Renesas Electronics and SYSGO Collaborate to Jointly Develop Basic Software for CPU Virtualization Technology Enabling Real-Time Control

Through the collaboration, Renesas Electronics will develop added functions necessary for the efficient operation of virtualization software enabling high-speed real-time control and improving the usability of the software development environment, incorporating these functions into microcontrollers (MCUs) with V850 CPU core.

SYSGO will port to Renesas Electronics’ V850 core its PikeOS hybrid OS, which enables multiple OSes to run simultaneously on a single CPU, providing virtualization support. SYSGO will assess PikeOS in actual automotive and other applications, and the feedback of their evaluation results will be used to optimize the specifications of PikeOS and Renesas Electronics’ V850 CPU core. In addition to complying with functional safety standards such as DO-178B (Note 1) and EN50128 (Note 2), which PikeOS already supports, the basic software to be developed will include support for the envisioned ISO 26262 functional safety standard and provide security functionality such as support for MILS (Note 3) and EAL (Note 4).

PikeOS is an innovative product, providing an embedded systems platform where multiple virtual machines can run simultaneously in a secure environment. The safe and secure virtualization technology allows multiple operating system APIs to run concurrently on one machine, e.g. an AUTOSAR application together with Linux. The PikeOS microkernel architecture allows it to be used in cost-sensitive, resource-constrained devices as well as large, complex systems. The simplicity and compactness of the PikeOS design results in real-time performance that competes head-to-head with conventional proprietary RTOS solutions. PikeOS is certifiable to safety standards such as DO-178B or IEC 61508, and is also MILS compliant.

“Renesas Electronics is a well-known provider of electronics components with the reputation of being innovative and high quality oriented,” said Jacques Brygier, VP Marketing of SYSGO. “Besides the perfect technical adequacy of the scalable PikeOS with Renesas Electronics’ new V850 platform, the choice of this integration is part of bigger business cooperation with Renesas Electronics that started years ago, including the other SYSGO product, ELinOS.”

“We have been developing a virtualization technology for our V850 architecture to enable control of multiple systems with a single CPU core without mutual interference, allowing high speed and composite control in fields such as industrial machinery and automotive systems, where real-time control is essential,” said Michiya Nakamura, general manager of the 1st MCU Business Division, Renesas Electronics Corporation. “This collaboration with SYSGO enables us to achieve more scalable CPU architecture and to provide virtualization technology that supports our customers in building more flexible development systems.”