This paper describes a Virtual Validation Cloud (V₂Cloud), a new
computation platform designed for extensive failure mode and effect
analysis (FMEA) of an automotive electronic control system.
Recently, automotive developers have been requested to execute
enormous amounts of system-level tests in order to assure
functional safety of electric control systems. Moreover, the
upcoming industry standard, ISO26262, demands that system-level
validation assures extensive sets of test vectors and clarifies
results of the tests as evidence of functional safety. It is
unrealistic to execute these system-level tests by only using
conventional hardware-in-the-loop simulation (HILS).
Virtual HILS (VHILS), a system-level validation environment for
automotive systems based on co-simulation of software and
mechatronics, has already been proposed. Virtualizing an automotive
electronic control system makes its testing environment more
software-centric and independent of actual hardware. The VHILS can
insert test vectors, suspend and resume execution of simulation it
and reproduce simulation status.
A V₂Cloud system has been developed that automates these VHILS
functions on a scalable computing resource. The V₂Cloud not only
executes VHILS in parallel, but also abstracts the differences of
types of simulation, structure of target systems and configuration
of computers in order to hide them from developers and enable them
to form an extensive set of test-vectors.
The V₂Cloud system was applied to a safety validation process of
an actual automotive control system. The system was prototyped on
multiple types of cloud-computing resources. Moreover the results
of cost statistics said that V₂Cloud can reduce simulation
turn-around time enough to complete validation extensively.