Recent Advances in Automotive Embedded Systems

Rachana Thombare1, Surajkumar Kumbhar2, Amitkumar Salunkhe3

1
Department of Electronics & Telecommunication,
NMCOE, Peth, Sangli, Maharashtra (India)
2
Department of Automobile Engineering,
RIT, Sakhrale, Sangli, Maharashtra, (India)
3
Department of Mechanical Engineering, SSDIT,
Red-Shirala, Sangli, Maharashtra, (India)
ABSTRACT
Modern automobiles have been more ambitious all around the world to improve their emission controls and
proficient use of fossil fuels. As challenged by several factors since last two decades embedded systems become
the decisive ways and means of attaining numerous goals. Diverse functionalities like fuel and power plant
management, infotainment systems, network architecture and safety systems have been found as advance
packages of embedded systems. The forthcoming technological revolutions in the embedded system are being
enormously challenged in design of electronics systems in electric and autonomous vehicles as well as to make
them safer, network sensitive and more energy effective. This paper provides a decent intuition into most of the
prominent technological innovations of embedded systems in the automotive field.
Keywords: Automotive applications, electric and autonomous vehicles, embedded systems.

I.INTRODUCTION
An electronic or computer system had been intended for a purpose of regulating and accessing the data from
electronics based systems. General embedded system embraces a sole chip microcontroller (cortex, ARM, etc.)
and a microprocessor (FPGAs, DSPs, and ASICs). These systems became the heart of a vehicle’s electronic
system due to its adaptability and flexibility. The vehicles made all over the place using microcontrollers, DSP
or both commonly termed as Electronic Control Units. Nowadays, various conventional and luxury vehicles
turn up to use a huge number of embedded controllers.

II.BASIC EMBENDED SYSTEMS

An embedded system is a decisive blend of hardware and software, which become a fundamental component
for higher machine, for example, a microprocessor that regulates an engine. Nevertheless, this system was
dominated by hardware constrains such as memory, battery charge and processing power due to which they
provide low to moderate software complexity. An embedded system is designed to run by itself deprived of
human interference, and may be essential to be sensitive for real time events. Embedded system should have
high speed, low power dissipation, small weight and size, must be accurate, and must be reliable for a long
period. The networked embedded system is the fastest rising area in the embedded application [1].

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III. TEMPORAL INTEROPERABILITY
ECUs contain a real-time operation and area-specific basic software, e.g., vehicle body control. Although many
miscellaneous software elements have been settled by diverse OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and
Tier 1 supplier, an effective and sheltered integration of the same, especially for safety-critical functions is a
major concern still. Modeling languages such as AIL transport, EAST-ADL, EAST-ADL2, etc., are primary
approach to attain this objective [2]. Modelling of structural facets of automotive components and their
interdependency have been accomplished by EAST-ADL [3]. The global program AUTOSAR (AUTomotive
Open System ARchitecture), [4] mutually developed by various automobile industries is the most popular an
open and standardized automotive software architecture creates and develops open principles for automotive
E/E (Electrics/Electronics) architectures to run a fundamental infrastructure for vehicular software, user
interfaces, and management for all-inclusive fields. Regulation of functions of elementary systems, to diverse
vehicles and platform deviation’s scalability, in-depth network transferability, multiple supplier’s integrity,
reliability thought-out whole product life-cycle, and additionally updates and advancement of software’s over
the vehicle's generation are the crucial areas of research now days [5].

IV.STOCHASTIC ANALYSIS
An electronic architecture of a vehicle elected and appraised some years ago may support the functions it can,
will be utterly indefinite and hence impending price, performance, and resilience of vehicles can be influenced
substantially. Active safety and chassis systems should encounter the rigid real-time limits and subtle to the
usual potential of the endwise computations from sensors to actuators. The superiority of an architecture can be
evaluated by the characterization of the timing behavior of functions [6]. Computing a deterministic upper
bound for end on response time of a composite function dispersed against numerous ECUs communicating over
a network has been challenging and even unattainable. A conceivable approach [7] to acquire valuable
approximations of this at initial stage of design has been established. Latencies for computations and
communication via CAN buses have been affected by task and message response times, and communication
delays. However, a worst-case analysis needs to be accompanied by probabilistic analysis to avoid profligately
conventional design [8].

