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Category Archives: Case Studies

  • March 23, 2022
  • 0

Development and Testing of Electronic Steering Column Adjustment System for an Automotive Tier-1

Category : Product Engineering , Testing and validation/Last mile services

About the Customer

We partnered with an automotive Tier-1 supplier with a vision to develop future-ready automotive solutions. Our collaboration with this company spans multiple projects related to solution development, ISO 26262 compliance, verification and validation support, flash bootloader development and more.

Business Challenge

Our customer was developing an electronic steering adjustment system (Tilt and telescopic). Since the project follows ASPICE standard, development and complete testing of the system also needs to be performed as per ASPICE. Unit Testing, Integration Testing, and Functional testing (System testing) of such a complex solution requires enormous amount of man hours, if performed manually.

Key challenges:

  • Expertise required for tools like VT system for HIL testing
  • ASPICE system level 2 expertise was required
  • Expertise in tools for Unit testing, integration testing and static code analysis

To mitigate these challenges and complete the testing as per ASPICE standard, the customer came on-board with us.

Embitel’s Solution

Phase-wise release of the solution was planned during the discussions with the customer and our development team.

Following aspects were part of the project plan:

  • Software design, implementation, and testing
  • Hardware design, implementation, and testing
  • System design and testing (HIL testing using VT system)
  • ASPICE compliance by maintaining bi-direction traceability, so that every point in the report traces back to a requirement

Entire spectrum of testing right from unit testing and integration testing to software qualification testing was covered during the project lifecycle. The testing team was built in a way to include experts of all forms of testing.

Final Deliverables of the Testing Activities:

  • Summary test report
  • Release report
  • Separate document listing issues raised during testing
  • Diagnostics and fault testing document (open current, overload current)

We followed the ASPICE v3.1 standard document for planning and executing the test activities.

ASPICE v3.1 standard
 

Embitel’s Impact

We automated the functional testing of ECU which resulted in 70-80% of code being tested in the automation mode. Using CAPL scripting, the test cases were automated and the execution of tests took only 4-5 hours. It would have otherwise taken 1-2 weeks for manual testing.
 

Tools and Technologies

DOORS tool: DOORS is a requirement management tool. It is used to create test cases based on the requirements.

V Test Studio: V Test Studio is a test authoring tool for embedded systems.

CANoe: It is a software tool for development, test and analysis of automotive ECUs.

CAPL: CAPL scripting is used to automate test case creation and execution.

  • February 10, 2022
  • 0

Hardware Development for Electric Motorcycle Dashboard

Category : HMI/UI & Infotainment , Product Engineering

 

About the Customer

Our customer is a US-based electric motorcycle manufacturer developing high-end connected two-wheelers. The revolutionary designs and technology in their motorcycles are enhanced by the company’s promise of sustainability through the utilisation of high-performance, recyclable materials.

Business Challenge

The customer was seeking a reliable automotive product development company for the design and development of the hardware that powers their electric motorcycle dashboard. They partnered with us since we have worked on multiple automotive projects in the past, where we designed and developed the end-to-end hardware system.

The customer’s motorcycle product line was equipped with leading-edge technology and connectivity options. For instance, the driver can receive crucial vehicle data on his/her mobile phone app, as smart connectivity has been implemented in the vehicle.

Our scope of work in this project was limited to the hardware solution implementation and performance evaluation. The development of the dashboard software and mobile application was done by the client themselves.
 

Embitel Solution

We designed and developed a hardware carrier board and a secondary board for the motorcycle dashboard. These boards were interconnected and the communication with mobile, GPS, CAN transmission, 4G, etc. were established.

The project consisted of 2 spins. In each spin, the following activities were performed:

  • Selection of components and hardware design with Schematics
  • Board layout and Gerber generation
  • Proto board manufacturing
  • Board bring up
  • Validation of electrical design
  • Integration of the software and elaborate testing

At the end of spin 2, we also provided support to the customer for Pre-compliance and Field testing.

