R-Car reference package for Android now available

Android 8.0 is the first version of Android OS to include support for functions required in automotive systems. The combination of this OS with Renesas' robust and highly secure automotive SoC simplifies development of automotive Android platforms. The R-Car reference package for Android comprises the R-Car reference board and an extension board as hardware environment, and the Board Support Package (BSP) as software support.

The R-Car reference package for Android lowers barrier of entry to the automotive market for software developers who have no experience with automotive systems, while software developers without Android development experience can take advantage of Android's powerful ecosystem and existing application resources when using the reference package.

The Android platform is widely used worldwide, mainly in smartphones. An ecosystem comprising resourceful application developers has been formed based on Android. While application of this OS to areas other than smartphones has been progressing within this ecosystem, it has been necessary to customise Android for use in development of automotive systems.

The latest Android 8.0 is configured, for the first time, with a framework for automotive application support as a standard component, making it possible to use Android 8.0 for automotive applications out of the box. The high level cloud services for smartphones will now be available in vehicles, and is expected to spur the development of new cloud-based services for cars.

Availability
The R-Car Reference Package for Android will be available from October 2017.

Renesas provides a wide range of solutions that are accelerating the achievement of self-driving cars under the Renesas autonomy concept.

As part of that effort, Renesas is putting special efforts into the development of technologies for the connected car to implement new services linked to the cloud. Renesas will continue to lead automotive information system development in the connected car age by assuring that R-Car remains compatible with the latest Android version and will continue to contribute to a safe and secure automotive society.