Software Overview: These Operating Systems Are Available for the Car

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In contrast to the computer world, there is no such thing as "the" operating system for vehicles. Instead, there are a number of special systems that are used depending on the application. An overview.

In addition to the constant and rapid change, the fact that car manufacturers pursue very different "make or buy" strategies when selecting or developing vehicle software, including operating systems (OS), has remained constant. Some make extensive use of an OS developed and, if necessary, adapted by external providers and can thus get to market comparatively quickly and, as a synergy effect, utilize the expertise of the selected supplier from other projects.

Other manufacturers are aiming for a high proportion of their own - for commercial reasons alone: If the "software-defined vehicle" (SDV) becomes a reality, it will be possible, for example, to continuously generate revenue with switchable functions and services - over the entire service life of the vehicle. And the manufacturer has greater influence on adapting the software functions to its brand essence.

The Trend: Zonal Architecture with HPC Processors

In addition, the hardware and software architecture of vehicles is currently undergoing major changes. E/E infrastructures with more than 100 control units per vehicle are being replaced by centralized and "zonal" architectures with high-performance HPC (High Performance Computing) processors familiar from the gaming world. In addition to extremely high computing speeds, they enable the integration of embedded control units, actuators and sensors. And the number of zones (e.g. two to six) can be easily scaled depending on the vehicle model. This reduces complexity, saves costs and improves scalability - with high performance.

Open Systems Based on Open Source Software

At the same time, there is a trend towards using open source software and jointly developed software systems in order to keep development costs low for everyone involved and to benefit from an open, standardized and powerful system. Car manufacturers need to find the right solution for their individual business model and scenario - taking into account the entire ecosystem from the chip to the cloud.

Software virtualization is playing an increasingly important role, particularly in terms of E/E zone architecture. It creates the prerequisite for running multiple operating systems on embedded hardware resources. This capability is crucial for separating infotainment and security functions, for example.

Overview of Car Operating Systems

With these aspects in mind, the market shares of the operating systems currently in use are shifting. Some fulfill the requirements mentioned here better than others. The ecosystem of available car operating systems comprises a wide variety of solutions, each with their own advantages and challenges as well as hardware requirements and usage options, so a decision must be carefully weighed up. Here is an overview:

• Android Automotive is arguably the most comprehensive operating system because it combines the benefits of open source with many valuable advantages, including a Bluetooth stack, media player, HMI framework, multi-display support and access to Google Automotive Services and the Google Play Store.
• Automotive Grade Linux (AGL) is commonly used as the basis for a connected car software stack. In this project, car manufacturers, suppliers and software companies are working together to develop a scalable open source software stack for connected cars. With Linux at its core, the AGL platform promises rapid development and testing of prototypes and solutions for connected cars in an open community.

If you also consider the entire automotive E/E architecture with its various subsystems, other operating systems come into play that were and are developed and used as independent subsystems within the HPC ecosystem. These include

• Apex OS: An operating system specially developed for mobility, smart machines and IoT. It is certified according to the Automotive Functional Safety Standard ISO 26262 and Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) D.
• Autosar Classic and Adaptive: These operating systems meet both security and high-performance requirements. They are suitable for multicore applications as well as for the intensive use of hardware accelerators such as neural network accelerators and digital signal processors.
• FreeRTOS was specially developed for microcontrollers and small microprocessors and is freely available under the MIT license.
• Green Hills Integrity is based on a partitioning architecture to improve security, reliability and performance. Integrity utilizes hardware memory protection to isolate and protect embedded applications. Green Hills Software also offers pre-integrated middleware packages that work seamlessly with and leverage Integrity's advanced real-time operating system capabilities.
• Blackberry's QNX is a powerful, proprietary core operating system for embedded systems that is pre-certified to ISO 26262.
• Nvidia Drive OS was developed specifically for safety-critical applications and offers services such as secure boots, security services, a firewall and over-the-air (OTA) updates. It is the reference operating system and associated software stack for autonomous vehicle applications running on Drive AGX-based hardware.
• SafeRTOS is a high-performance real-time operating system with a small footprint that is pre-certified according to ISO 26262 ASIL D.
• Wind River: VxWorks is based on an extensible, future-proof architecture that allows it to react quickly to changing market requirements and technical developments. The system supports C++17, Boost, Rust, Python, Pandas etc. with an edge-optimized, OCI-compliant container engine
• Zephyr OS: A scalable, open-source, real-time operating system designed for resource-constrained embedded devices. Zephyr supports multiple architectures and offers modular components, security features and connectivity stacks, making it suitable for IoT and automotive applications.
• RTEMS (Real-Time Executive for Multiprocessor Systems): An open-source, highly reliable real-time operating system designed for embedded systems, including aerospace and automotive. It supports multiprocessor configurations and provides deterministic performance for safety-critical applications.
• Amazon FreeRTOS: A small, open-source real-time operating system for microcontrollers, optimized for IoT and edge devices. It integrates AWS services for secure connectivity, over-the-air updates and device management.

Large Selection - At First Glance

The overview shows that there is a large selection of software operating systems for cars. However, the choice can be narrowed down depending on the focus of the car manufacturer. Even the fundamental decision "Proprietary system or open source?" narrows down the spectrum of possible operating systems. In any case, the decision has major implications for the "software-defined vehicle" (SDV) of the future. And because (software) development is progressing rapidly, this overview will have to be updated in the not too distant future.