Architecture diagram

Toradex Ixora Carrier Board Interfaces:

Toradex Ixora

Source – Toradex

Bike Interface Unit – High Level Block Diagram:

thumbnail_image0012-01

 

Key modules of our solution

Toradex IMX 6 series SOM processor was used for the carrier board. The secondary board does not have a processor, as it is an add-on board with limited features. The complete circuit is entirely on the main board (carrier board).

The carrier board is placed at the top of the stack for optimum heat dissipation. It connects with the secondary board using automotive grade fasteners. The SOM module takes care of interfaces such as Memory, GPIO, CAN, I2C and USB bus, HDMI, Ethernet, RS232, etc.

Some of the components included on the carrier board:

  • System on Module Apalis iMX6
  • Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Combo Module
  • RS232 Transceiver
  • CAN Transceiver
  • LTE Module
  • Ethernet
  • CAN Controller

Some of the components included on the secondary board:

  • I2C to GPIO Expander
  • I2C to ADC Expander
  • Relays
  • Temperature and Humidity Sensor
  • Current Limit Switch

An elaborate power management module was also included in the solution.

Performance evaluation

Performance evaluation of the solution was done after the software was integrated with the hardware. Performance testing was carried out with the maximum limits of boundary values.

Simulations were also carried out for all the applicable circuits and the simulated results were cross verified with the test results.

Security considerations

While selecting the hardware components, we took care of incorporating the security aspects. We have only opted for automotive grade components for the boards.
 

Embitel Impact

The hardware boards we developed for the motorcycle digital instrument cluster were in conformance to the client’s requirements. The performance of the system was evaluated, and we supported the customer in all pre-compliance and field tests. The customer is now in the process of manufacturing hundreds of these boards for their high-end motorcycle product line.

Tools and Technology

  • Cadence Orcad v 17.4 – For hardware design
  • PM Tool – For task management, effort logging, etc.
  • January 27, 2022
  • 0

Implementation of SAE J1939 based Secure Bootloader for an Automotive Tier-1 Supplier

Category : Automotive control units-design and development , Product Engineering

About the Customer

Our customer is a tier-1 supplier of automotive components with deep focus on developing the solutions for future mobility. Our automotive teams have been involved in multiple projects with the customer across various technologies and implementations.

Business Challenge

Flash bootloader is an integral part of an automotive software. Since bootloaders are specific to the underlying communication protocol, they need to be developed based on specific project’s requirements. In one of its new programs, the customer required a SAE J1939 based bootloader with security features. A configuration tool was also required to configure the vehicle application layer (SAE J1939-71) of J1939 protocol software.

Major challenges faced by the customer were related to:

  • Availability of ready-to-deploy SAE J1939 protocol and expertise related to configuration of PGNs and SPNs for J1939 protocol software
  • Right technology partner for PC based tool development for ECU reprogramming
  • Lack of expertise in development of secure bootloader, specifically J1939-based bootloader

 

Embitel’s Solution

We have readily available SAE J1939 protocol software that can be configured as per the requirements and types of messages to be sent. On top of that, our expertise in implementation of various cybersecurity features in flash bootloader has been quite extensive. Both these attributes made us the choice technology partner for this project.

After a series of discussions among the teams, we were able to prepare a detailed flow diagram indicating the message flow through various layers and interfaces used in each layer.

Implementation of SAE J1939

A snapshot of the tasks performed by the project team:

  1. We deployed our ready-to-deploy SAE J1939 protocol stack and configured it based on requirements provided by the customer. One of the major customizations that we performed was ‘read and write’ of SPN values to be executed in nano seconds, compared to micro seconds in general implementations.

  2. Sequence of Bootloader was customized based on customer needs.

  3. We developed a tool based on CAPL scripting for reprograming of ECU.

The final deliverables included the following:

  • J1939 stack and corresponding artifacts like LLD, MTD etc.
  • Bootloader and sample application
  • Reprogramming tool based on CAPL
  • Validation test plan and report

Embitel’s Impact

The development time of the project was reduced by at least 6 months since we deployed our proven SAE J1939 protocol software. As a result, our customer was able to reduce the time-to-market and the overall cost of the project.

