AWS Summit: Cloud-based software-defined vehicle design

Branded ‘R-Car Open Access’ and ‘RoX’, with it “engineers can start building their software using an integrated tool chain even before the hardware is available”, according to Renesas. “This is made possible through the cloud environment and the virtual development platform, which lets developers design, debug in simulation and verify their software before deploying on live SoCs and MCUs.”

The virtual development platform includes the Renesas Fast Simulator (RFS) as well as partner products including ASTC VLAB virtual development machine and Synopsys Virtualizer development kit.

There are two versions:

‘RoX Whitebox’ includes royalty-free operating system and hypervisor software such as Android Automotive OS, FreeRTOS, Linux, Xen and Zephyr RTOS, as well as reference applications for specific domain systems.

‘RoX Licensed’ is based on commercial software, such as QNX and Red Hat In-Vehicle Operating System, as well as AUTOSAR-compliant software and SafeRTOS. “It is pre-integrated and tested to run on Renesas’ R-Car SoCs and MCUs and includes pre-validated software stacks from Stradvision for ADAS, and Candera CGI Studio for in-vehicle infotainment,” said Renesas. “These software solutions can be customised or expanded depending on OEMs’ needs.”

To add AI capabilities to the end product there is an AI workbench for validation, optimisation and testing in the cloud – on simulated hardware or on Renesas’ board farms. “A wide range of AI models, automated pipelines, as well as a specific hybrid compiler tool chains are available,” claimed the company.

RoX supports AWS (Amazon Web Services) as part of the AI workbench development environment, with Renesas R-Car SDK (software development kit) containerised there.

RoX is being demonstrated at the AWS Summit in Tokyo this week

Renesas partners:

Operating systems and hypervisors:
QNX, Red Hat, Vector Autosar, Wittenstein SafeRTOS, Software Stack Partners, Candera CGI Studio, EPAM AosEdge, Excelfore eSync, MM Solutions, Stradvision SVNet and Nullmax

Development tools
ASTC VLAB Works and Synopsys Virtualizer development kit

Cloud
AWS and Microsoft Azure