Technological advancement has shifted the evolution process of the automotive industry. One of the key developments in this movement was the formation and introduction of AUTOSAR, which is today’s automotive software reference architecture. In this article, you’ll get a quick overview of what AUTOSAR is, why it is relevant, the benefits of implementing it, and the impact it has made in the automobile sector. 

First, What is AUTOSAR? 

AUTOSAR is a worldwide stable of all: automobile manufacturers, automotive components’ suppliers, and electronics, semiconductor and software providers. Starting up in 2003, the primary goal of AUTOSAR is to achieve a common software platform of automobile electrical control units (ECUs), since by the introduction of AUTOSAR - the companies are in a position to work on one platform and thus are in a position to develop and integrate automotive software in faster and more efficient methods. 

Core Objectives of AUTOSAR 

 1. Standardization: AUTOSAR offers a common framework for developing automotive software, so that, for example, components and/or systems will fit together. This reduces the level of complexity and differentiation that manufacturers undergo each time they are using software supplied by different vendors. 

 2. Scalability and Flexibility: It is for this reason that AUTOSAR is scalable and can therefore be implemented across different car manufacturers and across different ranges of vehicles including small cars, commercial vehicles as well as trucks. This flexibility allows the manufacturers to add the software on different models without extensive changes. 

 3. Reusability: The other benefit that is associated with AUTOSAR is that unlike other car models, the developers are able to develop new software from other projects and car models. This not only helps reduce the time and cost spent in the development process but also improves stability and quality of the final software product. 

4. Interoperability: While, AUTOSAR helps the software components provided by different suppliers to communicate and perform effectively. This is especially relevant for the combination of such systems like ADAS and automated driving systems. 

 
AUTOSAR Architecture 

 The AUTOSAR architecture is divided into three main layers:

 1. Basic Software (BSW): This layer is responsible for the basic functionalities like communication, memory management, and Operating System functionalities. It also plays the role of an interface between the hardware and the application software where the latter is made to run irrespective of the former. 

 2. Runtime Environment (RTE): As we have seen earlier the RTE is a middleware where the application software is able to communicate with the basic software. It hides the physical layer of the computer and the operating system and presents a uniform interface to the application software components. 

 3. Application Layer: At this level, there are real application software components that are involved in certain tasks of a car such as controlling the engine, applying brakes and playing entertainment systems. All of these components are modular in a way that they can be re-used and replaced to suit system design. 

Benefits of AUTOSAR 

 1. Reduced Development Costs and Time: This way, manufacturers can reuse those software components in their projects, which is positively impacted by the standardization provided by AUTOSAR. This saves a lot of time and money for car manufacturers since engineers do not have to write code for a new car model from scratch. 

 2. Improved Software Quality: Through the concepts of standardization and modularity found in AUTOSAR, best practices are implemented and followed in the creation of software, thus, producing better and reliable software. This is especially true for the automotive market where the main products are vehicles that must be safe and dependable. 

 3. Enhanced Collaboration: Thus, AUTOSAR helps different companies and their suppliers to work together since they use a common platform. This allows the acts to be single sourced from different suppliers and this means that manufacturers can source software components from different suppliers without any compatibility problems. 

 4. Future-Proofing: The fact that AUTOSAR is scalable and flexible makes it possible for it to be applicable in future technologies that will be developed. This is important in an industry that is dynamic, with new technologies like electric powered vehicles and self driving coming out all the time.

Challenges and Considerations 

While AUTOSAR offers numerous benefits, it also presents certain challenges. However, as with any other standard there are certain limitations as well when implementing AUTOSAR: 

 1. Complexity: The architectural standardization might not be very simple to adopt because it entails various stages of difficulty that are comprehensible to only a few individuals. Thus, the implementation of AUTOSAR needs proper training and other requirements for manufacturers to gain the maximum benefits of utilizing AUTOSAR. 

 2. Integration: However, in the case of using AUTOSAR, it is challenging to incorporate older systems into the design since the architecture was not developed with such vehicles in mind. Perhaps, the manufacturers may be forced to alter their product radically to conform to the standard which may be unpalatable to them. 

 3. Cost: However, as it was said earlier, to use AUTOSAR one can save money in the long-term perspective, but it is necessary to spend money on tools, training, and other requirements. Such costs have to be weighed against the possible returns which may be reaped in the future by the managers. 

Conclusion 

Concerning the results, it is possible to state that the usage of AUTOSAR has made the automobile software architecture considerably more standardized and effective. By unifying the process of software subroutines creation and its further usage, the organization enhances productivity and reduces costs at the same time making vehicles safer and more reliable. Hence, the automotive industry continues to move on to more stable growth. The world currently needs more AUTOSAR software engineers, with every big automotive company in the world always seeking more skilled engineers on their team in their effort of incorporating the technologies of tomorrow into their vehicles, if you want to be one of those skilled individuals, take our AUTOSAR Masterclass from here!