Additionally, our extensive experience in development and implementation of secure bootloader enabled us to deliver a robust and cutting-edge bootloader solution.

Tools and Technologies

  • MPLAB X IDE: It is an IDE from Microchip that helps develop, debug, and qualify embedded software
  • CANOE: CANOE from Vector was used to test and analyse ECU network
  • CAPL: PC based tool for ECU reprogramming was developed using Vector’s CAPL (Communication Access Programming Language)
  • January 10, 2022
  • 0

HMI Development for Two-Wheeler Digital Instrument Cluster

Category : HMI/UI & Infotainment , Product Engineering

 

About the Customer

Our customer is a leading supplier of automotive components such as instrument clusters, fuel level sensors and dashboard equipment for OEMs around the world.

Business Challenge

The customer desired to develop a cost-effective digital instrument cluster solution for ICE-powered motorcycles. They were seeking a technology partner to assist in software design and development of a module in the instrument cluster HMI.

The customer was aware that our automotive engineering team has previously worked on developing production-ready HMI solutions for motorcycles. Additionally, they were impressed by the IPs our team has developed recently. This affirmed our proficiency in designing complete digital instrument cluster solutions, and hence, they decided to partner with us for this project.

Embitel Solution

We designed and developed the software for a Human Machine Interface (HMI) with Thin Film Transistor (TFT) display that was part of the customer’s digital instrument cluster product. Since TFT technology offers exceptional resolution amongst all flat-panel technologies while also being cost-effective, this was most suited for this project.

The primary MCU is on a different module of the digital instrument cluster. This module has been developed by the customer themselves. The MCU of our HMI unit, i.e., the Bluetooth (BT) module, will make a connection with the primary MCU through UART and read the fault codes, speed, odometer info, fuel level details, etc. This information is also sent to the mobile application of the driver.

Architecture:

HMI Architecture

 

Software Architecture of Bluetooth (BT) Module:

Software Architecture of Bluetooth Module

 
Key Features of the Solution:

  • Bluetooth Connectivity – Our solution connects via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to the mobile phone of the driver and sends data to a mobile application. Whenever Bluetooth is enabled, the corresponding icon will be displayed on the TFT screen.
  • Calls and Messages – The HMI screen shows all incoming calls, missed calls, SMS notifications, etc.
  • Safety Features – Various types of alerts and warnings are also displayed on the HMI screen.
  • Turn-By-Turn (TBT) Navigation – Bluetooth connectivity facilitates the navigation data to be transmitted to the digital instrument cluster display screen seamlessly. TBT navigation symbols are displayed at the center of the TFT display when the driver is travelling to the destination. Apart from the directions, the distance to the next turn and remaining distance to destination will also be shown.
  • Cloud Connectivity – The digital instrument cluster connects to the cloud and transmits vehicle data. This information is processed in the cloud to derive intelligent insights.
  • FOTA Update – We have configured a robust FOTA update feature so that the HMI firmware can be upgraded without any complications.

Optimization for Quick Start-up:

One of the project requirements was that the HMI had to initialize within a short duration, at the time of vehicle start-up. So, we worked on enabling quick start-up of the system and immediate display of the tell tales. Details of the optimization activities:

  • Quick Start-up time: The customer required that the start-up is completed within 5 seconds, but we achieved it within 2 seconds.
  • Image Update time: As per the requirements, the image update time had to be within 100 milliseconds, but we configured this to be completed within 10 milliseconds.

Overall, TBT images (Read image buffer from flash memory and display them on the screen) was accomplished within 10 milliseconds and Tell-Tales images were displayed within 2 milliseconds.
 

Embitel Impact

  • Our team successfully delivered a cost-effective HMI module and integrated it with the customer’s digital instrument cluster and mobile application.
  • The timelines for the completion of this project were very challenging. But due to our prior experience in this type of HMI development projects, we were able to deliver the solution a month ahead of the expected delivery date with undeterred quality.

 

Tools and Technologies

  • Eclipse based IDE – Modus Toolbox
  • January 10, 2022
  • 0

HMI Development for Two-Wheeler Digital Instrument Cluster

Category : Automotive control units-design and development , Product Engineering

 

About the Customer

Our customer is a leading supplier of automotive components such as instrument clusters, fuel level sensors and dashboard equipment for OEMs around the world.

