Dev Kit now supports AVB and CAN-FD network peripherals

By using the kit, automotive engineers designing RH850-based ECUs can start software development, integration and testing months before hardware is available, resulting in higher product quality and reduced development cost. The Ethernet AVB and CAN-FD models were developed through the Center of Excellence collaboration between Synopsys and Renesas.

According to a report published by Frost & Sullivan, titled ‘Strategic Outlook of Automotive Ethernet Technology in Europe and North America’, luxury vehicles will feature more than 100 Ethernet nodes by 2020. Ethernet AVB is an IEEE standard for efficient streaming of audio and video content over Ethernet networks. The VDK for Renesas RH850/F1H integrates the model of Renesas' Ethernet AVB IP.

CAN is a multi-master serial bus standard for connecting ECUs. CAN-FD extends the data rates of CAN to 8Mbit/s. The Synopsys model of the Renesas CAN-FD IP can be integrated into any Synopsys VDK for Renesas RH850-based virtual prototype. To allow developers to work in a virtual environment which delivers more debug and analysis capabilities than the physical environment, the CAN-FD IP is integrated with Vector CANoe and rest-of-bus simulation tools.

"The requirement for more communication bandwidth is requiring tier one automotive suppliers and OEMs to deploy automotive network technologies such as Ethernet AVB and CAN-FD," said Naoki Yada, Department Manager, Automotive Control Technical Strategy Department, 1st Solution Business Unit, Renesas Electronics. "Synopsys, through our joint Center of Excellence, delivers a complete virtual prototyping solution for companies developing automotive systems with advanced networking requirements. Renesas RH850 VDKs enable companies to start development earlier and improve software quality."

"In-vehicle communication is becoming more prevalent in advanced automobiles. To address this need, automotive tier one and OEM companies are implementing the latest networking standards," said John Koeter, Vice President of Marketing, IP and Prototyping, Synopsys. "By providing VDKs with support for Renesas' Ethernet AVB and CAN-FD IP through our joint Center of Excellence collaboration, we enable developers to start automotive system software development for Renesas RH850 MCUs earlier, resulting in higher product quality."