Dependable Architectures for Automotive Electronics - Philosophy, Theory and Practice
Machine Design Kth, Mechatronics Lab · 2003
Dealing properly with electronics will be a strong competitive advantage in the automotive sector in the near future. Electronics are driving current innovations but are at the same time becoming a larger part of the cost of the vehicle. In order to be successful, innovations must be introduced in the vehicle without compromising the final price tag. Also, the electronics have to compete with, and win over, the dependability of well known and proven mechanical solutions. A problem with automotive electronics is that the approach within industry is to manage electronics in the same way as mechanical components with well defined boundaries and properties. With the freedom introduced by software new ways to manage the design process are necessary, components may interact differently depending on the context and have hidden behavior exposed only at rare occasions. The system design must be performed more explicitly; it is not enough to rely on well defined boundaries and interfaces. The content and behavior of interacting components must be designed, analyzed and verified in the design process.