In a world first, NEC Electronics Europe announces release of complete microcontroller abstraction layer based on AUTOSAR Release 3.0/3.1

NEC Electronics Europe today released a complete microcontroller abstraction layer (MCAL) compliant with the AUTOSAR Release 3.0/3.1 software specification. NEC Electronics is the first supplier worldwide to launch an MCAL according to this version of the AUTOSAR standard. The MCAL has been available since November 2008 for V850E/PHO3™ microcontrollers and will be released for V850ES/Fx3™ microcontrollers in February 2009. Both MCUs are based on NEC Electronics’ 32-bit V850™ CPU core.

The MCAL software contains all AUTOSAR module drivers including the device driver for the FlexRay technology. To match the exceptional quality standards of the hardware, the MCAL software was developed using software processes compliant with the exacting CMMI and Automotive SPICE evaluation systems.

Since the end of 2007, the AUTOSAR standard has been available as Release 3.0. It has been expanded in many areas compared with Release 2.1. For instance, developers have harmonized the concept for wake-up of ECUs and start-up of networks in the vehicle and have introduced state managers for the CAN and LIN bus systems and FlexRay. As an active member in the AUTOSAR partnership, NEC Electronics is proud to support these enhanced and new features.

Gerd Look, General Manager Automotive Business Group at NEC Electronics Europe, points out that “as a semiconductor vendor, NEC Electronics knows its own microcontroller hardware best. It’s completely logical for NEC Electronics to supply the hardware-dependent software modules. This ensures the best possible software implementation for our microcontrollers, minimizing memory use and maximizing performance.”

In line with this approach, NEC Electronics has in recent years developed MCALs compatible with AUTOSAR standards from Release 2.0 on many platforms. This practical experience has flowed into the development of the first AUTOSAR Release 3.0/3.1 MCAL in the world. As a result, NEC Electronics is proud to present a highly optimized, high-quality software product ready for use in mass production. This demonstrates the full commitment of NEC Electronics to the AUTOSAR standard, in line with the clear trend in the car industry.

Availability
The microcontroller abstraction layer (MCAL) has been available for V850E/PHO3 microcontrollers since November 2008 and will be available for V850ES/Fx3 microcontrollers in February 2009.