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The Smart Tooling for Development

Accelerating SDV Development with Cloud-based Virtualization

In current vehicle projects, software development often depends on the availability of hardware. Due to the late and limited availability of hardware at the project's start, software development, integration, and testing typically begin only after hardware development. This delay can lead to the late discovery of problems, resulting in escalations, budget increases, and high risks.

Hardware Virtualization offers a 'Digital Twin' of an automotive Electronic Control Unit (ECU) within the cloud, allowing software development to be decoupled from hardware availability. As an alternative to target hardware (ECU), it is possible to share simulated devices among the development team to build, deploy, and test software.

Virtualization means speeding up development while reducing risks, saving resources and increasing quality.

Outstanding Benefits with Cloud-based Virtualization

Boosting Efficiency and Saving Time in Software Development with Virtualization

Speed Up Development

Start software development before hardware is available
Shorten iteration cycles in development
Use virtual ECUs instantly worldwide

Save Resources

Enable fast and scalable setup of development environment
Reduce expensive hardware for every developer and hardware in the loop (HIL) costs
Adapt fast to changes in project setup

Increase Quality & Reduce Risks

Find issues in the development cycle earlier
Automate testing during continuous integration and continuous development (CI/CD)
Decouple application development from underlaying hardware
Start vehicle integration with OEM without hardware

Virtual Development of Automotive ECU Systems

vECU Creator for ECU Virtualization

Continental’s virtual ECU (vECU) Creator allows software developers to run automotive ECU systems in a virtual cloud-based environment. This enables engineers to continuously develop, debug, and test software in the cloud while the hardware is being developed in parallel.

With this approach, new applications and software features can be developed faster, more efficiently, with higher quality, and in a more agile manner. The vECU Creator was developed in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Virtualization Function Overview

Simulated ECUs (AUTOSAR Classic, AUTOSAR Adaptive, QNX, Linux, Android) enable the development and continuous testing of interactions between operating system partitions and ECUs.
Configuration of virtual ECUs and network configuration parity with physical deployment, along with access management to the cloud infrastructures.
Users can add stimuli to the virtual ECU just as they would with a real ECU, enabling debugging and continuous testing.
Compatible with third-party simulation/virtualization tools.

vECU Creator Webinar

vECU Creator by Continental | AWS Event

CAEdge vECU Creator as the Smart Tooling for Development

vECU Creator is part of CAEdge, Continental’s comprehensive framework for automotive software development. It is the perfect solution for the development of complex software projects and the ecosystem to embrace Software-defined Vehicles, from architecture to software integration.

With the most diverse building blocks, CAEdge provides the toolset for individual development, optimal collaboration, testing, and validation.

CAEdge is a cloud-based framework for:

SW development decoupled from HW development
Virtualization and simulation
Seamless collaboration
Validation and improvement of system functions

The Art of Development

What is CAEdge?

Field Experience

Virtualization of Smart Cockpit High-performance Computer (HPC)

Hardware virtualization of the Smart Cockpit High-Performance Computer (HPC) is the first automotive development project to separate software and hardware development. It applies our leading virtualization technology for real-time simulation and real-time connection of peripherals.

By using virtualization, Continental can offer a ready to use Smart Cockpit HPC within 18 months from project start to start of production.

Full Virtualization of HPC | AWS Auto Event

High-Performance Computer (HPC)

Digital Twin of Smart Cockpit HPC

Smart Cockpit Hardware (Vehicle)

Smart Cockpit High-Performance Computer (HPC) based on Linux, Android and Classic Autosar partitions
Peripheral hardware in vehicle, e.g. microphone, loudspeaker
Execution in dedicated SoC/µC based on ARM cores

Fully Virtualized Smart Cockpit HPC

Virtualization of Linux, Android and Classic Autosar partitions
Real time execution of partitions, communication, and connection to peripherals
Same development and test framework like in hardware setup
Virtualization is hosted in cloud for cooperation with OEM’s/3rd party

Award-winning Virtualization from Continental

In the "Digital" category, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers, CLEPA, honored the Smart Cockpit High-Performance Computer (HPC) Virtualization, a cloud-based automotive project that is revolutionizing the development of software-defined vehicles. The award underscores Continental's ongoing commitment to making future mobility safer, more efficient, and more sustainable through innovative technologies.

Press Release

Collaboration at its Best

Continentaland Amazon Web Services Accelerate Automotive Software Development

Continental on AWS

Since 2021, Continental and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have been accelerating automotive software development through their collaboration. The virtual ECU Creator is part of the comprehensive Continental Automotive Edge (CAEdge) framework, which runs on AWS.