Board Support Package: Providing Robust Foundation for Deploying Automotive Applications
Board support package (BSP) aka Platform Software forms the foundation of an automotive application. It needs to be reliable, secure, and most importantly, developed for the specific microcontroller. From low-level drivers and abstraction layers to communication and diagnostics, platform software has a comprehensive set of tasks to facilitate.
Embitel’s Board Support Package: Ready for Cybersecurity Applications
Embitel offers Board Support Package (BSP) solutions and reference designs for an array of automotive-grade microcontroller platforms (Freescale, Fujitsu, IAR and more) that are popularly deployed for automotive applications.
Our Board Support Package is equipped with secure communication and secure diagnostics layerwith state-of-the art cybersecurity modules such as crypto interface layer, and crypto drivers to name a few. The BSP also comprises safety module to address possible faults emerging from BSP modules.
Talk to our BSP development experts to get started with your automotive project!
Meet Our Automotive Leaders
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Senthil is an automotive veteran with 15+ years of experience in various domains and technologies. As a technology leader, Senthil has been at the helm of projects relating to ISO 26262, Model Based Development and more. Being a SAFe -Certified Agile Scrum Master, Senthil has expertise in analysing customer pain-points and giving the right solution. Senthil Nathan Periasami | Head-Automotive BU |
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Suresh is the man with solutions. A pro in multitasking, Suresh is always there for his team and also handles the customers’ problems with alacrity. Under Suresh, the automotive team has delivered some very critical projects with the biggest OEMs and suppliers. His ability to understand the customers’ pain points and come up with solutions is his biggest virtue. Suresh Kumar | Technical Manager(A people’s Manager) |
Board Support Package: Features and Use-cases
Safety Modules for Reliability
- - Our BSP is designed as a platform software equipped with cutting-edge safety modules such as RAM ECC/EDC, battery voltage monitors and clock monitor to name a few.
- - Safety relevant tests including CPU overload test, flash ECC test, program flow test, core test, stack overflow tests have been performed to ensure reliability and fail-safe operation of the platform software.
Cybersecurity Modules
- - Cybersecurity module enables unique access to basic cryptographic functionalities for all software modules.
- - Cryptographic interface layer along with crypto driver ensure protection from cyberattacks on the automotive ECU.
MISRA C Compliant
- - In order to be sure of the quality and integrity of the solution, we strictly adhere to the quality guidelines and MISRA C best practices.
- - The BSP is tested rigorously under stress conditions to optimize the overall system performance. This includes optimization of power to reduce the power footprint and optimization of the boot-time.
Board Support Package Use-cases
- - Our BSP software package is designed to support all automotive applications such as infotainment, body control module, motor control solutions etc.
- - The built-in cybersecurity modules make our BSP ideal for cybersecurity compliant applications such as secure bootloaders, telematics solutions etc.
Ready-to-integrate
- - We offer ready-to-deploy BSP reference design solutions for all the popular hardware platforms. Leverage the pre-tested and production grade BSP reference design to reduce product development cost and time-to-market.
- - We also provide custom BSP development, tailor-made for your automotive requirements.
Success Story of Development and Integration of Our Board Support Package
Development and Integration of Platform Software/BSP for an Automotive Lighting Project
About the customer:
Our customer is a pioneer in developing automotive lighting solutions.
Business Challenge:
To ensure ASIL B compliance for board support package came across as a major challenge for our customer.
Our Solution:
- • Design and Development of Low-level Drivers such as MCU, WDT, ADC, PORT, DIO,IVT, Timer, Code Flash, Data Flash and Sleep/Wakeup.
- • Design and development of safety layer including Overload detection, Stack Overflow detection.
- • Diagnostics Layer Development
Tools and Technologies:
- • Tessy Tool: For Unit Testing of the platform software module
- • PolySpace: For static code analysis
- • IDE- WINIdea and GHC compiler
Board Support Package Implementation and Configuration for Automotive Tier-1 Suppliers
About the customer:
We have partnered with reputed automotive Tier-1s and after-market companies, from the US, Europe and India, for multiple Board Support Package (BSP) development projects.
