While the connection to vehicles or subsystems was established with a suitable cable until recently, vehicle communication in today's remote scenarios is many times more complex. Numerous communication partners - such as tester applications and vehicle interfaces (VCI) – must clearly recognize each other and establish a secure connection.
It must be ensured that all participants are in a communicative state and that the user is authorized to access the test object. In addition, it is essential that both the software and data records are always up to date in order to guarantee the functionality and security of the applications.
Softing SDE.broker supports the efficient and secure execution of diagnostics and troubleshooting and facilitates remote applications over the entire vehicle life cycle. As an innovative server-/cloud-based application, Softing SDE.broker establishes a secure connection to the communication modules of a vehicle or subsystem.
An intuitive web application enables easy management of communication partners, access rights and software versions. The solution offers maximum flexibility and reliability for any number of remote connections, whether in ECU/system testing, prototype development or production.
Flexible connection setup thanks to various connection types (direct or gateway-based)
Central management of remote connections, taking user rights into account
Increased productivity through optimized use of limited test resources (e.g. remote access to rare prototype vehicles in development)
Challenges
- In remote scenarios, all participants capable of communicating must be identified
- Unauthorized persons must be prevented from accessing or blocking test objects so that efficiency and security are not compromised
- A sufficient infrastructure for many required connections allaws scalability and avoids to resource conflicts and inefficient workflows
Solution
- The Softing SDE.broker enables reliable identification and management of diagnostic-capable communication modules based on IP address, VIN or device name, thus preventing connection errors in remote scenarios
- By centrally managing user rights, the broker ensures that only authorized users can access approved devices
- Different connection types, such as gateway mode or direct connection, offer flexibility for different remote requirements
- The broker enables the management of any number of connections, e.g. tools with VCIs (and thus with the vehicle or subsystem), and prevents resource conflicts through scalable connection paths
- Real-time status information ensures that, for example, rare prototype vehicles can be used optimally by making relevant information on availability and occupancy status transparent at all times
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Softing SDE.broker
Create and Manage Remote Connections
In remote scenarios, the communication partners – for example the application and the VCI on the vehicle – must be able to recognize each other and establish a connection. It is also essential that the software and data records are up to date. Both can be easily provided by Softing SDE.broker as a server or cloud-based application.
Possible Applications
Remote use cases exist throughout the entire product life cycle. From 1:1 connections via the connection of one tool with many devices, to connections of many tools with one test object may be necessary. Generalization with m tools that need to communicate with n devices is also a common use case. All of these can be covered with the help of Softing SDE.broker.
Example
Test appliction in production
In the production line, the vehicles currently available in the assembly line are regularly checked at dedicated points, taking into account their production status, or software is programmed into the vehicle. To perform this, the tool requests the IP address of the device from the broker and can then execute the corresponding routines on the vehicle known via the vehicle identification. The combination of vehicle identification and IP address is usually stored in the logistics system when the device is connected to the vehicle.
Example
Diagnostic developer with prototype vehicles
Only a limited number of prototype vehicles are available, but all ECU managers must still be able to carry out their tests. The Softing SDE.broker makes this possible right from the office, as tests can be carried out on an available vehicle at any time. The status is always available so that the tester can easily recognize whether a vehicle is in a diagnosable state and whether it is currently occupied by another tester.
About Softing Automotive
We support our customers with solutions which facilitate the testing, diagnostics and monitoring of mechatronic systems, vehicles and entire fleets. We see our task as starting with communication with the vehicle, through data pre-processing and visualization, to storage – locally or in the cloud. We create the connection to the electronic systems of our customers worldwide!
Leading manufacturers of cars, motorcycles, commercial vehicles and their suppliers all rely on tried and tested tools and scalable solutions from Softing Automotive. But fleet operators and service suppliers also opt for Softing’s secure solutions and flexible services. The internationally binding standards implemented by Softing for programming interfaces, data descriptions, protocols and bus systems guarantee our customers the long-term safeguarding of their projects thanks to the reusability of data with consistently high quality. As an active member of numerous committees and associations (incl. ASAM, ISO, SAE), we take a leading role in defining industry standards.
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