While software becomes quickly outdated even in modern cars and new features often require a purchase, the software-defined vehicle (SDV) approach envisions cars that upgrade via over-the-air updates, unlocking new functions without garage visits.

Today, vehicles rely on software but aren't truly defined by it yet. Development methods must therefore evolve, and architectures need to enable a clear separation of hardware and software, for agile, software-driven innovation. To achieve this transformation, speed, efficiency as well as the highest quality must be guaranteed simultaneously. Early testing, rapid validation, and agile software development play a key role in this context.

At IPG Automotive, we identified three important strategies that promote software-centric development processes and include virtualization as a key component, emphasizing virtual methods and testing instead of slow and expensive iterations with real prototypes.

Shift left: Early error detection

The shift-left approach is based on using simulation and virtual tests to shift development efforts to an earlier development phase. CarMaker generates virtual prototypes and realistic scenarios as well as environments to integrate them into the development process at an early stage. Problems and errors can thus be identified faster and earlier, resulting in less costly adjustments. The CarMaker product family is a powerful solution as it helps you to shift your development efforts with simulation.

Virtual validation: Software instead of costly hardware iterations

Physical prototypes are complex to produce and cause high development costs. The use of highly realistic digital twins combined with successive HIL tests enables rapid system validation and solves the issue of depending on real components, whose hardware can be defined at a later stage. The prerequisite for this is vertical integration (MIL/SIL/HIL/VIL), which makes it possible to use virtual prototypes consistently. The product portfolio from IPG Automotive provides consistent integration from a single source with the CarMaker product family as well as suitable hardware and test system solutions. In this way, you can always create the same, traceable, and comparable test situations to enable continuous testing and validation.

Agile software development: Faster update rollout

CI/CD processes and over-the-air updates enable continuous improvement and allow digital and scalable testing and validation. It is important to ensure that certain process steps or individual areas are fully automated, utilizing the benefits of agile development. Furthermore, it is crucial that process automation and optimization are not carried out in isolation for individual silos but is rolled out across the board to improve collaboration across departments: VIRTO is designed to support agile software development and provides a holistic framework to enable collaborative work, provide centralized data management, and make test and validation results visible and traceable at any time.

For more information on how you can optimize your processes and make them more efficient with the product portfolio from IPG Automotive, please contact our Consulting team.