Business Challenge:
The challenge, in most of the BSP development projects, is to customize the BSP with the requisite low-level drivers and hardware abstraction libraries. Rigorous testing also needs to be done with each custom module that has been added to the BSP package.
Our Solution:
We have developed an array of BSPs for automotive grade MCUs including Fujitsu family, FreeScale family, IAR and more.
Hence, we had a ready-to-deploy BSP that only needs a few customizations based on the project’s requirement.
Tools and Technologies:
- • Softune IDE: To develop programs for FR family of Fujitsu Microcontrollers.
- • CodeWarrior: IDE to write program primarily for FreeScale microcontroller family and a few others.
- • IAR: A workbench primarily used for RENESAS microcontroller.
- • Greenhills: An IDE from Greenhills Software to develop BSP for PowerPC.
Board Support Package: Cybersecurity Ready Platform Software
Powered by cybersecurity module (CSM), our board support package is ready to support automotive applications that require cybersecurity features.
The cybersecurity module enables unique access to basic cryptographic functions to all software modules. The CSM comprises crypto interface layer and software crypto driver.
- • Crypto interface layer (Cry IF): The crypto interface layer provides a set of standardized cryptographic algorithms, such as AES, SHA, ECC, TLS, and MAC, which can be implemented by different automotive software components.
- • Crypto Driver: We implement crypto driver in 3 different ways- software based, hardware security module (HSM), third party cybersecurity library.
- We implement security algorithms such as AES 128 RSA 1406 through software based crypto driver
- If the hardware used in the project comes with HSM, we develop the required drivers
- We can also interface any 3rd party cybersecurity library, if required
CSM is deployed for both diagnostics and communication.
- • Secure Communication: Data communication through CAN, Ethernet or other protocol, is secured by cybersecurity features built inside crypto IF layer and crypto drivers.
- • Secure Diagnostics: Secure diagnostics is enabled by utilizing UDS services 27 (secure communication) and 29 (authentication).
Know more about Board Support Package and BSP software integration and support services
A Closer Look at BSP Platform Software Architecture
Different modules of our Board Support Package:
Low Level Driver: It is a software module that directly accesses on-chip MCU peripheral modules that are mapped to memory. As a result, it makes the upper software layer independent of the MCU.
Hardware Abstraction Layer: It is the layer between Low level Driver and the upper layer. A hardware abstraction layer (HAL) implements a reusable hardware interface in software. HAL is fully reusable and does not need rewriting when ported to new hardware.
Data Abstraction Layer: It is the layer between HAL and the Application layer. DAL coverts raw data into Physical Data which is received from either Low-level Driver or HAL Layer.
Device drivers: These are software components for external peripherals like EEPROM,SBC etc. They enable the external hardware module by either SPI, I2C or some other communication medium.
Safety Modules: These built-in modules supervise the MCU system and report instances of malfunction to upper layers.
Communication Stack: The layer is responsible for providing signal level access to the application layer. It packs the signals for the transmission and unpacks the received messages.
Diagnostic Stack: This layer comprises diagnostic protocols such as UDS, OBD, DoIP, J1939 etc.
Cybersecurity Module: The module is equipped with crypto interface layer and crypto driver to support applications that require cybersecurity compliance.
Integration of our BSP software is hassle free as:
- • It is a non-AUTOSAR Architecture.
- • It can be integrated with RTOS/non RTOS platform.
- • SW modules can be plugged in and removed based on project needs since it is a layered architecture.
Ready-to-Deploy Board Support Packages for Automotive Grade MCU Platforms
We offer ready-to-deploy Platform Software reference design solutions for all the popular hardware platforms. Leverage the pre-tested and production grade BSP reference design to reduce product development cost and time-to-market.
