Linux Gaining Ground in Automotive
Linux is already deployed in infotainment, instrument clusters and some ADAS ECU functions, but how will it meet the requirements for functional safety compliance?
Neukirchner noted that Elektrobit, together with Canonical, launched EB Corbus Linux last year. “It is a Linux distribution for quality-managed applications without any safety around it but where we already offer security maintenance according to the UNECR 155 cybersecurity standard,” he said.
Elektrobit recently announced an EB Corbus Linux variant for safety applications that has been assessed by TÜV Nord for the safety element out of context (SEooC) based on safety standards ISO 26262 ASIL B and IEC 61508 SIL 2. Neukirchner said, “We apply standard mechanisms in a new way to Linux. Instead of qualifying the complete operating system, we monitor the interaction between an application and Linux and put a control layer in a hypervisor underneath Linux to enable [safety] properties.” The approach allows security patches to be incorporated upstream of the open-source project without ever touching the safety capabilities, he said.
AGL’s Cauchy commented on Linux’s role in other automotive applications. “Nothing prevents Linux from being used in other ECUs, and with the trend toward ECU consolidation and higher-performance processors, you could run infotainment and the instrument cluster side by side on the same SoC using AGL’s SDV technology,” he said. “With Linux containers and virtualization, it is possible to run separate applications completely isolated from each other.”
From a functional safety perspective, Cauchy said, “AGL is working with other projects such as ELISA, a Linux Foundation project focused on functional safety for all sorts of applications, such as aviation, industrial, and automotive. For AGL, the initial goal is to bring the instrument cluster application to be functional safety certification-ready.”
Cauchy observed the need to define new functional safety standards that consider today’s software development life cycle. “The old days of ‘pouring cement’ on code and never changing it is no longer applicable, since modern software requires constant updates and security fixes,” he said. “Older specifications, such as ISO 26262, need to be revamped and modernized. With over-the-air update capabilities, modern software can be made safe and updatable at the same time.”