Business Challenge

The customer desired to develop a cost-effective digital instrument cluster solution for ICE-powered motorcycles. They were seeking a technology partner to assist in software design and development of a module in the instrument cluster HMI.

The customer was aware that our automotive engineering team has previously worked on developing production-ready HMI solutions for motorcycles. Additionally, they were impressed by the IPs our team has developed recently. This affirmed our proficiency in designing complete digital instrument cluster solutions, and hence, they decided to partner with us for this project.

Embitel’s Unique Value Proposition

We designed and developed the software for a Human Machine Interface (HMI) with Thin Film Transistor (TFT) display that was part of the customer’s digital instrument cluster product. Since TFT technology offers exceptional resolution amongst all flat-panel technologies while also being cost-effective, this was most suited for this project.

Architecture:

Software Architecture of Bluetooth (BT) Module:

Key Features of the Solution:

  • Calls and Messages - The HMI screen shows all incoming calls, missed calls, SMS notifications, etc.
  • Safety Features - Various types of alerts and warnings are also displayed on the HMI screen.
  • Bluetooth Connectivity – Our solution connects via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to the mobile phone of the driver and sends data to a mobile application. Whenever Bluetooth is enabled, the corresponding icon will be displayed on the TFT screen.
  • Turn-By-Turn (TBT) Navigation – Bluetooth connectivity facilitates the navigation data to be transmitted to the digital instrument cluster display screen seamlessly. TBT navigation symbols are displayed at the center of the TFT display when the driver is travelling to the destination. Apart from the directions, the distance to the next turn and remaining distance to destination will also be shown.
  • Vehicle Information – The primary MCU is on a different module of the digital instrument cluster. This module has been developed by the customer themselves. The MCU of our HMI unit will make a connection with the primary MCU through UART and read the fault codes, speed, odometer info, fuel level details, etc. This information is also sent to the mobile application of the driver.
  • Cloud Connectivity – The digital instrument cluster connects to the cloud and transmits vehicle data. This information is processed in the cloud to derive intelligent insights.
  • FOTA Update – We have configured a robust FOTA update feature so that the HMI firmware can be upgraded without any complications.

Optimization for Quick Start-up:

One of the project requirements was that the HMI had to initialize within a short duration, at the time of vehicle start-up. So, we worked on enabling quick start-up of the system and immediate display of the tell tales. Details of the optimization activities:

  • Quick Start-up time: The customer required that the start-up is completed within 5 seconds, but we achieved it within 2 seconds.
  • Image Update time: As per the requirements, the image update time had to be within 100 milliseconds, but we configured this to be completed within 10 milliseconds.

Overall, TBT images (Read image buffer from flash memory and display them on the screen) was accomplished within 10 milliseconds and Tell-Tales images were displayed within 2 milliseconds.

Embitel's Impacts

  • Our team successfully delivered a cost-effective HMI module and integrated it with the customer’s digital instrument cluster and mobile application.
  • The timelines for the completion of this project were very challenging. But due to our prior experience in this type of HMI development projects, we were able to deliver the solution a month ahead of the expected delivery date with undeterred quality.

Tools and Technology

  • Eclipse based IDE – Modus Toolbox
 
  • October 18, 2021
  • 0

ASPICE Compliant Functional Testing of Automotive Warning Light System

Category : Automotive control units-design and development , Product Engineering

 

About The Customer

Our customer is an automotive Tier-1 supplier of vehicle ECU, lighting, and other automotive parts. We have had a long-standing partnership with the customer for projects involving ISO 26262 compliance, application development and more.

Business Challenge

ASPICE compliant testing of the warning light system was at the core of the business challenge faced by the customer. When it comes to automotive software testing, ASPICE brings in a major change in the approach to testing methodologies and processes.

