AUTOSAR

The AUTOSAR-standard enables the use of a component based software design model for the design of a vehicular system. The design model uses application software components which are linked through an abstract component, named the virtual function bus.

The application software components are the smallest pieces of application software that still have a certain functionality. The software of an application can then be composed by using different application software-components. Standardized interfaces for all the application software components necessary to build the different automotive applications are specified in the AUTOSAR-standards. By only defining the interfaces, there is still freedom in the way of obtaining the functionality.

The virtual function bus connects the different software components in the design model. This abstract component interconnects the different application software components and handles the information exchange between them. The virtual function bus is the conceptualization of all hardware and system services offered by the vehicular system. This makes it possible for the designers to focus on the application instead of the infrastructure software.

By using the virtual function bus, the application software components do not need to know with which other application software components they communicate. The software components give their output to the virtual function bus, which guides the information to the input ports of the software components that need that information. This is possible due to the standardized interfaces of the software components which specifies the input and output ports as well as the format of data exchange.

This approach makes it possible to validate the interaction of all components and interfaces before software implementation. This is also a fast way to make changes in the system design and check whether the system will still function.