RTI unveils connext drive 3.0 for vehicle software safety enhancement

This latest edition supports the rapid transition from prototype to production in vehicle development, ensuring compliance with the ISO26262 ASIL D functional safety standard. It effectively bridges the platform gap between DDS, AUTOSAR Classic, AUTOSAR Adaptive, and ROS 2. Connext Drive 3.0 assists Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in bringing their next-generation vehicles to market more swiftly, significantly reducing the need for custom communication and integration coding.

Constructed on the Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard, Connext Drive 3.0 addresses the need for safer, more flexible, and adaptable automotive systems, fostering a balance between functional safety and innovation. RTI collaborates with over 25 automotive companies, accelerating their software-defined vehicle programs.

Andrew Longhurst, Managing Director at WITTENSTEIN high integrity systems, shared: “There’s a growing need for auto manufacturers to reduce risk and accelerate production-readiness through safety-certified software. We see how the release of Connext Drive 3.0 can meet these requirements at the highest level, as it now includes a platform-independent footprint with ASIL-D compliance that facilitates the integration with SAFERTOS, our safety critical real-time operating system.”

Jim Chelini, President and CEO at Verocel, commented on the certification process: "Based on our rigorous and approved ISO26262 verification processes, Verocel has demonstrated that the latest version of RTI Connext Cert within Connext Drive 3.0 complies with ISO 26262 ASIL-D requirements. Over the course of several months, our teams conducted thorough code reviews, analysis, documentation and testing, and were able to generate full traceability mapping between all related lifecycle artifacts.”

Key features of Connext Drive 3.0 include:

• Functional safety: The first DDS-based communications framework adhering to the ISO26262 ASIL D standard.
• Accelerated certification: The first platform-independent ASIL-D TUV SUD certified software, eliminating the need for recertification due to changes in vehicle operating systems or network interfaces.
• Bridging platform gaps: The RTI Connext Integration Toolkit for AUTOSAR seamlessly connects DDS with AUTOSAR Classic/AUTOSAR Adaptive without custom code.

Pedro Lopez Estepa, Director of Automotive at RTI, discussed the framework's advantages: “Connext Drive 3.0 enables manufacturers to create safer, more flexible and adaptable communication architectures with less risk. Our customers now have an optimal way to enable vehicle communication as their platform evolves because of our latest platform-independent solution. The communication is not limited to DDS, as Connext Drive provides interoperable solutions with AUTOSAR Classic, AUTOSAR Adaptive and ROS. Connext Drive paves the way for the next generation of software-defined vehicles and empowers manufacturers to innovate fearlessly while accelerating success.”