Continental owned Elektrobit develops new software for connected, autonomous cars

Elektrobit (EB), a fully owned subsidiary of Continental, has announced development of its new software line-up ‘EB Corbos’. The new line-up will enable car manufacturers to build complex and powerful electronic control units (ECUs) that will be required for connected and autonomous driving capabilities.

The first line-up from ‘EB Corbos’ consists of three products representing one of the first commercially available software implementations of Adaptive Automotive Open System Architecture (AUTOSAR). Its key features include focus on the highest safety levels with fail-operational systems, support for interconnectivity and over-the-air-updates.

Commenting on the development, Dr. Marcel Wille, AUTOSAR project leader, Volkswagen AG, said "EB's continued engagement in this area helps us quickly introduce key technologies critical for future E/E architectures, most notably, the integration of new functions, in real time."

The high-performance controllers will be powered by a multi-core processor that will be at the centre of the future automotive functional architecture, which is expected to see increased centralisation and greater complexity. With the development of more complex and tech-fuelled vehicles, OEMs are consolidating up to 100 single ECUs into a centralised functional architecture with just five to 10 embedded performance controllers at its core. 

EB says its three products are designed to make it easier for automakers and Tier 1 suppliers to develop the required advanced systems. They will also help them to save time and money by enabling them to reuse software components.

The EB corbos line encompasses:

-          EB Corbos AdaptiveCore, which is the basic software for running Adaptive AUTOSAR. It is ISO 26262-compliant up to ASIL-D, and is the core technology for creating safe, secure, flexible and high-performance ECUs.

-          EB Corbos Hypervisor, which is an automotive-grade hypervisor with support for multiple operating systems and ISO 26262 certification up to ASIL-D, ensuring the highest levels of safety and security.

-          EB Corbos Linux, an automotive-grade POSIX compliant operating system designed for high-performance controllers, based on the Linux-Kernel that can be used in safety-critical systems.