Virtual ECU
In modern embedded systems, automotive ECUs, and industrial IoT platforms, hardware virtualization enables faster, safer, and more cost-effective development. Traditional ECU testing requires physical hardware, which is costly and often unavailable early in development.
Virtualization Levels for embedded/IoT Software (SIL1~4)
Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) virtualization allows running AUTOSAR Classic and Adaptive software on a standard PC or laptop, providing fast execution and low memory use. This lets engineers test functions, interfaces, and integration without physical ECUs, using the same tools and workflows across SIL, evaluation boards, and real hardware. Transitioning from SIL to real hardware is streamlined by replacing hardware-dependent modules and adding hardware-specific tests, maximizing reuse and minimizing time and cost. This approach accelerates development while maintaining high test coverage from early stages.
By virtualizing the target environment, developers can replicate hardware behavior and test control software without needing the physical ECU. This process can be structured into four distinct virtualization levels 1~4, categorized by the depth of simulation and the extent to which the virtual environment replicates hardware control layers.
Related AUTOSAR Capability
Case Study
SIL for Integration and Test
