Case Study: Multi-Supplier Collaboration on Virtual Platform

To address the aforementioned challenges of “integration hell” in automotive development, virtual development platforms can play a critical role in the future. They simplify the integration of components coming from multiple suppliers by providing a unified environment for testing and validation.

Case Study Overview

This case study highlights a scenario involving two distinct Electronic Control Units (ECUs): a high-performance ECU (ECU1) and a lower-level endpoint ECU (ECU2). The challenge stems from the OEM’s decision to unbundle hardware and software suppliers, resulting in multiple suppliers contributing software components, even for the same ECU.

In this example:

• Supplier 1 and Supplier 2 deliver separate software components running on ECU1.

• The OEM simultaneously develops a software component for ECU2.

• The system integration requires three software components (two from suppliers, one from the OEM) to function cohesively as part of a single event chain.

Development Process and Pipelines

1. Isolated Development:

   • Supplier 1 develops software for ECU1, using a mock-up environment.

   • Supplier 2 develops a service provider component, testing it against a mock service client.

   • The OEM independently develops software for ECU2 in a separate environment.

2. Virtual Integration Environment 1: The software components from Supplier 1 and Supplier 2 are integrated onto virtual ECU1. Meanwhile, the OEM’s software is tested on virtual ECU2.

3. Integrated Virtual Environment 2: Both virtual ECUs—ECU1 and ECU2—are brought together, running all three components (Supplier 1, Supplier 2, and OEM) in an integrated manner to validate the end-to-end event chain.

4. HIL Testing: The validated software progresses to Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing, where the system undergoes further validation in realistic physical and virtual environments.

Key Takeaways

This case highlights the effort required not only to develop individual virtual ECUs but also to set up robust development, integration, and testing pipelines. These pipelines are critical to ensure efficient DevOps workflows, automate testing, and accelerate development cycles while managing contributions from multiple suppliers. By leveraging virtual environments early and progressively integrating components, OEMs can minimize integration challenges and streamline validation across ECUs.