b'18 Partner News Autumn 2023EnterpriseIssues facing automotive software developers By WittensteinThere has been an amazing growth ofIncreasing in Complexity and Risksoftware used within automobiles in recent years. There are now significantly more lines of code within a premium branded car than on a jet aircraft. However, the challenges facing engineers developing embedded software for automobiles are great and varied.Safety critical automotive software safety development standardsThe greater the control the software has over the vehicle, the higher the risk and the more safety critical it becomes. ISO 26262 defines Functional Safety for automotiveAn Example of a Memory Protection UnitMany of these modules have been pre-equipment, applicable throughout thecertified against ISO 26262. Pre-certified lifecycle of all automotive electronic andsoftware modules provide robust and electrical safety-related systems. Part 6 ofreliable software. There is a variety on ISO 26262 specifies the requirements forthe market but be wary of the terms the development of software for automotivecertifiable and certified, as there is a applications, with ASIL D being the highest.large difference between the two.No safety without securityIts recommended to select pre-certified On a modern connected car, there can besoftware that has been designed and no safety without security. Safety softwareverified on your specific processor and takes a long time to develop and verify, iscompiler combination, even down to your robust and reliable, and is consequentlyversion of the compiler and your compiler rarely updated. However, the securitysetting, as it removes the need for re-threat is constantly evolving, with attackstesting on the target hardware. growing in complexity as hackers learn and develop knowledge on how to exploit thesoftware. A degree of spatial separationKey takeaways software. ISO 21434 defines a cybersecuritycan be achieved by selecting a Real TimeThere are many challenges facing development standard for electronicOperating System (RTOS) that providesembedded engineers developing software systems used in road vehicles.the tools enabling the definition andfor automotive applications, such as manipulation of the processors Memorysafety, security, integration and managing Software architecture considerationsProtection Unit (MPU) regions on a per-tasksoftware containing a mix of different For most systems a quick software bootbasis, providing isolation between specificSafety levels. While there is room for time is essential, placing the car intomemory regions. improvement and standardisation, its a working and safe state as quickly asclear that good practices such as code possible. To manage this, most automotiveAn example of a memory protection structure, architecture, and supply chain architectures support parallel processing.unit pre-certified software modulesare still as important as ever.Increasingly, automotive software ofDeveloping automotive software isdifferent Safety Integrity Levels (SIL) iscomplex and time-consuming but solutionsSAFERTOS is a pre-certified RTOSrequired to operate on the same processorare available. The market trend is tofor safety critical applicationscore, where higher SIL software mustconstruct automotive software from to learn more please see www.be free from interference from lower SILpre-existing modules. highintegritysystems.com/safertos'