Performance to power the future

To ensure the increasing complexity in vehicle electronics stays manageable, Bosch is reorganizing the tasks carried out within the electric/electronic (E/E) architecture. Vehicle functions will in future be controlled by a few extremely powerful central computers – the vehicle computers. Moreover, the company is developing the appropriate software for these high-performance computers. The connected approach that Bosch is applying here is also new: The vehicle computers will work across all domains, that is to say, one computer will execute a large number of different software functions in the powertrain, chassis, driver assistance, and infotainment domains, etc. that today are still executed on separate control units.

Cross-domain functions

can be flexibly integrated

Enabler for

connected and automated driving

Centralization of the

intelligence

of a great many control units in the vehicle in just a few vehicle computers

The shift from shared computing power to smart domain ECUs

In future, vehicles will be defined by an intelligent combination of electronics and software, and they will be connected with the driver, their surroundings, and with one another. Bosch is embracing this development and is driving it forward by making use of the paradigm shift in the electric/electronic architecture – away from a domain-specific E/E architecture and toward a vehicle-centralized, zone-oriented E/E architecture. This type of architecture uses only a few immensely powerful cross-domain vehicle computers in combination with zone ECUs. Besides resulting in synergies, this approach also offers numerous opportunities to optimize the electronic systems and to get new innovations onto the roads.

No vehicle functions without a control unit

Approaches for evolutionary and revolutionary development

No vehicle functions without a control unit

Bosch already supplies hardware and software for components and systems in the powertrain, chassis, cockpit, and HMI as well as in the areas of safety, driver assistance, and automated driving. The vehicle of the future will, however, feature a much higher level of automation and connectivity than today’s vehicles. When it comes to implementing the new vehicle functions required for this, conventional vehicle control units and E/E architectures reach their technical limits.

Vehicle computers provide a solution

Current E/E architectures already interconnect more than one hundred individual control units, each of which is responsible for controlling domain-specific functions. This results in complexity that cannot just keep growing as needed. Cross-domain vehicle computers provide greater flexibility in the allocation of functions and simplify the integration and control of cross-domain functions. This makes the ever faster growing range of functions much more manageable, since all the major software functions are consolidated on just a few computers.

One solution for diverse requirements

Vehicle computers make it easy to integrate software modules from different vendors and with diverse security requirements on a single piece of hardware. They can furthermore be updated so that vehicle manufacturers and third-party vendors can upgrade the functional software throughout the vehicle life cycle and adapt it to meet the current requirements.

Approaches for evolutionary and revolutionary development

A key feature when implementing the vehicle computer concept is its flexibility. In existing E/E architectures, only function control is centralized using vehicle computers, while the embedded device structure is preserved. In new E/E architectures, on the other hand, maximum benefit can be achieved by deploying vehicle computers in combination with the vehicle-centralized, zone-oriented architecture.

Vehicle runtime environment (VRTE)

With the vehicle runtime environment (VRTE), Bosch offers a secure, reliable platform software framework for vehicle computers that is based on the AUTOSAR standard. VRTE provides the basis for functions and controls the hardware. That includes, for instance, the operating system, the hypervisor (which separates application domains from one another), and further security elements. The VRTE therefore provides a solid, powerful, flexible foundation for integrating the application functions of the vehicle manufacturers and service providers on a single control unit (vehicle computer). With the vehicle computers and the VRTE, Bosch combines its dedicated know-how and multisystem vehicle expertise with expertise in E/E architecture, complex real-time software, IoT, and hardware. The VRTE will be found in many Bosch vehicle computers in the coming vehicle generations. It is also available to other companies from the Bosch subsidiary ETAS.

Vehicle computer solutions

Domain control unit for driver assistance systems (DASy)

The vehicle computer for assisted and automated driving (DASy) collects data from the driver assistance sensors, uses this information to create a precise 360° model of the vehicle’s surroundings, and calculates highly complex functional algorithms to provide safe vehicle behavior and performance.

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Information domain computer (IDC) for cockpit functions

The information domain computer (IDC) from Bosch combines cockpit functions from different areas in a single system on a chip (SoC). The computational functions of the up to now separate infotainment and instrumentation domains as well as other functions are consolidated on a single processor.

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Vehicle control unit (VCU) for powertrain management

As the central control unit for the powertrain, the vehicle control unit (VCU) takes on functions like torque coordination, driving and gear-shifting strategies, high-voltage and 48 V coordination, battery charging control, on-board diagnostics, monitoring, thermal management, and much, much more.

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Domain control unit for driver assistance systems (DASy)

Information domain computer (IDC) for cockpit functions

Vehicle control unit (VCU) for powertrain management