and teleoperators. Elektrobit employs some 2,000 professionals in 13 countries. The net sales for the year 2005 totalled MEUR 212.5. Elektrobit Group Plc. is listed on OMX Helsinki. www.elektrobit.com

About dSPACE

dSPACE is a leading producer of engineering tools for the development and testing of real-time embedded controllers.  dSPACE offers a complete tool chain of products to support model-based control design, rapid control prototyping, automatic code generation, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation and calibration.  Founded in 1988, dSPACE has its headquarters in Paderborn, Germany, and engineering project centers in Munich and Stuttgart, Germany.  The company has subsidiaries in North America (Novi, Michigan), France, Japan and the United Kingdom, as well as representatives worldwide.

  More information is available on the Internet at www.dspaceinc.com.