Software-Defined Vehicles Leverage Open-Source Software

Sept. 19, 2025

Codethink is helping open-source software handle safety-critical chores.

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Open-source software is ubiquitous these days, with tools like Linux and compilers projects such as LLVM and the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) being the tip of the iceberg. The tools are being used in safety- and security-critical applications, but this requires certifications and more rigorous development processes than other open-source applications require.

I talked with Codethink's President, John Ellis, about the challenges of using open-source software in the automotive space (watch the video above). Codethink is involved with the Eclipse Foundation's Eclipse SDV Working Group that’s collaborating to provide an open-source platform for software-defined vehicles (SDVs). It encompasses everything from the runtime through application development (see figure).

Eclipse Foundation software-defined-vehicle project — The Eclipse Foundation’s software-defined-vehicle (SDV) project looks to bring open-source software support to a number of key areas.

Overview of the Eclipse Foundation's Eclipse SDV Working Group

This effort is based on existing software like Linux. However, making sure it’s automotive-grade software requires a different level of quality management, as software used in this application space must be certified and the tools and underlying software must be verified.

The working group includes

SDV.Edge: Addresses the in-vehicle software stack with a focus on the runtime/orchestration and the underlying communication service fabric.
SDV.Ops: Cloud support to handle fleet-management software stacks.
SDV.Dev: Addresses the developer’s toolchain and workflow using tools like the Eclipse IDE.

Challenges and Advantages of Using Open-Source Software in SDVs

As John Ellis notes in our discussion, simply using open-source software as is will not work in a safety- and security-critical environment like the automotive space. The liability associated with vehicles is significant and OEMs must provide solutions that are standards designed for high levels of safety and security.

In the past, and present, this was primarily related to physical implementations. But as the SDV has risen to support new vehicles, the software needs the same rigorous development process.

It’s been the domain of proprietary software, but the scope was significantly less than it is now, with SDV architecture becoming the mainstay of current vehicles. The amount of software in a car exceeds that of most applications, with the possible exception of military aircraft. This means building on a solid software framework that’s been certified as well as providing tools that can meet the designers needs, including certification requirements.

The advantages are significant: The platform provides a common base on which car companies can build their SDV, making them a better target for third-party support. That’s because OEMs rarely provide all of the software within a vehicle.

About the Author

William G. Wong | Senior Content Director - Electronic Design and Microwaves & RF

I am Editor of Electronic Design focusing on embedded, software, and systems. As Senior Content Director, I also manage Microwaves & RF and I work with a great team of editors to provide engineers, programmers, developers and technical managers with interesting and useful articles and videos on a regular basis. Check out our free newsletters to see the latest content.

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I earned a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Masters in Computer Science from Rutgers University. I still do a bit of programming using everything from C and C++ to Rust and Ada/SPARK. I do a bit of PHP programming for Drupal websites. I have posted a few Drupal modules.

I still get a hand on software and electronic hardware. Some of this can be found on our Kit Close-Up video series. You can also see me on many of our TechXchange Talk videos. I am interested in a range of projects from robotics to artificial intelligence.

About the Author

John Ellis | President, Codethink

John Ellis is President of Codethink. He's an engineer and software developer who has led teams at Motorola and Ford Motor Company. John works with public agencies to help them prepare for and manage the rapid influx of technology in the transportation sector.