Geensys launches its first AUTOSAR Development Kit

Geensys, the specialist provider of embedded development tools, value-added embedded engineering and consulting services, and embedded software IP, has launched its first in a planned series of AUTOSAR Development Kits designed to enable automotive electronics engineers learn about and practice AUTOSAR software development in an easy and flexible way.

Geensys’ first AUTOSAR Development Kit combines a hardware evaluation board, complete with Freescale S12X microcontroller, with basic software modules (BSWs) compliant with AUTOSAR 2.1 and the complete AUTOSAR Builder tool chain. With the AUTOSAR Development Kit, engineers can learn and practice how to handle the end-to-end development of AUTOSAR applications, starting from the system level definition of the application through to the ECU configuration of the architectural BSW modules.

The AUTOSAR Development Kit also comes complete with CANbus and NVRAM demonstration examples. The CANbus demo exemplifies the integration of a complete communication stack including a CAN bus and the NVRAM example shows how to use the non-volatile RAM manager module to design auto-adaptive applications.

The AUTOSAR Development Kit comprises a starter manual, release note documentation, a platform users’ manual, BSW module user’s guide, BSW description files in XML format, a Geensys AUTOSAR Builder tool suite evaluation licence and an evaluation board with Freescale MC9S12XEP100 microcontroller. If needed, engineers have the ability to modify the demonstration examples or create new, dedicated ones. However, to do this an additional CAN generator tool and a compilation tool chain (CodeWarrior IDE for HC12 v4.6) will be needed.

The Geensys AUTOSAR Builder tool suite provides all the building blocks needed to ensure an easy start to, and the ultimate success of, AUTOSAR projects. From high level system design through to ECU configuration, AUTOSAR Builder provides all the dedicated tools required to support each step of the AUTOSAR methodology. The tools include:

• AAT: The AUTOSAR Authoring Tool enables engineers to easily design a software component (SWC), ECU resources, system topology and the communication matrix.
• EEX: Performs the ECU Extract needed to extract a single ECU specific description from the overall vehicle description.
• SCVT: Offers validation facilities for engineers to statistically verify the conformance of AUTOSAR XML descriptions either alone or in conjunction with the implementation of an SWC and its generated RTE (at contract phase).
• GCE: Facilitates the creation and configuration of BSW module parameters through a flexible and generic editor.

The comprehensive set of BSW demonstration modules provided by Geensys (jointly with Infosys) support the underlying standardised software architecture defined by AUTOSAR. This ranges from system services to memory management and the communication stack (CAN, LIN and FlexRay). BSW module integration is made easy and flexible becoming a semi-automated process with dedicated configuration assistants facilitating consistent parameters setting. Templates are provided with the modules that can be used by the configuration code generator to create related configuration source and header files.

The AUTOSAR Development Kit is priced at €25,000 and will be available in March 2008. It comes with five days onsite support and one year’s maintenance.

Created through the formal merger of two of France’s most innovative and dynamic companies in the embedded market – TNI Software and Ayrton Technology – Geensys is a powerful new force in the provision of embedded development tools, value-added embedded engineering and consulting services, and embedded software IP. Geensys is privately-owned and operates on a global scale through direct sales offices in France, Germany, Japan and China and through resellers in the USA and Europe. Geensys brings together a broad range of complementary embedded services and products founded on a commitment to quality, backed by an extensive, well-proven track record and designed to satisfy the embedded development requirements of the global automotive, aerospace, defence, railway, industrial automation and telecommunications industries.