Our customer wanted to follow the ASPICE process flow while testing the warning light system. ASPICE compliance entails devising a test plan that ensures bi-directional traceability between the test specifications and software requirements. Extensive expertise in tools like IBM Doors, JIRA, and Vector CANoe was also required for which our customer was looking for a suitable technology partner. Since we had a dedicated team of test engineers with expertise in all the required tools and technologies, we got on-board.

Automotive Warning Light

 

Embitel’s Solution

A team comprising automotive test engineers with ASPICE expertise took up the project. The first step was to create a master test plan with complete test strategy compliant to ASPICE standard. It would act as a reference document for all stakeholders involved in the project.

A snapshot of the master test plan (MTP):

  • MTP describes the different test levels including software and system tests and static code analysis
  • Test strategy for unit, integration, and software qualification tests
  • Details of test scope, requirements and methods are explained
  • Test outcomes and failure handling approach are clearly explained

According to the master test plan, our test engineers prepared the test cases based on the requirements. 3 conditions for each test case were defined- test steps, expected behavior and test outcome (pass/fail).

Configuration management for the test program was performed using tools like IBM doors and JIRA. Since ASPICE mandates bi-directional traceability between the tests and the requirements, the testing team made use of these tools to ensure this.

With the help of Vector CANoe tool and CAPL scripting, the test cases were executed, and comprehensive test report was generated. The main deliverable for the customer was the review document that contained report for every test case – whether passed or failed.

DOORs

Figure 6: Traceability Diagram at System Level

Embitel’s Impact:

Our customer was able to obtain all work products mandated by ASPICE with respect to the software testing/qualification. Since the testing was performed using specialized tools, the time-to-market as well as the overall cost of the project was optimum.
 

Tools and Technologies:

VT System: VT System is a test system by Vector for automating different types of automotive ECU verification and validation.

Vector CANOe: A software tool for testing ECU software and networks.

IBM Doors: It is a requirement management tool that helps track test modules and manage test definitions.

JIRA: It’s a work management tool that helps manage test requirements to test case management.
 

  • September 6, 2021
  • 0

Partnership with a Tier-1 for Migration of an ECU Application Software to MBD Approach

Category : Product Engineering , Vehicle Diagnostics

 
Our customer is a tier-1 supplier of automotive ECUs for hybrid and combustion engine vehicles.

Business Challenge

Our customer has a working automotive ECU control software for one of the vehicle applications developed using conventional coding. There is a growing demand in the market for systems & devices which are compact, customizable, durable and easily maintainable. Owing to this factor, the customer wanted to migrate to the model based design paradigm.

Essentially, the customer was looking for a technology partner with experience in:

  • Engineering approach that supports all stages of development with ease of verification & validation. This results in a system that works seamlessly across different environments.
  • The approach should be in sync with the existing system with conventional C code.

Embitel’s Solution

Since our team was tasked with migrating an existing system to the MBD paradigm, we first performed a joint analysis and study of the existing systems with the customer’s team. We analysed the different components of the application software and identified the following approach for migration to MBD:

  • Model Based Development approach for the development of the application software.
  • Development and use of the custom-built Simulink library blocks to match the existing software functions.
  • Use of script where the existing application software (.c/.h) files are processed to generate Model and Data Dictionary templates.
  • Fixed point modelling.
  • Matching the Model Based Development software functionality with the earlier software functionality by Auto code generation using Embedded coder tool.

Development steps in the migration process:

  • Scripts are run on the .c/.h files of the existing application modules post which Data Dictionary and model template are generated. The model template consists of the Simulink function subsystems blocks.
  • The C code is analyzed, and model is grown by implementing the C function logic inside the Simulink function subsystem block.
  • The data dictionary is updated with the data properties similar to the existing system and model is prepared for code generation.
  • Model is verified by compiling and upon successful verification code is generated.
  • The auto-generated code is compared with the existing C code and reviewed by the customer.
  • Post verification, the code is integrated with the existing system where the auto code generated files replaces the .c/.h files of the existing system.
  • The MBD integrated software is tested to match the functionality of the existing system.

