What Is AUTOSAR

What is AUTOSAR? The AUTOSAR standard, which is also known as the AUTomotive Open System ARchitecture (AUTOSAR), was founded in order to standardize the functionality of automotive embedded software. And, that goal has led to several important developments. Read along or jump to the section that interests you most about AUTOSAR and AUTOSAR development tools:

• What Is AUTOSAR?
• Why AUTOSAR Coding Guidelines?
• Who Should Use the AUTOSAR Standard?
• How to Achieve AUTOSAR Compliance

➡️ Meet AUTOSAR Compliance Easily with Perforce Static Analysis

What Is AUTOSAR?

AUTOSAR is a worldwide partnership that is comprised of over 180 automotive manufacturers, automotive suppliers, tool vendors, semiconductor vendors, and even Perforce’s static code analysis team (formerly PRQA).

Since forming in 2003, AUTOSAR has:

• Developed standardized open software architecture for automotive electronic units (ECUs).
• Created the Adaptive Platform for connected and autonomous vehicles.
• Established a coding standard for C++.

Why AUTOSAR? Why Are AUTOSAR Coding Guidelines Important?

The standard is called: “Guidelines for the use of the C++14 language in critical and safety-related systems”.

Who Wrote AUTOSAR Coding Guidelines?

This coding standard was created in 2017. Experts from Perforce's static code analysis team (formerly PRQA) were part of the group that developed the AUTOSAR guidelines. In fact, we were the only static language development partner involved. And we contributed our expertise in C++ and best practice software development.

This set of guidelines is aimed at automotive development. But it's applicable to other safety-critical developers who code in C++.

Why the AUTOSAR Standard? Why Should You Adopt the AUTOSAR Standard?

The MISRA C++ coding standard was published in 2008 — for ++03. Since then, many things have changed.

C++ has evolved. C++ compilers have improved. Testing, verification, and analysis tools have gotten better. ISO 26262 was released. And additional C++ coding standards have become available — HIC++, JSF AV C++, CERT C++, and C++ Core Guidelines.

The AUTOSAR standard addresses these changes. It also incorporates the expert knowledge embedded in these other coding standards.

AUTOSAR shares coding rules with MISRA C++. And many are based on other C++ coding standards. So, AUTOSAR delivers the most comprehensive coverage of the C++ language.

The AUTOSAR standard allows the use of some features that are not permitted by other C++ coding standards, including:

• Dynamic memory
• Exceptions
• Templates
• Inheritance
• Virtual functions 

📕 Related Resource: AUTOSAR BASICS: INTRODUCTION TO AUTOSAR CODING GUIDELINES

What Is the Future of the AUTOSAR Standard?

AUTOSAR coding guidelines will be integrated in the next version of MISRA C++. Find out what this means for the future of the guidelines >>

Why AUTOSAR? What Are the Benefits of the AUTOSAR Standard?

The top benefits of the standard include:

• Helping OEMs remain competitive with innovative functions.
• Providing OEMs with increased design flexibility.
• Increasing suppliers' efficiency in functional development.
• Offering tool providers with common interfaces for development processes.
• Granting tool providers a seamless, manageable, and task optimized work environment.

Who Should Use the AUTOSAR Standard?

Development teams coding in C++14 should use the standard.

Automotive Software Developers Should Use AUTOSAR

The standard is especially important for teams developing automotive software.

That’s because the industry is moving towards autonomous vehicles. AUTOSAR has responded by creating the Adaptive Platform for connected and autonomous vehicles. 

Embedded Developers Should Use AUTOSAR

The standard was designed to support AUTOSAR’s Adaptive Platform. But it is a smart choice for all embedded developers.

That’s because more development teams are moving from C to C++. Many developers want to use modern C++. And now that the standard is available, it’s easier to move to modern C++.

📕 Related White Paper: MOVING TO MODERN C++ 

Why AUTOSAR? How to Achieve AUTOSAR Compliance Using AUTOSAR Development Tools

Compliance with a coding standard is important for functional safety. You need it to fulfill the requirements of ISO standards (such ISO 26262).

The best way to achieve compliance is with a static code analyzer.

Using AUTOSAR Development Tools for AUTOSAR Compliance

Perforce QAC for C++ is one of the best AUTOSAR development tools. It finds and reports on violations on the standard. (This is done by applying the AUTOSAR compliance module.)

Here's how to apply AUTOSAR guidelines with AUTOSAR development tool Perforce QAC. 

Using Perforce QAC gives you:

• Greater accuracy in complying with AUTOSAR guidelines.
• In-depth analysis of your C++ code.
• Comprehensive diagnostics, including examples of compliant and non-compliant code.
• Compliance reports, demonstrating your progress towards compliance.