Managing software growth

An increased emphasis on modeling and autocoding make it easier to add software-based features and functions, driving a sea change in the way complex automotive systems are designed.

Automakers who once optimized assembly code to keep size down are increasingly turning to automatic code generation to keep up with the flood of software-based features. Rather than reducing size, engineers are now searching for ways to manage growth.

Falling memory prices and faster processors have largely removed concerns about code size, making it more effective to add features with software rather than hardware. For example, electronic stability control systems use software to recognize unsafe conditions and determine the response for steering, throttle, and brakes. The only additional hardware is a roll sensor that augments existing ABS sensors and other hardware.