Virtual Validation Cloud: An Electronic System Validation Platform Based on Cloud Computing Resources

摘要

This paper describes a Virtual Validation Cloud (V~2Cloud), a new computation platform designed for extensive failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) of an automotive electronic control system. Recently, automotive developers have been requested to execute enormous amounts of system-level tests in order to assure functional safety of electric control systems. Moreover, the upcoming industry standard, IS026262, demands that system-level validation assures extensive sets of test vectors and clarifies results of the tests as evidence of functional safety. It is unrealistic to execute these system-level tests by only using conventional hardware in the loop simulation (HILS). Virtual HILS (VHILS), a system-level validation environment for automotive systems based on co-simulation of software and mechatronics, has already been proposed. Virtualizing an automotive electronic control systems makes its testing environment more software-centric and independent of actual hardware. The VHILS can insert test vectors, suspend and resume execution of simulation it and reproduce simulation status. A V~2Cloud system has been developed that automates these VHILS functions on a scalable computing resources. The V~2Cloud not only executes VHILS in parallel, but also abstracts the differences of types of simulation, structure of target systems and configuration of computers in order to hide them from developers and enable them to form an extensive set of test-vectors. The V~2Cloud system was applied to a safety validation process of an actual automotive control system. The system was prototyped on multiple types of cloud-computing resources. Moreover the results of cost statistics said that V~2Cloud can reduce simulation turn-around-time enough to complete validation extensively.