Glossary

This is the glossary for the SDV Guide. Currently covering SDV101.

Agile: A methodology that promotes iterative development, collaboration, and adaptability in the software development process.

App Store: A digital marketplace where users can browse, purchase, and download applications and services for their devices.

Application Programming Interface (API): A set of rules and protocols that allow different software components to communicate with each other.

Artificial Intelligence (AI): The simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, enabling them to perform tasks requiring human-like intelligence.

ASIL (Automotive Safety Integrity Level): A risk classification scheme defined by ISO 26262 to determine the necessary safety requirements for automotive systems.

AUTOSAR: A standardized automotive software architecture enabling interoperability and scalability in vehicle electronics systems.

CAN (Controller Area Network): A robust vehicle bus standard designed to enable communication among microcontrollers and devices without a host computer.

Chaos Monkey: A tool developed by Netflix that randomly disrupts services in production environments to test resilience and recovery capabilities.

CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery): Practices that automate code integration, testing, and delivery processes to streamline software development and deployment.

Cloud-Native Principles: Designing and building applications to leverage cloud computing delivery models, emphasizing scalability, resilience, and flexibility.

Containerization: A technology that packages an application and its dependencies into a container, ensuring consistency across environments.

Continuous Homologation: The process of continuously ensuring that vehicle updates and changes comply with regulatory and safety requirements.

COVESA: The Connected Vehicle Systems Alliance, focused on developing open standards for vehicle data and connectivity.

COVESA VSS (Vehicle Signal Specification): A standardized way to describe and access vehicle data signals, enabling interoperability.

DevOps: A set of practices combining software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops) to deliver applications and services faster.

Eclipse SDV: An open-source initiative within the Eclipse Foundation focused on tools and frameworks for Software-Defined Vehicles.

E/E (Electrical/Electronic Architecture): The vehicle’s integrated electrical and electronic systems, including wiring, sensors, actuators, and control units.

Ecosystem Integration: The process of ensuring seamless interaction between various components, applications, and services within a larger system.

Ethernet: A high-speed networking protocol increasingly adopted in automotive systems for reliable data communication.

FLEXRAY: A high-speed automotive network protocol designed for real-time, fault-tolerant communication in advanced systems.

Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL): A programming layer that provides a uniform interface to interact with hardware components.

Homologation: The process of certifying that a vehicle or component meets regulatory and safety standards.

Innovation Management: The process of generating, capturing, and implementing new ideas and technologies within an organization.

ISO 26262: An international standard for the functional safety of electrical and electronic systems in production automobiles.

LIN (Local Interconnect Network): A low-cost automotive network protocol for communication between components like sensors and actuators.

Loose Coupling: A design principle that minimizes dependencies between components, enabling modularity and resilience.

MBSE (Model-Based Systems Engineering): A methodology that uses models to support the design, analysis, and validation of complex systems.

Microservices: An architectural style that structures applications as collections of small, independent services, each performing specific business functions.

QM (Quality Management): The classification level in ISO 26262 for systems with no safety-related risks requiring functional safety measures.

Real-Time: The ability of a system to process and respond to inputs or events within a guaranteed time frame, critical for safety-critical automotive applications.

RegTech (Regulatory Technology): The use of technology to simplify and improve compliance with regulatory requirements.

SOA (Service-Oriented Architecture): A software architecture style where services provide modular functionality accessible via standardized interfaces.

SOAFEE (Scalable Open Architecture for Embedded Edge): A framework aimed at enabling the development of automotive-grade applications using cloud-native principles.

Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV): A vehicle whose functionality is primarily enabled and enhanced through software, allowing continuous updates and improvements.

SUSM (Software Update Management System): A system designed to manage and distribute software updates for vehicles.

TCP (Transmission Control Protocol): A fundamental internet protocol providing reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery of data.

Two-Speed Delivery: A development model that separates systems into rapid-update and slower-update tracks, balancing innovation and stability.

UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe): An international organization that develops regulations and standards for the automotive industry and other sectors.

V-Model: A software and system development model emphasizing validation and verification at each stage of the lifecycle.

vBUS (Virtual Bus): A simulation model for testing vehicle communication networks without physical hardware.

vECU (Virtual Electronic Control Unit): A software-based simulation of an ECU used for development and testing.

Virtualization: The creation of virtual versions of hardware, platforms, or systems to enable flexible and scalable testing and deployment.

Vehicle Hardware Abstraction Layer (VHAL): An abstraction layer enabling software to communicate with vehicle hardware in a standardized way.