Panasonic Automotive Systems and Arm Partner to Standardize Software-Defined Vehicles
Panasonic Automotive Systems (PAS) and Arm have announced a strategic partnership to standardize automotive architecture for Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs). The collaboration focuses on adopting and extending the VirtIO device virtualization framework to decouple automotive software development from hardware. The partnership includes three key initiatives: implementing VirtIO-based Unified HMI for zonal architecture standardization, ensuring cloud-to-car environmental parity, and expanding VirtIO standards to include more automotive applications. This aims to address challenges faced by automakers and tier-1 suppliers due to vendor-specific proprietary interfaces, ultimately accelerating development cycles.
Panasonic Automotive Systems (PAS) e Arm hanno annunciato una partnership strategica per standardizzare l'architettura automobilistica per i Veicoli Definiti dal Software (SDV). La collaborazione si concentra sull'adozione e l'estensione del framework di virtualizzazione dei dispositivi VirtIO per separare lo sviluppo del software automobilistico dall'hardware. La partnership include tre iniziative chiave: implementare un'interfaccia uomo-macchina (HMI) unificata basata su VirtIO per la standardizzazione dell'architettura zonale, garantire parità ambientale dal cloud all'auto e ampliare gli standard VirtIO per includere ulteriori applicazioni automobilistiche. Questo mira a risolvere le sfide affrontate dai costruttori di automobili e dai fornitori di primo livello a causa delle interfacce proprietarie specifiche dei fornitori, accelerando in ultima analisi i cicli di sviluppo.
Panasonic Automotive Systems (PAS) y Arm han anunciado una asociación estratégica para estandarizar la arquitectura automotriz para Vehículos Definidos por Software (SDV). La colaboración se centra en adoptar y extender el marco de virtualización de dispositivos VirtIO para desacoplar el desarrollo de software automotriz del hardware. La asociación incluye tres iniciativas clave: implementar una interfaz de usuario (HMI) unificada basada en VirtIO para la estandarización de la arquitectura zonal, garantizar una paridad ambiental de la nube al automóvil y ampliar los estándares de VirtIO para incluir más aplicaciones automotrices. Esto tiene como objetivo abordar los desafíos que enfrentan los fabricantes de automóviles y los proveedores de primer nivel debido a las interfaces propietarias específicas de los proveedores, acelerando en última instancia los ciclos de desarrollo.
파나소닉 자동차 시스템(PAS)와 Arm은 소프트웨어 정의 차량(SDV)을 위한 자동차 아키텍처 표준화를 위해 전략적 파트너십을 발표했습니다. 이 협력은 자동차 소프트웨어 개발을 하드웨어와 분리하기 위해 VirtIO 장치 가상화 프레임워크를 채택하고 확장하는 데 초점을 맞추고 있습니다. 파트너십은 세 가지 주요 이니셔티브를 포함합니다: 지역 아키텍처 표준화를 위한 VirtIO 기반의 통합 HMI 구현, 클라우드에서 자동차로의 환경 동등성 보장, 그리고 더 많은 자동차 애플리케이션을 포함하기 위한 VirtIO 표준 확장입니다. 이는 공급업체별 독점 인터페이스로 인해 자동차 제조업체와 1차 공급업체가 직면한 과제들을 해결하는 것을 목표로 하며, 궁극적으로 개발 주기를 가속화하는 데 기여합니다.
Panasonic Automotive Systems (PAS) et Arm ont annoncé un partenariat stratégique pour standardiser l'architecture automobile pour les Véhicules Définis par Logiciel (SDV). Cette collaboration se concentre sur l'adoption et l'extension du cadre de virtualisation des dispositifs VirtIO afin de découpler le développement de logiciels automobiles du matériel. Le partenariat comprend trois initiatives clés : mettre en œuvre une interface homme-machine (HMI) unifiée basée sur VirtIO pour la standardisation de l'architecture zonale, garantir l'équivalence environnementale du cloud à la voiture et étendre les normes VirtIO pour inclure davantage d'applications automobiles. L'objectif est de relever les défis auxquels sont confrontés les fabricants automobiles et les fournisseurs de premier niveau en raison des interfaces propriétaires spécifiques aux fournisseurs, tout en accélérant les cycles de développement.
Panasonic Automotive Systems (PAS) und Arm haben eine strategische Partnerschaft angekündigt, um die Automobilarchitektur für Software-definierte Fahrzeuge (SDV) zu standardisieren. Die Zusammenarbeit konzentriert sich darauf, das VirtIO Gerätesvirtualisierungs-Framework zu übernehmen und zu erweitern, um die Entwicklung von Automobilsoftware von der Hardware zu entkoppeln. Die Partnerschaft umfasst drei Schlüsselinitiativen: die Implementierung eines auf VirtIO basierenden einheitlichen HMI zur Standardisierung der zonalen Architektur, die Sicherstellung der Umweltequivalenz von Cloud zu Fahrzeug und die Erweiterung der VirtIO-Standards zur Einbeziehung weiterer Automobilanwendungen. Dies zielt darauf ab, die Herausforderungen zu bewältigen, mit denen Automobilhersteller und Tier-1-Zulieferer aufgrund von herstellerspezifischen proprietären Schnittstellen konfrontiert sind, um letztendlich die Entwicklungszyklen zu beschleunigen.
