This document constitutes the comprehensive glossary of AUTOSAR. It contains definitions of all major abbreviations, acronyms and terms used within AUTOSAR. Please note that the document is not intended to be exhaustive. It is important to consult the glossaries of the various working group documents, as these contain additional specific terms within their respective domains.
This document constitutes the comprehensive glossary of AUTOSAR. It contains definitions of all major abbreviations, acronyms and terms used within AUTOSAR. Please note that the document is not intended to be exhaustive. It is important to consult the glossaries of the various working group documents, as these contain additional specific terms within their respective domains.
An Abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase, like "Temp." for "Temperature", whereas an Acronym is a specific type of abbreviation formed from the initial letters of a phrase and pronounced as a single word like "AUTOSAR", which stands for "AUTomotive Open System Architecture". An Initialism is similar to an Acronym but is pronounced letter by letter, like "ECU" for "Electronic Control Unit", and there are hybrid forms of an Initialism and an Acronym, like "VLAN" for "Virtual LAN. However, in both colloquial and technical contexts, the terms Abbreviation, Acronym and Initialism are used interchangeably, and that is also the case in this document.
A test case description used in the context of Acceptance Testing
Initiator
Acceptance Testing
Further Explanations
ISO 9646 distinguishes between Abstract Test Suites and Executable Test Suites. For AUTOSAR the earlier relates to the Acceptance Test Specifications, whereas the latter to the test implementations or Acceptance Test Suites.
The Access Control Decision is a Boolean value indicating if the requested operation is permitted or not. It is based on the identity of the caller and the Access Control Policy
Initiator
Security
Further Explanations
In the case of Identity and Access Management, the 'caller' is an Adaptive Applications.
Access Control Policies are bound to the targets of calls (i.e. Service interfaces) and are used to express what Identity Information is necessary to access those interfaces.
Initiator
Security
Further Explanations
Policies can be provided through Configuration / modeling or by statically pre-programming them into the PDP.
Adaptability is the ability of a system to adjust itself to changed circumstances in its environment in order to continue to provide the intended Functionality.
Initiator
Safety
Further Explanations
One should distinguish between changes in the environment of the system/vehicle ("run-time adaptability") and changes in the development environment where software Architecture (like AUTOSAR) is used ("design-time predictability").
Comment
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Example
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Reference
* Antonio Carlos Schneider Beck, Carlos Arthur Lang Lisboa, Luigi Carro (eds.), Adaptable Embedded Systems, Springer Science & Business Media, 27 Nov 2012
Twan Basten, Roelof Hamberg, Frans Reckers, Jacques Verriet, Model-Based Design of Adaptive Embedded Systems, Springer Science & Business Media, 15 Mar 2013
Software that follows the Adaptive AUTOSAR specifications and therefore can be deployed onto an Adaptive Platform instance. It consists of its implementation, operational data (e.g. map data) and its Meta-data given by the Application Design Model. In order to be deployable on different Adaptive Platforms, it only uses ARA programming interfaces including POSIX profile PSE51 APIs.
Initiator
Execution Management
Further Explanations
Adaptive Applications are generally more coarse grain than SW-Cs of the Classic Platform. They use exclusively Adaptive Platform APIs, and may offer and use services. They are implemented by one or several executables, byte code or libraries with defined entry points and may comprise multiple parts (e.g. libraries, data files).
Comment
The goal of Adaptive Platform is to achieve portability of Adaptive Applications among different implementations of the Adaptive Platform at least on source-code level, potentially also on object-code level.
Part of an Adaptive Platform implementation, which provides standardized platform Functionality to Applications via software interfaces (APIs).
Initiator
Software and Architecture
Further Explanations
The Adaptive Platform Foundation includes of core system functionalities such as OS, Execution Manager, Communication Management and Persistency.
Comment
The goal of Adaptive Platform is to achieve portability of Adaptive Applications among different implementations of the Adaptive Platform at least on source-code level, potentially also on object-code level.
Configuration model in the AUTOSAR Adaptive Platform that defines the target Configuration content whose scope is local to a specific target Machine.
Initiator
WG-MT
Further Explanations
The Adaptive Platform Machine Configuration is uploaded with executable code to a target Machine and supports the Integration of Executables onto the machine.
An Application Programming Interface (API) is the prescribed method of a specific software part by which a programmer writing a program can make requests to that software part.
An Application Software Component is a specific Software Component which realizes a defined Functionality on application level and runs on the AUTOSAR infrastructure. It communicates only through the AUTOSAR Runtime Environment (RTE).
Initiator
Software and Architecture
Further Explanations
Application Software Components are located "above" the AUTOSAR Runtime Environment.
The fundamental organization of a system embodied in its components, their static and dynamic relationships to each other, and to the environment, and the principles guiding its design and evolution.
This is a Work Product definition that provides a description and definition for tangible work product types. Artifacts may be composed of other artifacts. At a high level, an artifact is represented as a single conceptual file.