Following is the comprehensive list of MCU platforms for which we provide ready-to-deploy platform software:
| Infineon Microcontroller | Aurix TC3xx series |
| TLE98xx Series | |
| Texas Instrument | TMS320 |
| TMS320F28379d | |
| NXP | MPC57xx |
| S32K14x | |
| KEAZ128 | |
| KEAZ64 | |
| Cypress Semiconductor | Cypress PsoC series |
| Renesas | RH850 |
| V80 | |
| RL78/F13 | |
| RL78/F14 | |
| RL78/F15 | |
| ST Micro | STM32Fxx |
| SPC58xx | |
| Fujitsu | F2MC-16FX |
| Atmel Micro | ATSAMHA1G16A |
| SAMV70 | |
| Microchip | PIC16F series |
| DsPIC30F Series | |
| DsPIC40F Series | |
| Silabs | SLWSTK6102AA |
Software & Hardware Design services for Motor Control Electronic Systems
Device Driver Development
- Robust device drivers development is an essential part of BSP development. These drives support the different peripherals of the hardware including USB, GPS, touchscreen and more.
- These low-level drivers allows the OS Kernel to communicate with the hardware’s component like internal/external buses, CPU and memory.
Porting and Migration Services
- We offer support for Android BSP Porting and Linux BSP Porting to custom hardware platform
- Complete integration of BSP with your target hardware and OS is provided. Unit testing, functional testing and integration testing is performed to ensure bug-free code.
- BSP development, customization, application specific configurations and hardware-specific foot-print optimizations, bootloader specific configurations are carried out efficiently.
Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) Libraries Development
- The HAL includes all the routines that are required for hardware initialization, interrupt handling, hardware timer and clock and memory management.
- Implement Seed and Key algorithm for security access
- Additional device drivers and other services can be added to this library to support any custom hardware requirements.
Service and Safety Layer Services
- Diagnostics Module: Development and integration of automotive diagnostic software stacks (UDS/J1939/KWP2000/OBD II). Support for development and integration of custom-built diagnostic stack, as per your business requirements.
- Safety Module Development: Support for development and integration of following safety module to safe-guard system from run-time errors:
- RAM Corruption Test
- ROM Corruption Test
- CPU Overload Test
- Stack Overflow Test
- Program Flow Test
- ECU State Manager: An ECU State Manager software module is designed to periodically check the current state of the ECU.
The integrated ECU State Manager, periodically fetches value from the lower layers (HAL and Low-level Device Drivers) to identify if the system is in one of the following modes:- Init mode
- Run mode
- Fault mode
- Prepare to sleep mode
- Sleep mode
- FCM (Fault Code Memory): FCM module is also integrated in order to store data regarding active faults, in-active faults and freeze frame data for future analysis and diagnostics of the system.
This is a robust module designed to transfer fault code memory data between Non-Volatile Memory (NVM)/ROM and RAM based on the current state of the system
FAQs: Board Support Package (BSP) Development
Ans. Our Automotive software and hardware teams have partnered with global customers for development of Board Support Package (BSP) based on following hardware platforms:
- Renesas ( RL 78, RH 850)
- Freescale( S12G128, MPC56XX)
- Fujitsu, Texas, Atmel, STMicroelectronics and Cypress semiconductor.
Ans. We partner with our automotive customers under a one-time licensing fee model.
Under this model, our customer gets access to the entire source code of the Board Support Package (BSP). Customer also owns the IP rights of the BSP software.
Such a model delivers an added advantage of reuse of the BSP software modules across multiple projects (multiple platforms and/or for multiple application software).
P.S: When you partner with us for BSP Development, we also share the static files ;viz; cfg.c and cfg.h files. This enables your team to manage the system configuration and re-use of the source code for different projects.
Ans. Our team has in-depth expertise in Embedded C software programming language for BSP development.
Our BSP code is compliant with 2012 MISRA C standard.
Ans. Yes, we ensure seamless portability of your software component module to our existing software architecture with the help of our API ( Application Programming Interfaces) based design.
Here at Embitel, we don’t follow a coding practice that is based on global variables. Rather, we follow an API based and a layered architecture design for BSP development. This ensures that any customization or addition/removal of a software module doesn’t require major changes in the source code of that module.
All the software modules in different layers of the BSP, communicate via APIs’ . This makes it easy for us to port your software components to our software architecture without causing any compatibility issues.