- Partnership aims to reduce development costs and time by standardizing interfaces
- Implementation of Display Zonal Architecture reduces heat generation and harness weight
- Mali-G78AE GPU enables deterministic graphics performance in zonal architecture
- Environmental parity between cloud virtual hardware and automotive hardware streamlines development
- None.
Insights
This strategic partnership marks a significant shift in automotive software development. The standardization of VirtIO for Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs) addresses a critical industry bottleneck by decoupling software from hardware dependencies. Key innovations include:
- Display Zonal Architecture implementation reducing system heat and weight
- Environmental parity between cloud development and actual vehicle hardware
- Expanded VirtIO standards covering ADAS applications
This collaboration could accelerate development cycles and reduce costs for automakers by eliminating vendor lock-in. For Arm, this strengthens their position in the automotive sector, particularly as vehicles become increasingly software-defined. The partnership's focus on standardization and open architecture aligns with industry trends toward more flexible, scalable automotive platforms.
The automotive industry increasingly consolidated Electronic Control Units (ECUs) into a single powerful ECU such as Cockpit Domain Controller (CDC) or High-Performance Computer (HPC). This has made hypervisors and advanced chipsets more important than ever. However, many automakers and tier-1 suppliers are challenged by vendor-specific proprietary interfaces, which leads to increased costs and delivery time when transitioning from one vendor solution to another.
PAS and Arm recognize the need to shift from a hardware-centric to a software-first development model to address these challenges. By standardizing the interfaces between automaker and tier-1 supplier software stacks and the underlying hypervisors and chipsets these run on, it is easier for automotive partners to adopt the latest generations of technology optimized for their needs and use cases.
This new partnership will involve several key initiatives:
1. Utilizing VirtIO-based Unified HMI to standardize zonal architecture
PAS and Arm are leveraging VirtIO not only for virtualizing devices connected to the central ECU like CDC/HPC, but also for remote devices linked to zonal ECUs. The two organizations have demonstrated a groundbreaking proof-of-concept using PAS's open-source remote GPU technology, Unified HMI, to implement a Display Zonal Architecture built on Arm. This architecture distributes GPU loads from the central ECU to multiple zonal ECUs, reducing heat generation and harness weight without altering applications running on the central ECU. The flexible partitioning in the Mali™-G78AE GPU of Zonal ECUs allocates dedicated hardware resources to different workloads, enabling deterministic graphics performance in a Display Zonal Architecture. PAS and Arm are collaborating to provide a SOAFEE Blueprint and reference implementation of this work, aiming to standardize emerging zonal architectures in the automotive industry.
2. Ensuring environmental parity from cloud to car
PAS's vSkipGen™ operates on Arm® Neoverse™-based cloud servers. By maintaining the same Arm CPU architecture and VirtIO device virtualization framework, this initiative will ensure full environmental parity between cloud virtual hardware and automotive hardware. PAS and Arm will collaborate to implement VirtIO in virtual hardware, further bridging the gap between virtual and physical automotive systems.
3. Expanding VirtIO Standardization
Currently focused on cockpit use cases like Android Automotive™ and Automotive Grade Linux™, PAS and Arm aim to broaden the VirtIO standards to encompass more automotive applications. This includes standardizing interfaces for Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) to decouple Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) software from hardware dependencies.
Masashige Mizuyama, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of PAS, stated “Our partnership with Arm aims to promote the standardization of VirtIO and bring this industry reference standard to the next level. By combining the expertise and industry leadership of our organizations, we are confident that this collaboration will unlock software potential and serve as a crucial foundation for building the future of automotive technology towards SDV.”
Dipti Vachani, senior vice president and general manager, Automotive Line of Business at Arm, commented “SDVs continue to be one of the most exciting opportunities for automakers today, but realizing this vision demands innovative approaches that allow software developers to begin their work before physical silicon is available. Our partnership with PAS stems from both organizations’ active participation in SOAFEE, and builds on a shared goal to reduce fragmentation in the industry through standardization, which will ultimately accelerate automotive development cycles for our partners.”
Notes:
*1: SOAFEE (Scalable Open Architecture For the Embedded Edge) is an initiative bringing the automotive and software industries together to make the AI-enabled software-defined vehicle a reality: www.soafee.io
Android is a trademark of Google LLC.
Linux is a trademark owned by Linus Torvalds in the
About Panasonic Automotive Systems Co., Ltd.
Panasonic Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. was launched on April 1, 2022, as a business company responsible for the automotive business in line with the start of the Panasonic Group’s business company system. We are a global company with operations in 22 countries and regions, approximately 30,000 employees, and sales of approximately
About Arm
Arm is the industry’s highest-performing and most power-efficient compute platform with unmatched scale that touches 100 percent of the connected global population. To meet the insatiable demand for compute, Arm is delivering advanced solutions that allow the world’s leading technology companies to unleash the unprecedented experiences and capabilities of AI. Together with the world’s largest computing ecosystem and 20 million software developers, we are building the future of AI on Arm.
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Corporate Communications Office, Panasonic Automotive Systems Co., Ltd.
e-mail: press-pas@ml.jp.panasonic.com
Arm External Communications
e-mail: Global-PRteam@arm.com
Source: Arm
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