The automotive industry is undergoing a profound transformation driven by technology. The advent of Software-Defined Vehicles (SDV) has led to an increase in digital functions and applications, along with heightened hardware and computing demands, pushing the total code volume of vehicles towards a billion lines. The entire industry is compelled to rethink the design of vehicle software and electronic and electrical (E/E) architecture. In this context, S2C has collaborated with Arm, Xylon, and Zhichuang Technology to develop and launch a hybrid prototype solution for automotive MCUs. This is a reference design for a central + regional electronic and electrical architecture aimed at future vehicles, providing a hybrid prototype platform for automotive MCUs, supported by S2C’s ChipGod prototype verification system, designed to reduce the time and risk of developing the next generation of automotive MCUs based on Arm®Cortex®-R52+.1Automotive Revolution—Transitioning to Software-Defined VehiclesWith the development of vehicle electrification and intelligence, the automotive industry is integrating with various cutting-edge technologies, driving new trends in automotive digitization and software-defined vehicles. Intelligent Connected Vehicles (ICV) have become an inevitable direction for industrial upgrading, prompting the evolution of automotive E/E architecture from traditional distributed systems to domain-centric, and ultimately to central-centric architectures. In this process, ECU integration has become key, executing multiple system functions through high-performance ECUs, reducing development and production costs, enhancing flexibility, and transitioning from fixed functions to software-defined functionalities. Many OEMs have recognized this and have begun adopting various topologies for E/E architecture optimization. Among them, MCUs are the most critical components in automotive electronic systems’ ECUs. MCUs are responsible for managing and controlling vehicle body electronic devices and safety systems, as well as handling massive data processing, making driving decisions, and coordinating the operation of various systems. They need to possess high-performance processors, ample memory, and rich interfaces to cope with complex driving environments and varying driving demands. At the same time, high reliability and stability are also indispensable characteristics of MCUs. Automotive-grade MCU architectures must comply with safety standards such as ISO26262, as any minor failure could severely impact driving safety. To address complex driving environments and higher safety requirements, MCUs must continuously enhance performance, aligning with the important strategy of ECU integration, which helps simplify layouts, reduce hardware complexity, accelerate software updates, and iterate functionalities, laying the foundation for software-defined vehicles.2Automotive MCU Hybrid Prototype SolutionBased on this, S2C has collaborated with Arm, Xylon, and Zhichuang Technology to develop an Arm-based automotive MCU hybrid prototype solution. This is an innovative reference design for the central + regional E/E architecture of future vehicles, aimed at helping customers conduct in-depth exploration and evaluation of new automotive architectures, achieving product differentiation. The hybrid prototype platform is equipped with S2C’s ChipGod prototype verification and automotive MCU chips for rapid prototyping of high-performance ECUs and regional controllers. This hybrid prototype platform can achieve real-time performance with automotive MCU chips, and its flexible configurable hardware is easier to pair with different Arm CPUs, while peripherals use mainstream automotive MCU chips as external communication and network interfaces. Currently, it is equipped with multi-core Arm Cortex-R52+, assisting developers in analyzing workloads and developing applications during the evolution of E/E architecture. Through S2C’s prototype verification, it demonstrates the steps, advantages, and support resources for migrating to the new Arm architecture, ensuring a simple and seamless migration process. This hybrid prototype solution is based on S2C’s prototype verification, paired with Arm Cortex R52+ design. By collaborating with Xylon, we developed a high-speed bus interface IP compatible with mainstream automotive MCU chips for common peripheral expansions in vehicles. Zhichuang Technology has developed the AUTOSAR CP multi-core real-time operating system and communication protocol stack, as well as the Muniu configuration tool and Xuanwu performance monitoring tool. Among them, Muniu, as an upper computer configuration toolchain based on the AUTOSAR ARTOP architecture, supports communication, diagnostics, network management, and boot refresh specifications for multiple OEMs. Xuanwu focuses on providing diagnostic module-related solutions for automotive electronic applications, covering program refresh, diagnostics, and automated testing, and offers customized services to adapt to various application scenarios for OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, facilitating users in diagnostics and testing in laboratories, test vehicles, and real vehicles. From operating systems to configuration tools, to performance monitoring tools, it fully showcases Zhichuang Technology’s profound capabilities in full-stack R&D. 
3S2C and Ecosystem Partners Deepen Automotive FieldShanghai Zhichuang Technology Co., Ltd., as a high-tech enterprise deeply engaged in the field of automotive electronic basic software, has developed China’s first set of AUTOSAR basic software product platform by its core team. In the trend of electrification, connectivity, intelligence, and softwareization of automobiles, it provides high-quality, efficient, and low-cost basic software solutions for the automotive industry. Speaking of this collaboration with S2C, Mr. Zhang Zhiqiang, Deputy General Manager and Business Director of Zhichuang Technology, stated: “We are very honored to partner with an outstanding ecosystem partner like S2C. S2C’s excellent performance in prototype verification technology has earned the trust and recognition of many customers. Through this collaboration, we aim to jointly create a reliable evaluation and development platform for automotive electronic customers, accelerate time-to-market, and promote the arrival of the software-defined vehicle era. Based on both parties’ strong technical capabilities and past successful cooperation experiences, we are confident about the future development of the automotive electronics market.““Xylon is a leader in design services and optimization IP cores for automotive vision and interface applications, supporting prototyping and production designs based on programmable FPGAs and SoCs.“ Our logiRHSIF high-speed serial communication IP ensures seamless integration of peripherals implemented in FPGAs with Renesas MCUs.Xylon CEO Davor Kovacec stated: “Additionally, other communication IP cores in our product portfolio can be compatible with a range of popular MCUs in the future. I believe that our close collaboration with S2C, Arm, and Zhichuang Technology will enhance and expand the value of the reference design, ultimately accelerating customers’ software-defined vehicle development.“Suraj Gajendra, Vice President of Products and Solutions at Arm’s Automotive Division stated: “Virtual prototype solutions empower developers to begin designing vehicle systems before physical hardware is ready, which is increasingly important for delivering the advanced user experiences demanded by today’s drivers. With the hybrid prototype solution launched through this collaboration, developers can access the key functional safety and real-time features of Cortex-R52+ early in the development process, simplifying the innovation process for SDVs and providing automotive manufacturers with more differentiation opportunities.” Through collaboration with Arm, Zhichuang Technology, and Xylon, S2C has applied its prototype verification technology to a broader range of automotive electronic scenarios, providing automotive electronic customers with a more reliable and efficient evaluation and development platform. This collaboration not only accelerates the time-to-market for automotive electronic products but also lays a solid foundation for the arrival of the software-defined vehicle era. With S2C’s mature systems and various verification-ready peripheral sub-boards, along with rapid response and delivery capabilities, customers can quickly engage in efficient prototype design and evaluation, facilitating the joint promotion of both companies. In the future, S2C will continue to uphold the principles of openness and collaboration, partnering with more excellent ecosystem partners like Arm, Xylon, and Zhichuang Technology to explore new opportunities in the automotive electronics field. S2C believes that through continuous technological innovation and market expansion, it will lead the future development of the automotive electronics field and contribute to the high-quality development of the automotive industry.
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