Embedded virtualization for automotive MCUs to boost security & safety
The software packages implement embedded optimized virtualization technology that enables embedded systems to have, in a single system, security features that protect the car from external threats, and functional safety features that assure continued safe operation even in the event of failures.
In areas such as instrument cluster and driver monitoring, support for functional safety is particularly required to safely handle the car even in the event of failures. Security is another key concern. Automotive cyber security becomes mission critical as modern cars are advancing towards connected cars that allow applications to be downloaded from the open cloud to update and upgrade the software in the car. Increased security functions are required to protect the car from malicious attacks over the network and to secure personal information handled in the cloud. Applications for cloud services need to be separated from instrument cluster to avoid important information from being lost or destroyed.
Renesas is offering software packages that enable the integration of multiple automotive systems, including systems that require security and functional safety features, in a single R-Car platform:
– A Virtualization Package that allows multiple operating systems (OS) to be integrated simultaneously and for multiple different applications to operate on a single R-Car system for enhanced system integration.
– Security Package that allows the implementation of secure booting and secure updates among other functions to meet changing security requirements.
– Functional Safety Package that enables control of the safety mechanisms (hardware IPs) included in the R-Car system-on-chip (SoC).
As its first release of embedded hypervisor for virtualization, Renesas adopted the INTEGRITY Multivisor from Green Hills Software. With this hypervisor, a suitable OS for the application software, such as Real Time OS (RTOS), Linux, or Android, can be installed. The required level of security and functional safety can be assured by dividing the system into independent and robust partitions. Diverse applications can be run on a single R-Car platform. For example, Linux and/or Android OS can also be installed to run applications that require cloud connectivity or navigation, and the Green Hills Software INTEGRITY or other real-time OS can be installed on the same platform for applications that require functional safety support, such as instrument cluster and warning sound generator. The low performance degradation compared to running these applications on individual hardware such as system-on-chips (SoC) or microcontrollers (MCUs), enables integration in a single system on the R-Car platform. Support for other hypervisors will be rolled out sequentially.
Renesas has software for implementing strong security functions, such as: secure boot functions that prevent modifications to programs; security level management functions that correspond to the product lifetime; and trusted execution environments. The latest software also enables OTA updating, which allows application and OS upgrades without the driver having to return to the car dealer. Renesas plans to sequentially roll out a variety of security software packages to respond to system structures and needs, and to support the hypervisor.
To implement functional safety, the Renesas R-Car H3 and R-Car M3 SoCs feature multiple hardware blocks to support their safety concept. This includes the runtime self-test system that Renesas announced at the ISSCC 2016 conference. This technology achieves the required diagnostic coverage of functional safety and reduces interruptions to programs running during the tests while taking advantage of multi-core CPUs to perform self-tests to detect faults. Renesas supports system development that supports functional safety by providing software that controls this safety mechanism.
Renesas Electronics Europe; www.renesas.com
Green Hills; www.ghs.com
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