Mentor Graphics Corp., a Siemens business, today introduced the VCO2S (Vehicle Cockpit Consolidation Solutions). The offering is designed to help automotive companies design and develop next-generation cockpit systems on a single high-compute electronic control unit (ECU). With VCO2S, automotive engineering teams can reduce cost, speed time to market, and enhance the user experience, all while meeting the automotive industry’s stringent cybersecurity and functional safety requirements.
The new solution helps to address the trends of ECU consolidation and complexity reduction, according to Michael Ziganek, General Manager of Mentor’s Automotive Business Unit, and current President of the GENIVI Alliance. Mentor has more than 20 years of experience in automotive hardware, software, and systems engineering, and now offers services and solutions for the consolidation of multi-domains around automotive cockpit systems, autonomous driving systems, and automotive audio systems.
“We have a whole series of single ECUs pieced together, and the complexity is increasing,” said Ziganek “The problem is that we have now reached a level of complexity, especially if you could go to autonomous [systems], that doesn’t work anymore because there is not enough compute power and it’s also unsustainable in terms of the architecture because it is functional-based.”
VCO2S helps enable customers to integrate instrument-cluster and in-vehicle-infotainment (IVI) systems on the same ECU, saving space and cost. The fusion of functionalities running separate operating systems within a single ECU eliminates latencies associated with data sharing between distributed ECUs while supporting multiple safety domain levels—such as ASIL (Automotive Safety Integrity Level) and QM (Quality Management)—and offering features such as graphics, video, and audio sharing.
“Automotive engineers often deploy instrument cluster and IVI systems on separate ECUs to isolate domains and boost functional safety,” said Michael Ziganek, General Manager of Mentor’s Automotive Business Unit. “Moreover, in traditional supply chains, teams often focus on distinct feature sets with minimal interaction between groups. Today engineering teams can seamlessly collaborate in real-time across the globe. Meanwhile, the rich features and extreme performance of today’s highly integrated systems-on-chip (SoCs) support multiple safety integrity level domains on the same device. As a result, integrating instrument cluster and IVI systems on the same ECU is not only possible but, in fact, a critical architectural advantage as engineering teams consolidate more systems into fewer onboard ECUs.”
The new VCO2S solution is available in three separate options. The Base solution delivers basic features including software IP and services for a consolidated cockpit design; it is delivered as a reference design that can be ported to the customer’s target hardware. Flex is a more flexible solution—up to a fully customized cockpit consolidation system—and features IP, systems, software, and hardware engineering services—all optimized to run on the customer’s target hardware. Unique, which extends the VCO2S Flex offering with technical management and integration services between SoC vendors and tier-one hardware suppliers, has Mentor serving as a Tier 1 software supplier and is intended for automotive OEM customers.
All three versions of the VCOS2 solution include safety libraries (ASIL-B), safety features, and architectures for shared graphics, as well as video and audio for between ASIL and QM domains. All versions incorporate CAN (Controller Area Network) and Ethernet connectivity to the vehicle, as well as support for Bluetooth, WiFi, FM/DAB radio, 4x cameras, and automotive audio. QM to ASIL-B domain communication is implemented by the Mentor Communication Framework including safety certification processes. Additional features can be added to the Flex and Unique solutions upon customer request. Base is available now for proof-of-concept and start-of-production engagements, while Mentor is now initiating Flex and Unique customer engagements.
“We have a whole series of single ECUs pieced together and the complexity is increasing. The problem is that we have now reached a level of complexity, especially if you could go to autonomous, that doesn’t work anymore because there is not enough compute power and it’s also sustainable in terms of the architecture because we’ll functional-based.”
Learn more in the Webinar about the Mentor VCO2S offering – from a base version up to a customized unique version with an infrastructure for an integrated In-vehicle Infotainment (IVI) and Instrument Cluster development within the scope of a technical-functional safety concept, safety libraries (ASIL-B), safety features, security features and architectures for shared graphics and audio between ASIL and QM domains.
Ziganek is giving a presentation on the VCO2S offering on November 4th for CTOs, engineering management, and software engineers and managers. He’ll go over feature setup, software and functional-safety architecture, aspects of cybersecurity and security analysis/testing, communication framework, and audio integration and graphics sharing.
