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Powerful UI framework with AUTOSAR support
Qt produces a highly efficient and hardware-independent GUI framework both for microprocessors (MPUs) and microcontrollers (MCUs). In modern automotive products, both technologies are often used in parallel. For the MCU-based solution, Qt has recently announced official support for AUTOSAR Classic in the Qt for MCUs release 2.6 onwards. The complete Qt stack is integrated as a Complex Device Driver within the AUTOSAR Classic architecture and is tested with industry-standard tooling solutions for AUTOSAR. Among other things, the solution is able to simulate AUTOSAR/CAN data simulation integration on the host PC, making the parallel development of software and target hardware even faster and more convenient.
Earlier, Qt Group also announced an AUTOSAR-related collaboration with Bosch. Since then, Qt Group has further increased software development investment in this segment, and today, we have a wide portfolio of software solutions that are specifically aimed at improving the efficiency of various parts of the AUTOSAR use cases.
To this day, the AUTOSAR Classic platform doesn't explicitly specify how to integrate software that drives HMI displays. As a result of a collaboration with leading AUTOSAR tool vendors and users, Qt is now able to offer a robust reference integration of the Qt for MCUs graphics toolkit in AUTOSAR Classic applications, which provides a significant reduction in software integration effort. Tools for simulation and quality control are also part of Qt for MCUs' support of AUTOSAR Classic, further streamlining the entire development process., says Yoann Lopes, Senior Manager, Product at Qt Group.
Below is a short recap of Qt Quality Assurance offering and the benefits it brings to the automotive sector.
Quality assurance solutions
Qt’s Axivion Suite enables developers to perform both static code analysis and software architecture verification. The code analysis covers software coding rules and coding guideline violation checks, clone detection, dead code detection, detection of metric violations, division by zero, and other defects. Axivion Suite helps developers meet software quality, safety, and security guidelines and standards such as MISRA C/C++:2023, AUTOSAR C++14, and CERT, especially in safety-critical and regulated markets. Additionally, the architecture verification compares software implementation with architecture design and flags deviations. This way, it helps to reduce technical debt, decrease maintenance costs, and achieve faster time-to-market for new development.
To address the needs of software testing, Qt Group provides tools to ensure test case coverage and automation with its CoCo and Squish tools, respectively. CoCo enables the software tester to know what and how much has been tested and where to focus, while Squish automates the Ul testing to have faster release cycles and shorter time-to-market. In addition to existing support for microprocessor targets, Squish is now also available for on-device target MCU test automation.
Modern application processors and microcontrollers that are used in automotive industry have become very capable, both in terms of computing power as well as memory available for the applications. Consequently, the size and complexity of software keeps growing, too. Irrespective of underlying computing platform, one thing remains a fact: the target applications must be diligently tested and verified throughout the entire development process. Qt's Quality Assurance solutions support software built for both microprocessor and microcontrollers. says Atte Pihlava, Director Product Management QA at Qt Group.
About AUTOSAR
Automotive solutions are undergoing the wave of digitalization. Automotive technology is more and more based on software, designed and built by programmers. It is not only instrument clusters and in-vehicle infotainment systems that are changing but also smaller controls and displays such as various knobs and mirrors. One could say that the modern automotive product is as much a software product as it is a mechanic product. Increasing the use of software means increasing the need for software solutions: GUI design tools, development frameworks, and tools for quality assurance from early-stage analysis all the way to test automation.
In this context, the global development partnership AUTOSAR (AUTomotive Open System ARchitecture) actively advances industry collaboration in the area of automotive technologies and solutions. AUTOSAR aims to make the design, development, and manufacturing of automotive products faster, more scalable, more interoperable, and more secure. Since 2003, the partnership has grown and produced a number of specifications today in daily use amongst manufacturers and technology providers globally.
See Qt's AUTOSAR solutions live!
Qt Group demonstrates advanced AUTOSAR-specific software design, development, and quality assurance solutions at Embedded World 2024.