V. MULTICORE ECUS
Huge demand of computing power endows multicore ECUs in the vehicle electronic architecture and originates
as a solution on existing over-numbered singular core ECUs [9]. Furthermore, this brought an innovative
attracting feature of higher-end parallelism, which makes affluence of the safety requirements (ISO 26262) and
the implementation of several use-cases. However, intricacy in the design, development, and certification of the
software applications also followed. Therefore, OEMs and suppliers have need of new tools and methodologies
for deployment and validation [10]. Scheduling and synchronization analysis of such platforms get growing
attention due to rising fame of multicore ECUs in automotive real-time environments. Probability of integrating
earlier separate functionality for body electronics or sensor synthesis on a singular unit and parallel execution of
complicated computations came into existence. A single ECU can be transformed into an extremely united

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“networked system” microcosm with multiple CPUs, where a complex interdependencies will be raised due to
mutual resources even in divided scheduling [11]. Hereafter, development of resource arbitration protocols will
be an open end to achieve predictable performance. As change in property is an expensive affair concerning
many different departments and companies, recycling of the preceding software generations and alignments
becomes a major hurdle for automotive providers and manufacturers in the evolution of multicore ECUs [12].
However, multiprocessor priority ceiling protocol (MPCP) offers a solution for unity with former sole core
systems, and hereafter can be supposed as an addition to PCP [13].

VI. MODERN APPLICATIONS OF AUTOMOTIVE EMBEDDED SYSTEMS

From the intialisation itself, automotive field has been influenced profoundly by embedded systems. The most
frequent use of embedded systems in a vehicle comprises fuel injection and combustion controller devices,
Airbags, event data recorders, anti-lock braking system, adaptive cruise control, black box, drive by wire,
satellite radio, telematics, traction control, automatic parking, entertainment systems, night vision, heads-up
display, back up collision sensors, navigational systems, tyre pressure monitor, climate control, etc. Pollution
control and system monitoring are the advance use of embedded systems in the vehicle. Traffic management
and forecast systems developed in metro cities and M2M or V2V communication, which is the perilous support
from temporary network, effortlessly collect information from distinct sources to help drivers and traffic
administration.
The real-time management is feasible only by a part of the vehicle and the network which is the embedded
computing and communication systems. The customer satisfaction is enriched due to extensive use of vehicle
and fleet tracking, and their opex and downtime have been reduced. Moreover, for multimedia and infotainment
networking a media oriented systems transport (MOST) offers an effective and economical stuff to transmit and
control data between devices involved even the severe environment of a vehicle.
Many vehicle manufacturers are already involved embedded systems to develop a driverless vehicle control. In
a key evolution, where advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous cars have been matured,
electromobility will come into a reality and vehicle’s connectivity to smart phones and infrastructure. The
developments in the vehicle electronic architecture has been laid down challenges for the electronic design
automation (EDA) and the embedded systems community in design, security, and authentication of the vehicle
embedded systems.
Being a developing country, India needs to improve present transportation systems and road infrastructure,
which will enrich current as well future traffic flows, mobility and safety. Intelligent Transportation Systems
(ITS); an advance application can boost productivity, safety and environmental performance if put on transport
and infrastructure for interchange information among frameworks. Most advanced applications of ITS: Parking
Guidance and Information (PGI) systems and Parking Reservations (PRS) systems, which link live information
and feedback from other sources easily [14]. PGI systems found to be beneficial over a conventional parking
as it makes available instant information about availability, pricing and navigation information of parking to
drivers. The probable competition of drivers to achieve the suitable parking space caused by PGI can be
overwhelmed by reservations (PRS systems) or guarantee parking spaces. This is due because PRS systems

