A system-on-chip (SoC) with multiple cores can reduce the number of chips required in an automotive platform by integrating more functionality. These days, that integration needs to be managed and secured. Hypervisors have the ability to virtualize these software environments so that they can be isolated and protected from each other. Real-time operating systems (RTOS) can coexist with platforms like Linux in a virtual machine (VM) environment.
Renesas’ R-Car is one SoC in automotive space that can deliver infotainment and telematic support as well as advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS). R-Car also has extremely useful hardware-security features for a connected-car environment, where over-the-air (OTA) updates are common.
The R-Car Virtualization Support Package from Renesas is designed to ease development using hypervisors for the R-Car SoCs. This includes Renesas’ own R-Car Type 1 hypervisor as well as other third-party hypervisors.
Type-1 hypervisor support will now be included in Renesas’ R-Car platform.
"Green Hills Software has a proven track record of providing software virtualization solutions for OEMs already in mass production for various automobile model years,” says Matthew Slager, Vice President of Asia-Pacific Operations at Green Hills Software. “The INTEGRITY Real-Time Operating System with Multivisor secure virtualization built on Renesas’ R-Car SoC through cooperative efforts with Renesas is already highly regarded by OEMs and Tier1s, and we hope to continue working with Renesas to create a flexible platform that supports Linux and Android that can meet even the most stringent OEM requirements for future advanced automobiles.”
“COQOS Hypervisor SDK is based on OpenSynergy's highly efficient Type-1 hypervisor that takes full advantage of the hardware virtualization functions provided by the Renesas R-Car SoC and extends this with key features, such as shared display,” says Stefaan Sonck Thiebaut, CEO of OpenSynergy GmbH. “COQOS Hypervisor SDK comes out of the box with complete use cases, including a cockpit controller use case supporting ASIL-B safety requirements. This solution is going in mass production by 2019.”
The R-Car package includes development guidelines that will make it easier to support new hypervisors on R-Car hardware. The solution addresses security such as secure-boot and secure-update support. There’s also functional safety support that’s required for automotive applications. This includes control of hardware safety mechanisms in the R-Car hardware, such as hardware self-test.
