Abstract
Current automotive E/E architectures are subject to big changes:
Computing-power-intensive advanced driver-assistance systems,
bandwidth-hungry infotainment systems, the connection of the vehicle
with the internet and the consequential need for cyber-security drives
the centralization of E/E architectures. A centralized architecture is
often seen as a key enabler to master those challenges. Available
research focuses mostly on the different types of E/E architectures and
contrasts their advantages and disadvantages. There is a research gap on
guidelines for system designers and function developers to analyze the
potential of their systems for centralization. The present paper aims to
make centralization potential quantifiable. To achieve this, we
conducted a literature review and qualitative interviews with
practitioners. From literature, we have identified seven automotive
system properties reaching limitations in current automotive
architectures: busload, functional safety, computing power, feature
dependencies, development and maintenance costs, error rate, modularity
and flexibility. The system properties are interpreted as quantitative
evaluation criteria for an estimation whether centralization brings a
benefit for the overall system performance. In the interviews, we have
validated centralization and its fundament - the conceptual systems
engineering - as capabilities to diminish the limitations. Based on this
research, system designers can optimize their systems to face the
previously mentioned challenges and avoid the evolution towards a
monolithic architecture.
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