 

Embitel’s Impact

  • The MBD approach helped to develop the application software system that is easily configurable and
    maintainable to support future changes.
  • The use of scripts reduced the development time significantly and also the manual errors intervention during the data dictionary creation.
  • We used the Standard library blocks for the PID controllers, inputs filters, n-D lookup tables etc., thereby reducing the development time significantly.
  • Model simulation testing helped to identify the issues early.

 

Tools and Technology

  • Matlab
  • Simulink
  • Stateflow
  • Embedded coder
  • NXP’s S32 Design Studio for Power Architecture
  • July 23, 2021
  • 0

Development of Volkswagen Specific Bootloader Development for an Automotive Tier-1 Customer

Category : Product Engineering , Vehicle Diagnostics

 

About the customer

Our customer is a prominent tier-2 supplier of electronics and mechanical systems for various industries, automotive being the most crucial one.

Business Challenge

Every ECU needs a flash bootloader for ECU flashing and re-programming. For one of their recent projects our customer wanted such a bootloader solution, but with some specific requirements. One of the major requirements entailed the bootloader to be specific to Volkswagen OEM guidelines. Every OEM configures their bootloader with re-programming strategies and data integrity mechanisms specific to them.

These parameters may be related to how data is communicated, kind of seed-key algorithms in place and various other aspects. Developing a VW specific bootloader over UDS from ground-zero would mean at least 6 months of development time which would reduce the time-to-market further. A ready-to-deploy UDS software was the first requisite for this bootloader to work.

Upon learning about our flash bootloader development capabilities and the prior customers that we delivered our bootloader to, the customer came on-board.

Embitel Solution

Our task was to provide a complete solution to enable ECU re-programming. Since the ECU was intended for VW, the flash bootloader software had to be developed as per the OEM specifications. The bootloader development also brought about the need for a UDS protocol software and a PC based ECU-reprogramming tool along with the low-level drivers for the Microcontroller unit on which the Bootloader will run.

Microcontroller unit

Our final deliverables to the customer were:

UDS Stack- Service level configuration and DID level configurations were performed to our ready-to-integrate UDS protocol stack.

Bootloader Development: Bootloader software was developed as per the OEM specifications which in this case was Volkswagen. Since we had worked on a somewhat similar Bootloader project before, we had the basic bootloader framework and architecture ready.

PC based Re-programming tool: It was developed for re-programming the ECU as per Volkswagen specifications including data transmission mechanisms and seed-key algorithm. The tool was developed in QT based C++ environment.

Low-level drivers: Thanks to our vast library of platform software solutions, we could re-use our low-level drivers for this project.
 

Embitel Impact

50-60% of effort was saved since we had platform software ready for the microcontroller platform that our customer intended to use for their project. The ready-to-deploy UDS stack and Bootloader framework also contributed to faster time-to-market for the solution.
 

Tools and Technologies

IAR Embedded workbench: Compiler used for development

QT, C++: A cross-platform application and UI framework used to write applications for multiple platforms.

Vector Hardware Interface: Acts as an interface between the PC based software and embedded hardware

CAPL Script: A scripting language used to access CAN protocol for simulation purposes

  • July 14, 2021
  • 0

Functional Safety Delivered: ASIL-D Compliant Electronic Braking System for a Global Automotive Tier-1 Supplier

Category : Automotive control units-design and development , Product Engineering

 

About the Customer

Our customer is a pioneer in brake system development and manufacturing. Taking a lead in safety critical automotive components development, they are developing an ASIL-D compliant brake system ECU.

Business Challenge

The proposed brake system is ASIL-D compliant and thus entails the most rigorous development and testing measures implemented using ISO 26262 qualified tools.  Our customer required a technology partner that could take care of end-to-end development of an ASIL-D compliant brake ECU including software and hardware development.

The proposed electronic brake ECU would enable the vehicle to replace the manual parking brake lever with a dedicated control unit. There are two variants of this ECU:

Stand Alone: ECU activates the parking brake directly

EPB Stand Alone

Integrated: ECU activates the parking brake through commands from Electronic Stability Control system.

EPB integrated

An ASIL-D grade solution requires a certain degree of maturity in the understanding and implementation of ISO 26262 standard across the product’s lifecycle. The customer was looking for a technology partner that ticked all these boxes.
 