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consider the objectives of the drivers as well as parking managers. Hence, parking revenue will be increased by
effective utilization of parking resource cause to reduce traffic congestion [15]. Moreover, cameras associated
with a lead vehicle sense traffic light color variation, which transfers this to subsequent vehicles to acclimate
their swiftness to avoid the collision risks. Meteorological conditions can be detected by such the camera
observations. This helps adjoining vehicles to bypass the areas having lower visibility by generating real-time
meteorological micro-maps. The identification of license plates and their estimated GPS locations can be
propelled to police agencies to locate automatically by comparing the local reference database [16].
Smart bike monitoring systems have been developed to avoid robbing of bikes and help to save human life.
This detects an accident though a vehicle tracking system and alerts the neighborhood by sending an SMS [17].
Embedded systems have been succeeded well in avoiding the difficulty of controlling vehicle real time speed
by just forewarning the driver about its speed limits and critical area detection [18]. An automobile can propel
deprived human interference as a result of an embedded intelligence within itself. Obligation to higher security,
differential Global Positioning System (GPS) proved to be a flexible, robust as deals eagerly with selective
availability and satellite clock errors [19].
Vehicle battery technology has vital reputation in the field of electric vehicles. Especially their usage and
management are knocking novel problems in the concern of embedded systems architecture and software.
Cruising range; the most significant metrics of electric vehicles due to the rate-capacity effect reduces the
power capacity of batteries during the charging process [20]. Additionally, in the charging infrastructure to
transfer electrical energy from the grid to the EV, embedded system accomplishes important tasks of power
flow control and battery management [21].

VII. CONCLUSION
The fast-growing development of embedded systems smoothens the way of altering manual into autotronic
systems entirely. Enormous flexibility and adaptability made embedded one of the crucial part of any modern
vehicle electronic architect. The uprising innovations in embedded has been influenced the prominent features
of automotive design since last decade. Hereafter, it is necessary to pay more attention to the fields of electric
and autonomous vehicles regarding their real-world environments, security and energy efficiency, which are the
most stimulating field for embedded systems in the automobile sector. Also a limited range of problems can be
solved by the software programmed into the microcontroller found to be key area for embedded research.
Intricacy of extremely dispersed and heterogeneous E/E architectures in the present automotive cause to
powerful multicore processors led to an imperative attention in ECU alliance. Although mature embedded
system technologies have been developed a lot, still some emerging challenges of reliability and speed from a
market crafted a scope for new researchers.

VIII.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank Dr. S. R. Kumbhar, Assistant Professor, Automobile Engineering Department,

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RIT, Rajaramanagar and Mr. R. N. Bhosale, Senior Engineer, Service Power Operation Department (India and
overseas), Vertiv Energy Pvt. Ltd. formally known as Emerson Network Power India Ltd. for their efforts and
guidance. The authors also thankful to students and faculty in the Electronics and Telecommunication
Department at the NMCOE, Peth for their continuous inspiration and affection.

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AUTHORS

Rachana Thombare is a full time assistant professor in the Department Of Electronics

And Telecommunication Engineering, Nanasaheb Mahadik College of Engineering, Peth,
Sangli. She has published several research papers in international reputed journals. Her
research interests are automotive embedded system and networking. Her major field of
study includes embedded system, basic electronics & networking. She has more than 6
years of experience in teaching and conducting research in the electronics. She completed
her Bachelor of Engineering in E&TC from Annasaheb Dange College of Engineering in
Technology and Master of Engineering in Electronics from TKIET, Warnanagar; both
affiliated to Shivaji University, Kolhapur.

Surajkumar Kumbhar is a full time assistant professor in the Automobile Engineering

Department at the Rajarambapu Institute of Technology (RIT), Sakhrale, Sangli. At
present, he teaches courses like automotive diagnostics, automotive electricals and
electronics, automotive chassis & transmission and basic automobile engineering. He has
more than 6 years of experience in teaching and conducting research in the automotive
electronics, vibration and machine dynamics, etc. He has published more than 10 research
papers in international conferences, national conferences and reputed journals. He has
obtained B.E. in Automobile Engineering from RIT, Sakhrale, M.E. in Mechanical Design
Engineering from Annasaheb Dange College of Engineering in Technology, an
autonomous institute; both affiliated to Shivaji University, Kolhapur. Currently, He is

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pursuing Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Vellore Institute of Technology at Vellore,
Tamilnadu.

Amitkumar Salunkhe is a full time assistant professor in the Mechanical Engineering

Department at the Shivajirao Deshmukh Institute of Technology, Read Shirala, Sangli. His
research interest is in the basic automobiles and its applications. He has more than 6 years
of experience in teaching and conducting research in automotive applications. He has
published several research papers in international conferences, national conferences and
reputed journals. He has obtained B.E. in Automobile Engineering from RIT, Sakhrale,
M.E. in Mechanical Design Engineering from Annasaheb Dange College of Engineering in
Technology, an autonomous institute; both affiliated to Shivaji University, Kolhapur.
Currently, He is I/C principal at Shivajirao Deshmukh Institute of Technology, Read
Shirala, Sangli.

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