A property or quality of a design entity (e.g. SW component or system) is asserted, if the design entity guarantees that this property or quality is fulfilled.
Initiator
Software and Architecture
Further Explanations
A property or quality of a design unit can be asserted by the design unit itself or in combination with another design unit.
Comment
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Example
If the worst case Execution Time of a Task (w.r.t. a certain CPU etc.) is asserted to be 3 ms, the execution time of this task will under any circumstances be less than or equal to 3 ms.
An item that has been designed for use in multiple contexts.
Initiator
Software and Architecture
Further Explanations
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Comment
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Example
An asset can be design, specifications, source code, documentation, test suits, manual procedures, etc.
From a security perspective anything that has a value to any of the stakeholders such as critical data (information, software) and critical functions, that could potentially be subject to attacks and possibly, but not necessarily, motivates countermeasures.
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Asynchronous communication does not block the sending software entity.
The sending software entity continues its operation without getting a response from the communication partner(s).
| Initiator | Communication |
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| Further Explanations | There could be an acknowledgement by the communication system about the sending of the information. |
A later response to the sending software entity is possible.
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The Automotive API is an interface that allows data-centric communication with the vehicle. It defines how other systems can access selected vehicle data securely and independently of the in-vehicle representation using a standardized interface across vehicle types and manufacturers.
An adaptive computing platform standardized by AUTOSAR. In a narrow term, it refers to its specification. In a broad term, it may refer to an instance of Adaptive Platform implementation.
A set of Blueprints which are standardized by AUTOSAR and which can be used for creating AUTOSAR Interfaces of an Adaptive Application. AUTOSAR Interfaces that are derived from Standardized AUTOSAR Blueprints are Standardized AUTOSAR Interfaces.
An AUTOSAR Blueprint is a Blueprint for an AUTOSAR element. It also includes that it is specified within the AUTOSAR project which attributes are mandatory to be specified for the blueprint of a specific class of AUTOSAR element types as well as how to derive an AUTOSAR object from that blueprint.
Initiator
Application Interfaces
Further Explanations
The AUTOSAR meta-model supports the pre-definition of model elements taken as the basis for further modeling. These pre-definitions are called blueprints.
This is the definition of parameters which can have values. One could say that the parameter values are instances of the definitions. But in the meta-model hierarchy of AUTOSAR, definitions are also instances of the meta-model and therefore considered as a description.
The AUTOSAR Interface of a software component refers to the collection of all Ports (Port) of that component through which it interacts with other components.
Initiator
Software and Architecture
Further Explanations
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Comment
Note that an AUTOSAR Interface is different from a Port Interface. The latter characterizes one specific Port of a component.
In AUTOSAR, the possible Partitioning of models is marked in the meta-model by atpSplitable>>. One partial model is represented in an AUTOSAR XML description by one file. The partial model does not need to fulfill all semantic constraints applicable to an AUTOSAR model.
A set of standard application interfaces provided by Functional Clusters, which belong to either Adaptive Platform Foundation or Adaptive Platform Services.
The term Service is used in the layered software architecture to denote the highest layer of the AUTOSAR Software architecture that interacts with the application. The term service is used in the meaning defined by the service-oriented architecture. This meaning has the strongest relation to the usage of the term service on the AUTOSAR Adaptive Platform.
The term service is also used to describe the handling of diagnostic services, e.g. UDS service ReadDataByIdentifier, for the communication between a diagnostic tester and a diagnostic stack on an (AUTOSAR) Electronic Control Unit (ECU).
| Initiator | Software and Architecture |
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This is a software tool which supports one or more tasks defined as AUTOSAR tasks in the methodology. Depending on the supported tasks, an AUTOSAR tool can act as an AUTOSAR Authoring Tool, an AUTOSAR Converter Tool, an AUTOSAR Processor Tool or as a combination of those.
In AUTOSAR this is a serialized AUTOSAR model. In fact an AUTOSAR XML description is the XML representation of an AUTOSAR Model. The AUTOSAR XML description can consist of several files. Each individual file represents an AUTOSAR Partial Model and must validate successfully against the AUTOSAR XML Schema.
The AUTOSAR XML Schema is an XML language definition for exchanging (AUTOSAR Model) and descriptions.
Initiator
Methodology and Templates
Further Explanations
The AUTOSAR XML Schema is a W3C XML schema that defines the language for exchanging AUTOSAR models. This Schema is derived from the AUTOSAR Meta-model.
The AUTOSAR XML Schema defines the AUTOSAR data exchange format.
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1. Availability is the ability of the system to perform a Function A completely according to its specification.
The ratio of the total time the system is performing a function A (according to 1) during a given interval to the length of the interval. Alternative: The probability that the system is performing the function A at a specified time t.
