STMicroelectronics says its AutoDevKit simplifies automotive ECU prototyping
To simplify the prototyping of automotive electronic control units (ECUs), STMicroelectronics has introduced the AutoDevKit, with an ecosystem engineered to simplify the stage automotive design.
ECUs are described as mini computers that manage the many electronic systems in vehicles. The introduction of the AutoDevKit is part of the semiconductor manufacturer’s aim to help the automotive industry deliver safer, greener, and smarter vehicles to market more quickly and cost effectively with new tools that assist the development of ECUs.
As the automotive market transitions from using ordinary bulbs, mechanical systems, and hydraulics to lightweight, intelligent replacements such as LEDs and brushless motors, as part of the trend toward electrification and digitalisation, new vehicles typically contain over 100 ECUs. As their complexity is always increasing, design teams need to accelerate development to keep pace, observes STMicroelectronics.
ST’s AutoDevKit ecosystem introduces an efficient toolset for creating working prototypes, and supporting standardisation and design reuse. It is available free of charge.
The AutoDevKit library is a software environment that lets users select the microcontrollers and functional boards from ST’s wide automotive portfolio to easily prototype an automotive solution.
After choosing the preferred AutoDevKit components, users are guided to connect the boards, generate code, compile and download firmware, before prototype testing and debugging. A fundamental aspect of the AutoDevKit ecosystem is to offer easy-to-use application program interfaces (API) for communication and control for each of the functional boards supported.
Marco Monti, president, Automotive and Discrete Group, STMicroelectronics, estimates that the AutoDevKit ecosystem can reduce engineering effort by letting users concentrate on system functionality and offloading low-level tasks such as building device drivers.
The AutoDevKit software is part of the integrated design environment (IDE) for ST’s SPC5 automotive microcontrollers.
The complete AutoDevKit ecosystem includes the AutoDevKit library plug-in and hardware development tools including AEK microcontroller discovery and functional boards and AEKD system solution demonstrators that are optimised for automotive use.
The AEK tools include discovery boards for evaluating specific automotive microcontrollers and functional boards that help quickly implement various functions such as motor control, LED lighting, power management, audio and connectivity. Dedicated APIs are available for each board to control the features and facilitate communication, all without having a deep knowledge of the semiconductor devices employed or their datasheets.
The AEKD system solution demonstrators provide direct access to pre-assembled system-demonstrator boards, as well as board kits and non-electronic hardware assemblies such as car-like components and loads to help users closely emulate the desired solution.
AutoDevKit is fully integrated with SPC5 Studio software development environment and extends the IDE functionalities with automatic pin allocation for the microcontroller and board view editor dedicated to support users to interconnect several functional boards with the microcontroller board. AutoDevKit APIs are integrated with SPC5 Studio low-level drivers delivering code that is readily portable across microcontroller platforms.
