Geensys AUTOSAR Builder

An Eclipse-based software development platform designed to provide a seamless flow for the creation of AUTOSAR compliant automotive electronics systems

Embedded World 2007, N ürnberg, Germany – 13th February 2007.   Geensys, a provider of design tools and consulting services for the development, implementation and test of software dominant embedded systems, has launched AUTOSAR Builder, an Eclipse-based software development platform that provides a seamless design environment for the creation of AUTOSAR compliant automotive electronics systems and ECUs.

The AUTOSAR standard provides the description formats for complete automotive systems including the resources and configuration for individual ECUs. It defines the methodology and tool support needed to bring the various description elements together in order to build tangible systems of ECUs.   It also enables both system-wide and process optimisation including the configuration and generation of the AUTOSAR Run-Time Environment (RTE) and the Basic Software (BSW) for each ECU.

To support the AUTOSAR process, Geensys’s AUTOSAR Builder provides an open Eclipse environment into which a suite of open-interface plug-in tools can be integrated.   Additionally, third-party AUTOSAR design tools can be integrated into AUTOSAR Builder’s environment.   The AUTOSAR Builder plug-in tool suite addresses the successive steps in the different phases of the AUTOSAR design process and enables engineers to easily undertake the various associated design tasks. The AUTOSAR Builder plug-in tool suite includes an AUTOSAR Authoring Tool (AAT), ECU Extract, Software Component Conformance Validation Tool (SCVT) and Generic ECU Configuration Editor (GCE).

The AUTOSAR Authoring Tool (AAT) – Based on a substantial subset of the AUTOSAR meta-model, the AAT facilitates the creation of AUTOSAR Software Component (SW-C), ECU and System descriptions at the applications level.   It represents the description data organised in templates and ARPackages.   For each AUTOSAR element the properties are shown in Forms and the Graphical Editor allows the elements to be displayed as diagrams as well as enabling the creation of new elements.   Rule checking of all standard descriptions for AUTOSAR systems with automatic error correction prevents engineers from entering inconsistent or invalid data and notifies them of potential or committed errors.   The AAT provides practical assistance to the user to realise the tedious task of creating AUTOSAR standard descriptions.

ECU Extract – This is a companion feature of the AAT which allows the user to extract a single ECU specific description from the overall vehicle description, in complete compliance with the AUTOSAR methodology and specification.

The Software Component Conformance Validation Tool (SCVT) – Functioning at the applications level, the SCVT verifies the description of SW-Cs.   It provides analysis based on description rules for SW-Cs, static analysis of application code and RTE code generated at the Contract Phase, verifying the coherence between SW-C descriptions and the associated code.   It also provides reports on the analysis/validation of the code.

The Generic ECU Configuration Editor (GCE) – The GCE facilitates the creation and configuration of Basic Software module parameters based on the AUTOSAR standard and methodology. It ensures strict conformance to the AUTOSAR specification and validation of all AUTOSAR rules and requirements.   The GCE is implemented as three separate plug-ins:   The ECU Parameter Definition (EPD) plug-in is used to create or modify ECU parameter definitions and can also be used to create XML format parameter definitions for any other software module other than AUTOSAR BSW; the BSW Module Description (BMD) plug-in is used to create or modify BSW module definitions and configurations, by BSW vendors; and the ECU Parameter Configuration (EPC) plug-in is used to create or modify ECU parameter configurations and to integrate BSW module configurations, by system integrators.

Commenting on the launch of AUTOSAR Builder, Eliane Fourgeau, Chief Operating Officer of TNI-Software said: “The AUTOSAR standard is opening the door to novel electrical/electronic development methodologies and tools as well as new business models where OEMs and suppliers will have to define collaborative development processes based on an open development tool paradigm.   AUTOSAR Builder has been developed to meet the design tool challenges laid down by AUTOSAR within the context of an open, extensible and fully scalable vendor-neutral environment that facilitates complete interoperability with third-party AUTOSAR development tools such as Run-Time Environment Generator tools and Configuration Generation tools.”

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