Embitel Solution

Our Functional Safety team identified the safety activities required for the execution of an ASIL D project. The activities included devising a safety plan, preparing the Development Interface Agreement (DIA) and Data Management Plan (DMP). Since it was an end-to-end project, a cross-functional team comprising hardware and software engineers along with ISO 26262 experts was set up.

Team Organization

Post a few joint workshops with the customer’s team, we were clear with the requirements. Documentation of the system-level requirements were performed while we kick-started the concept and system phase of the safety lifecycle. Here is a snapshot of the steps included:

  • Item definition: Based on the information provided by the customer we derived the item definition of the brake system. It paved the way for HARA and helped in development of functional and technical safety requirements.
  • Hazard Assessment and Risk Analysis (HARA): We assessed the malfunctions that could possibly lead to E/E system hazards and analyzed the risk associated with them.
  • Safety Goals derivation: Safety goals were derived as the output of HARA analysis.
  • Development of Functional Safety Requirements (FSR) and Technical Safety Requirements (TSR): We derived the FSR from the safety goals and TSR from functional safety requirements.

Based on the safety goals, TSR and FSR, system architecture were prepared which followed the software and hardware architecture along with BOM creation.
 

Embitel Impact

We provided the customer with complete software and hardware development support as per ASIL D requirements. Being a one-stop destination for both development and ISO 26262 compliance activities, we were able to save a substantial amount of time and cost for the customer. As a result, the time-to-market was expedited by several months.

Tools and Technologies

Codebramer ALM Tool: We used Codebeamer for application lifecycle management

MATLAB from Mathworks: MATLAB was used for software modelling

  • June 16, 2021
  • 0

Execution of Preliminary HARA for a Commercial Vehicle Infotainment System

Category : Product Engineering , Vehicle Diagnostics

 

About the Customer

Our customer is a US-based manufacturer of electric commercial vehicles that cater to various transportation needs. Reducing the cost of vehicle development through innovation is at the core of their organization.

Business Challenge

Working on the digital instrument cluster and telematics gateway solution for the customer, we realized that these components are safety-critical and must come under the purview of ISO 26262 compliant functional safety.

Our FuSa team got in touch with the customer and shared these views to which they agreed. However, to be clear about the approach to ISO 26262 compliance, it was important to have an ASIL value assigned to the solution.

Embitel Solution

A dedicated team of Functional Safety experts analyzed the project and concluded that a pre-liminary HARA (Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment) would be the ideal approach to find a reference ASIL value.

Advantage of pre-HARA is that it does not require a full-blown effort from the FuSa team and is also economical to the customer. We have covered important hazards in the pre-HARA process so as to have an idea of ASIL for the solution Embitel is developing.

Since, the customer did not have ‘Item Definition’ ready with them, our proactive FuSa experts made use of the hardware specification as the input to pre-HARA.

A Snapshot of Pre-HARA for Digital Instrument Cluster and Telematics:

  • Functions to be analysed were categorized based on the different components of the system.
  • Operating modes, scenarios and environment factors were identified as per the ISO 26262 guidelines.
  • Based on these factors, each function was analysed for associated hazards and classification was done according to severity, exposure and controllability.
  • ASIL was determined using the allocation table.
  • In addition, few safety goals were also identified.

Since, we were performing HARA for a digital instrument cluster, the focus was on the digital gauge and tell-tales. An example of both will make things clearer.

Digital Instrument Cluster HARA ISO 26262


 

Tell-Tales

Tell Tales HARA ISO 26262


 

We identified similar hazards for different functions and based on complete analysis, we came up with ASIL-B to be assigned for the solution. In addition, we were also able to identify certain safety goals which would be strengthened upon complete HARA.
 

Embitel Impact

With pre-HARA, the customer was clear about the ASIL to be targeted. Having this understanding in the early stages helps in planning the path ahead. This process helped our customer in developing a safe solution, one that is ISO 26262 compliant.
 

Tools and Technologies

MS Excel: The pre-HARA template is created on MS excel and filled by FuSa experts.

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