In a degraded Mode the system has the ability to perform a subset B of A if full A is not available. In this case, the Functionality B is available.
| Initiator | Safety |
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| Further Explanations | see for more details. |
| Comment | 1. Degraded modes are covered by this definition (see example) |
| Example | 1. Power Steering: if the support Function fails it is not available while the steering as a base function has full availability. 2. From a security perspective availability is an attribute that ensures correct and timely access upon demand by an authorized entity. |
| Reference | See , ID 1.8 |
The Basic Software (BSW) provides the infrastructural (schematic dependent and schematic independent) functionalities of an Electronic Control Unit. It consists of Integration Code and Standard Software.
Initiator
Software and Architecture
Further Explanations
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Comment
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Example
Microcontroller Abstraction Layer (MCAL), AUTOSAR Service, Communication Layer
A collection of software files (code and description) that define a certain basic software Functionality present on an Electronic Control Unit.
Initiator
Software and Architecture
Further Explanations
Standard Software may be composed of several software modules that are developed independently. A software module may consist of Integration Code and/ or Standard Software.
Comment
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Example
A Digital IO Driver, Complex Driver, OS are examples of Basic Software Modules.
In AUTOSAR the bit position N within an I-PDU denotes the bit I, with I = N
modulo 8, within the byte J, with J = N / 8. The byte J and bit position I is
interpreted in accordance to the definition in ISO 17356-4 (OSEK/VDX Communication).
| Initiator | Communication |
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| Further Explanations | - |
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| Example | - |
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This is a model from which other models can be derived by copy and refinement. Note that in contrast to meta-model resp. types, this process is not an instantiation.
"Bulk Data" is a set of data such big in size, that standard mechanisms used to handle smaller data sets become inconvenient. This implies that bulk data in a software system are modeled, stored, accessed and transported by different mechanisms than smaller data sets.
Initiator
Software and Architecture
Further Explanations
Bulk data are typically handled by adding a level of abstraction (e.g. files) which separates the containment of the data from the internal structure.
Comment
The critical size, above which data must be regarded as bulk data depends on the technical infrastructure (e.g. bus system) and the considered Use Case (transport, storage etc.).
Example
Data on a persistent medium which has a capacity of a few kBytes (e.g. EEPROM) can be directly accessed via memory addresses, address offsets can be mapped to symbols of a programming language: No bulk data mechanisms are needed. For media with bigger capacity this becomes inconvenient or even impossible, so that a file system is used: The data are treated as bulk data.
Forwarding information from an internal vehicle bus to an external bus, e.g. the diagnostic Connector.
Initiator
Communication
Further Explanations
Bus Mirroring is used to make internal buses accessible to external testers such that internal buses can be debugged in case of errors.
Comment
Because the external (or intermediary) buses typically do not have sufficient bandwidth to transport all information from an internal bus, filters have to be applied to select the frames that are relevant to the analysis.
Example
An Electronic Control Unit does not go to sleep in a vehicle. The engineer wants to check the NM traffic to check for irregular behavior, e.g. concerning partial networking information.
A bus wake-up is caused by a specific wake pulse on the bus defined within the specification of the dedicated communication standard (e.g. CAN, LIN, FR). A bus wake-up initiates that the transceiver and controller leave their energy saving Mode and enter normal mode to start bus communication again.
The experimental incorporation of new Functionality within an ECU image.
Initiator
Runtime Environment
Further Explanations
Bypassing involves the incorporation of new Functionality or to replace existing functionality to an existing ECU image without requiring that the image be rebuilt.
Comment
Bypassing can be either "internal" where the new/ replacement Functionality is present on the ECU image or "external" where an Rapid Prototyping Tool provides the functionality out with the ECU.
Example
An RP tool intercepts the output of a bypassed RunnableEntity via the RP Memory Interface and replaces the value with the bypass result. Subsequent RunnableEntitys then process the bypass value rather than the original result.
Calibration is the adjustment of parameters of Software Components realizing the control functionality (namely parameters of AUTOSAR SW-Cs, ECU abstraction or Complex Driver.
Initiator
Software and Architecture
Further Explanations
Only those software modules can be calibrated, which are above RTE and ECU Abstraction and CDD. Calibration is always done at post-build time. Used techniques to set Calibration Data include end-of-line programming, garage programming and adaptive calibration (e.g. in the case of anti-pinch protection for power window).
Comment
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Example
The Calibration of the engine control will take into account the production differences of the individual motor this System will control.
Functionality that is defined by an AUTOSAR module so that lower-level modules (i.e. lower in the Layered Software Architecture) can provide Notification as required (e.g. when certain events occur or asynchronous processing completes).
Initiator
Software and Architecture
Further Explanations
In AUTOSAR, modules usually provide a register mechanism for callback functions which is set through Configuration. A module provides callbacks so that other modules can initiate its processing while the module calls Callbacks to execute functionality that could not be specified by AUTOSAR, i.e. Integration Code.
Comment
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Example
(from the viewpoint of a particular SWS):
The module being specified (Msws) should be informed about an Event in another module (Mexternal). In this example, Msws calls Mexternal to perform some processing and can only resume when Mexternal completes. Upon completion, Mexternal calls Msws's Callback Function. That is, the called module (Mexternal) CALLS the calling module (Msws) BACK when complete ==> a Callback.
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