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System – Compatibility of Hardware/Software for Vehicle Lifetime

In formulating an update strategy, it’s vital to take into account the vehicle’s hardware and functional capabilities, as well as its lifecycle. Given the brief development cycles, especially for software, updates will inevitably be required throughout the vehicle’s lifespan. The vehicle and the ADF should be designed to facilitate a safe and smooth update process for the user.

With the increasing complexity of software and the interrelation of vehicle features, it’s crucial to conduct sufficient Verification & Validation (V&V) testing before rolling out updates to the customer. This helps prevent unintended faults in safety-critical features of the vehicle. Whenever possible, safety-critical software should be isolated from non-safety-critical software to reduce the risk of safety-critical faults arising from future updates.

For initial guidance, consider the following documents:

  • “A System-Theoretic Safety Engineering Approach for Software-Intensive Systems” (Abdulkhaleq, A., 2017)
  • “Safe and Secure Automotive Over-the-Air Updates – Operational and Functional Requirements” (Sena, M., 2015)

Main Question

Is hardware / software compatibility for the lifetime of a vehicle and for future updates considered?

Sub-Questions

  1. Does the update enable new / additional functionality?
  2. Are there any unintended impacts on vehicle systems not planned as part of the update?
  3. Is the possibility of performing an OTA update on the ADF considered?
  4. During vehicle design, has the chosen HW been future-proofed (i.e. the HW capability is extended to meet future potential requirements or the system is designed as such that the HW can be upgraded easily as part of a dealership visit)?

References