In recent years, the number of vehicle ECUs receiving software updates via over-the-air (OTA) technology has been steadily increasing, making it difficult for automakers to track and manage software configurations across their fleets. As these ECUs receive OTA software updates over time, different software permutations will appear in the field as not all vehicles will be updated at the same time. This results in a multitude of software combinations which need to be tracked and managed by the automaker for vehicle maintenance and regulatory compliance.
The OTAmatic Vehicle Configurator gives automakers the power to address these issues and better control the software configurations in their vehicles. The OTAmatic Vehicle Configurator:
- Deploys software only in approved combinations. Minimizes unanticipated issues by ensuring software contained in tens to hundreds of independent ECUs in a vehicle are limited to prevalidated configurations tested and approved by automakers.
- Provides a breakdown of vehicles in the field. Reports the exact version of software and hardware installed in vehicles so automakers can understand the state of their vehicle fleets.
- Displays a history of vehicle configurations. Allows automakers to compare configurations for vehicle lines or individual vehicles to understand changes over time.
- Works with Airbiquity’s OTAmatic software management system. Configuration candidates can automatically be created from factory feeds of newly manufactured vehicles or by importing Bill of Materials (BOMs) using a web-based tool, then provided to automakers for review and approval. Configurations can also be provided for review when a vehicle reports a new combination from the field.
- Works with non-Airbiquity OTA software management systems. Existing OTA systems can be enhanced by Vehicle Configurator integration using supplied APIs.
- Enables regulatory compliance for tracking type certified vehicle systems. Allows automakers to record the software (RXSWIN) associated with the type certification of a vehicle system and supports UNECE (WP.29) requirements for tracking software updates.
“At Airbiquity, we’re constantly assessing the challenges automakers face and applying our software technology and expertise to address them,” said Keefe Leung, Vice President of Product Management at Airbiquity. “Automakers need to actively understand and manage their connected vehicle software. Our Vehicle Configurator is a powerful tool to bridge disparate pieces of software information based on the context provided by automakers while also delivering automation that integrates to their existing processes.”
“With the ubiquitous deployment of OTA software update capabilities automakers face a challenge in managing software configurations across a wide range of vehicle platforms, components, and markets,” said Alex Oyler, Head of Car IT at SBD Automotive. “To meet emerging regulatory requirements automakers must know which vehicles are running which software versions at all times. Automakers must also prove to regulatory agencies that they have control over their connected ecosystem, and without a high-integrity platform for managing this information they will face regulatory backlash and preventable cybersecurity challenges.”