Ans. Yes, we have experienced engineering professionals who can work on both RTOS (Real time Operating Systems) and Non-RTOS based applications by following API based architecture for application programming.
Ans. At Embitel Technologies, we have deployed the following tool-chains for BSP development across different projects:
- Softune IDE: An Integrated Development Environment, Softtune is useful in developing, emulating and debugging an embedded application. The IDE is primarily used for the FR family of Fujitsu Microcontrollers.
- IAR: is an embedded workbench that is primarily used for RENESAS microcontroller. It includes the IAR C/C++ compiler and debugger.
- Greenhills: Multi IDE from Greenhills Software is used for developing BSP for PowerPC. Our automotive team has years of experience in the development and customization of BSP for PowerPC.
- CodeWarrior: CodeWarrior is one of the most widely used IDEs (integrated development environment) for embedded systems. It is used for editing, compiling and debugging software program for a wide range of microcontroller families, primarily the FreeScale.
Ans. Yes. We offer the following documentation and testing services:
- Low Level Design Documentation
- API Documentation for software components
- Module Level Test Plan and Report: In order to ensure the quality of the application being developed, we perform unit testing, functional testing, and integration testing during the product development lifecycle. These tests are executed based on a test case plan and a report is generated once the tests are performed.
- a. Functional Testing & User Acceptance Testing : If we are involved in the development for the application software, we perform the functional testing and user acceptance testing.
- b. Manual testing: Manual testing is done for low level drivers
- c. Unit testing/ Script Testing: The unit testing is done through the Check C framework. A script testing helps in ensuring a Modified condition/Decision coverage.
- d. Integration Testing: If the application being developed has any additional software component, as per the user’s requirement, then an integration testing of the software modules is performed.
Our Expertise in BSP Tools and Technologies
1
Softune IDE
Softtune is an Integrated Development Environment to develop programs for FR family of Fujitsu Microcontrollers. This IDE takes care of all the development, emulation and debugging needs.
2
CodeWarrior
One of the most widely used tool in embedded systems, CodeWarrior is an integrated development environment that is used to write, compile and debug a program for several microcontroller families, most primarily FreeScale.
3
IAR
It is a workbench that is primarily used for RENESAS microcontroller. Their association with each other is quite old and strong.
4
Greenhills
Multi IDE from Greenhills Software is essentially used for developing BSP for PowerPC and our automotive team hasin-depth expertise in development and customization of BSP for PowerPC.
Knowledge Bytes
What is the Board Support Package?
- Board Support Package, abbreviated as BSP, is the set of software codes (for low-level drivers and hardware abstraction layer) which are essential to facilitate robust boot process of a microcontroller.
- It does not include any software other than what is necessary for the desired functioning of the peripherals of the System-on-Chip (SoC).
- As BSP is the first software code to be developed for a SoC, it also consists of the bootloader software that will load the applications in the OS memory. The board support package is also designed as per the unique specifications of a particular hardware platform and is not dependent on the OS (Operating System). With respect to the automotive embedded systems, the BSP can have varying number of CAN, PWM and ADC channels.
What Function does a BSP perform in an automotive ECU?
- The primary function of Board Support Package is to facilitate the communication between the hardware (microcontroller) and the application software.To enable this, the BSP has
- Low-level Drivers– Vehicle network drivers (CAN, LIN etc), Analog to digital converters and more.
- Hardware Abstraction Layer– I/O handler, Pulse Width Modulation handler, communication control and more.
- Service and Safety layers– RAM, State Manager, Fault Code Memory and Diagnostics stacks (like UDS, OBD2)
- Scheduler and Flash Bootloader
- In an automotive ECU, the peripherals on the SOC have to interact with the OS or the Scheduler (depending on the use case). These peripherals may include USB, GPS, touchscreen and more.
- Communication between the OS kernel and the hardware component like system Bus and Memory is also taken care by the Board Support Package.
- Modules to check the ECU state, memory management and fault code memory (FCM) are all handled by BSP software.
BSP may support additional functions as well depending on the use cases and applications.
