Mentor.com :: Vehicle System Design Resources

News Article:Mentor Graphics Expands Automotive Linux Infotainment Business

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:00:00 GMT

WILSONVILLE, Ore., February 21, 2013—Mentor Graphics Corporation today announced that is has expanded its automotive business unit by purchasing certain assets from MontaVista, LLC.

News Article:GENIVI 3.0-Compliant Infotainment Product Available from Mentor Embedded

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 21:00:00 GMT

Wilsonville, Ore., November 19, 2012—Mentor Graphics Corporation (NASDAQ: MENT) today announced the availability of a GENIVI 3.0 specification-compliant Linux®- based Infotainment (IVI) product.

Technology Overview:AUTOSAR Development (Part 4): Early Testing of AUTOSAR-based ECUs and Subsystems

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 07:00:00 GMT

One of the AUTOSAR standard's key points is to enable reuse of application SW, which leads to shorter development time and enables early validation of software components in the virtual environment. But, when it comes to validation in the physical environment, connecting to real sensors/actuators, and communicating with real ECUs, the availability of the ECU HW is often a limiting factor, especially given the fact that the HW development is typically initiated by an ECU supplier company only after being nominated for a project. In addition to the virtual validation of software components provided by Mentor Graphics' VSI tool, an interesting and fully compatible alternative or next step is to use a rapid prototyping ECU such as the MBtech Virtual AUTOSAR Platform (VAP): a highly configurable system based on industry PC standards and equipped with AUTOSAR BSW and tooling from Mentor. The VAP can be used to validate the complete ECU's functionality, from its application SW via the AUTOSAR BSW to real sensor/actuator or communication interfaces. In this session we will see how the VAP prototype ECU can be used for proof of concept, validating ECU configurations and integration with real ECUs.

Technology Overview:AUTOSAR Development (Part 3): ECU SW Design and Configuration

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 07:00:00 GMT

After the system-level design is completed and the SW development is at least initiated, the ECU design and configuration can start. The task is to configure the AUTOSAR Basic SW (BSW) modules to operate according to the needs of the application SW. The AUTOSAR BSW provides a complete embedded SW platform, with services such as task scheduling, memory protection, NVRAM management, communication, diagnostics, cryptographic services, etc. - more of less every service the application SW of an automotive ECU needs. Configuring an ECU's BSW can be complex and error prone unless supported by adequate tooling and the appropriate methodology. In this session we will see how to configure the BSW of the ECU according to the needs of the application, using input from the previous design steps. We will demonstrate the power of a top-down development approach combined with design automation for the ECU configuration task.

Technology Overview:AUTOSAR Development (Part 2): SW Development and Virtual Validation

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Application SW development in an AUTOSAR context means that algorithms are partitioned into connected SW components, which in turn contain executable functions (called runnable entities in AUTOSAR). This structured definition of how the application SW is partitioned and executed enables simple relocation and reuse of application SW components inside or between ECUs. It also includes what can be called virtual validation - execution and verification of the SW components individually or in a system using a typical PC. However, to reach these benefits the application SW components require a detailed model description that can only be designed with appropriate tools. In this session we will see how to refine the system-level design from the previous session into detailed SW implementation for a selected set of SW components. We will define the internal structure of SW components and execute the SW components on top of a real AUTOSAR operating system in order to verify functional correctness.

Technology Overview:AUTOSAR Development (Part 1): Requirements and System-level Design

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 07:00:00 GMT

This session focuses on the first steps in the development of an AUTOSAR example system, starting from requirements, defining the SW architecture and the ECU/network topology, allocating SW to ECUs, and ending with communication design. We will see how Volcano VSA is used to architect the system, allocate functionality, and design the communication matrix. This includes validation against timing requirements and consistency checking of the entire design before generating AUTOSAR ECU extracts, which will be the input to next phase of the design process. In addition, this session shows how the Volcano VSx tool chain can be used in large projects with distributed, iterative development and gradually increasing functionality, leading up to increased efficiency of development throughout the supply chain.

News Article:Volcano Network Architect from Mentor Graphics Verifies and Improves Network Bandwidth Usage at Mazda

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 13:00:00 GMT

WILSONVILLE, Ore., July 30, 2012—Mentor Graphics Corporation (NASDAQ: MENT) today announced that Mazda Motor Corporation has chosen the Volcano™ Network Architect (VNA) software to verify their network bandwidth usage. The VNA is a tool to design primarily CAN, but also LIN, networks in a vehicle and facilitate a mathematical way to calculate the worst case scenario on a CAN bus. Mazda’s use of VNA has enabled significant improvements in network efficiency and reliability.

Technology Overview:Approaches to Early Validation of AUTOSAR Functions

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 10:32:00 GMT

Debugging automotive embedded systems has never been an easy task. Doing so in the context of AUTOSAR-enabled ECU networks presents opportunities as well as challenges. Methodologies reliant on finding and fixing problem at the end of the development process are simply not a good match for modern, highly distributed systems. Standardization of ECU and software interfaces has helped and is being realized through the growing proliferation of the AUTOSAR standard. However, ensuring that functions spread across multiple ECUs communicate correctly while meeting timing requirements and properly utilizing available communication structures remains complex. Early execution of AUTOSAR software (from SWC to BSW to MCAL) seems like a reasonable approach to understanding system operation early enough to reduce risk. Traditionally, early debugging has been accomplished with real ECUs and prototype boards. Some have embraced emulation-oriented processes. A new approach using a virtual prototype promises to enable testing long before a targeted ECU system hardware or emulation are available. This presentation assesses and contrasts these alternatives for functional testing of electronic systems.

News Article:Mentor Graphics Announces Program for the 12th Annual Automotive Integrated Electrical Solutions Forum (IESF 2012)

Tue, 29 May 2012 13:00:00 GMT

WILSONVILLE, Ore., May 29, 2012— Mentor Graphics Corp. (NASDAQ: MENT), today announced the agenda for its twelfth annual Integrated Electrical Solutions Forum. IESF 2012 is a day-long, free conference which covers all aspects of electrical and electronic design/simulation within the automotive, commercial vehicle, and off-highway industries. IESF 2012, now with expanded sponsorship from IBM and SAE International, takes place on June 14, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Dearborn, Michigan, USA.

Industry Article:Mentor, Mecel roll AUTOSAR 4.x Basic Software Package

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 08:00:00 GMT

Mentor Graphics® and Mecel AB have announced availability of a solution for the design, configuration, generation, and implementation of an AUTOSAR Basic Software (BSW) solution for Versions 4.0.2 and 4.0.3. Mentor Graphics partnered with Mecel, a subsidiary of Delphi Automotive in development of what is said to by the industry’s first complete AUTOSAR 4.x solution for the automotive marketplace. AUTOSAR is currently the largest E/E (electrical/electronic) standardization project in the automotive industry.