New SystemDesk Tool Takes Complexity Factor out of Multifaceted ECU Systems
NOVI, Mich.--Modern electronic control units (ECUs) are capable of performing a mind-boggling number of functions, but with this increased functionality, a single ECU has to network with several hundred software modules.
Keeping track of such systems and coping with their complexity is a growing headache for vehicle manufacturers and suppliers. To help them face these challenges, dSPACE has added a new solution to its tool chain for developing automotive software – SystemDesk.
SystemDesk is an architecture tool for the model-based development process that begins right at the functional system level. Developers working with SystemDesk can easily keep track of the planning, implementation and integration aspects that are relevant to complex system architectures and distributed software systems. SystemDesk also supports teamwork on process-oriented development, and allows OEMs and suppliers to share system models and maintain them jointly. Moreover, SystemDesk supports the AUTOSAR automotive software architecture standard.
Working with SystemDesk
The first stage of the development process is function specification for the electrical/electronics (E/E) system, called the function architecture. This is carried out independently of the real ECUs, which come later. Hardware topologies are defined, software modules are distributed on the software, and the connections between software and buses are specified.
SystemDesk is designed specially for complex production projects. Such projects require, among other things, integration into version control systems, a script-capable tool, and libraries, for example, for storing reusable objects. To give users clarity even with large-scale models, SystemDesk provides various views of the multi-ECU software architecture and the selective display of model components.
AUTOSAR Firmly Integrated
SystemDesk also supports the AUTOSAR standard. For example, AUTOSAR software components can be created or existing components loaded to SystemDesk for further processing. SystemDesk provides a run-time environment (RTE). Application software components from SystemDesk can be linked to basic software via standardized interfaces in the RTE generation.
SystemDesk works hand-in-hand with dSPACE’s TargetLink®, which can be used to generate production code for the software components in SystemDesk architecture models. A special TargetLink AUTOSAR Blockset generates AUTOSAR-compliant production code.
Complete Tool Chain
The new SystemDesk architecture tool expands dSPACE’s already extensive tool chain for developing, testing and optimizing ECU software. Other dSPACE solutions include: rapid function prototyping, automatic code generation, hardware-in-the-loop simulation and ECU calibration.
SystemDesk is expected to be released in the summer of 2007.
About dSPACE
dSPACE is a leading producer of engineering tools for the development, testing and optimization 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.
Additional information on dSPACE can be found on the Internet at www.dspaceinc.com