As the automotive industry evolves, the development of vehicles is increasingly driven by software and the need to manage a vast array of product variants. Feature-based modeling provides an effective solution to handle this complexity by enabling the reuse of features across different vehicle configurations. Automotive SPICE (ASPICE), a process framework widely used in automotive software development, supports the structured implementation of these features, ensuring that processes are efficient, traceable, and compliant with safety standards like ISO 26262.
This article explores how feature-based modeling is applied in automotive engineering, especially in the context of ASPICE, and how it can streamline development by allowing modular, reusable features that can be easily adapted to different vehicle variants.
1. What is Feature-Based Modeling?
Feature-based modeling is an approach in software and systems engineering where systems are developed using modular features that can be combined and configured to meet the specific needs of a product variant. In automotive engineering, this approach allows manufacturers to develop a core set of features (e.g., lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control) and reuse these across multiple vehicle models with minimal customization.
Key Concepts of Feature-Based Modeling:
- Modularity: Breaking down a complex system into smaller, reusable features.
- Reuse: Leveraging previously developed features across different projects or product lines.
- Configuration: Customizing features for specific models or regions while maintaining a shared core.
2. ASPICE and Feature-Based Modeling
ASPICE (Automotive SPICE) is a process assessment model used to evaluate the maturity of software development processes in the automotive industry. It provides structured processes for ensuring software quality and traceability, which are essential for feature-based modeling.
How ASPICE Supports Feature-Based Modeling:
| ASPICE Process Area | How It Supports Feature-Based Modeling |
|---|---|
| Configuration Management | Tracks and manages feature variants across different vehicle models. |
| Requirements Management | Ensures that each feature traces back to customer requirements, ensuring that features meet specific needs for each variant. |
| Software Reuse and Design | Encourages the reuse of software components (features), reducing development time and improving software quality. |
| Traceability | Ensures that every feature is linked to requirements, design elements, and test cases, allowing for full process transparency. |
Example: In the development of electric vehicles (EVs), manufacturers like Tesla and Volkswagen implement features like regenerative braking and battery management systems. By using feature-based modeling, these companies can easily adapt core EV features to different models and regions while maintaining compliance with ASPICE guidelines.
3. Feature-Based Modeling and ISO 26262 Compliance
When developing safety-critical systems, such as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), compliance with ISO 26262 is mandatory. ISO 26262 defines the functional safety standards for electrical and electronic systems in road vehicles. Feature-based modeling allows for the reuse of safety-critical components across vehicle models, ensuring that safety requirements are consistently met.
Best Practices for ISO 26262 Compliance in Feature-Based Modeling:
- ASIL Decomposition: Decompose safety-critical features into components that meet the required Automotive Safety Integrity Levels (ASIL).
- Safety Requirements Traceability: Link each feature to its respective safety requirements, ensuring full compliance with ISO 26262 safety goals.
Example: In the development of autonomous driving features, companies like Waymo use feature-based modeling to develop modular components (e.g., obstacle detection, lane-keeping) that are reused across different vehicle platforms. By adhering to ISO 26262 requirements, these features are validated for safety, reducing the effort required to redevelop the same functionality for different platforms.
4. Tools for Feature-Based Modeling and ASPICE Compliance
Several tools are available to help automotive engineers manage feature-based models while maintaining compliance with ASPICE and ISO 26262.
| Tool Name | Key Features | ASPICE Compliance |
|---|---|---|
| Siemens Polarion | Requirements management, variant management, and end-to-end traceability across software and hardware. | Full ASPICE and ISO 26262 support |
| IBM Engineering DOORS | Comprehensive requirements and configuration management, supports variant management for automotive projects. | ASPICE Process Area Support |
| Jama Connect | Requirements management with configurable workflows, traceability, and variant management. | Supports ASPICE, ISO 26262 |
| PREEvision (Vector) | Feature-based modeling and architecture design with integrated traceability for safety-critical systems. | ASPICE and ISO 26262 alignment |
| Pure::Variants | Feature modeling and product line engineering for managing complex variants across software and hardware. | Supports ASPICE, ISO 26262 |
Example: Siemens Polarion
Siemens Polarion is a popular tool used in the automotive industry to manage complex requirements and variants in compliance with ASPICE. Polarion’s Variant Management feature helps companies like Audi and BMW manage their product lines by enabling engineers to define a core set of features that can be easily customized for different vehicle models.
Diagram: Feature-Based Modeling Workflow in ASPICE
graph TD
A[Core Features Development] --> B[Feature 1: Lane-Keeping Assist]
A --> C[Feature 2: Adaptive Cruise Control]
A --> D[Feature 3: Battery Management System]
B --> E[Model A Integration]
C --> F[Model B Integration]
D --> G[Model C Integration]This diagram represents how core features are developed once and reused across multiple vehicle models, with minimal changes for specific configurations or regions.
5. Streamlining Development with Feature-Based Models
Feature-based modeling simplifies the process of managing vehicle variants, allowing automotive manufacturers to reduce development time and increase efficiency.
Benefits of Feature-Based Modeling:
- Faster Time to Market: Reusing existing features across different models reduces the time needed to develop new variants.
- Improved Quality: Reusing validated features ensures consistency and reduces the likelihood of introducing errors in new vehicle variants.
- Cost Efficiency: By reusing features, companies reduce the costs associated with developing and testing new components.
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Reuse of Features | Once a feature is developed and tested, it can be reused across different vehicle models, saving time. |
| Reduced Redundancy | Feature-based modeling reduces the need for redundant development efforts for similar components. |
| Simplified Compliance | Reused features maintain compliance with safety standards, reducing the burden of re-validating each variant. |
Example: Volkswagen Group’s Modular Toolkit (MQB)
Volkswagen has developed the Modular Transverse Toolkit (MQB), a platform that standardizes certain features and components across multiple vehicle models (e.g., Golf, Passat, Tiguan). Using feature-based modeling, VW can develop common features like infotainment systems and adaptive cruise control and integrate them across multiple models, reducing development time and cost.
Conclusion
Feature-based modeling is an essential approach for managing the growing complexity of automotive software and systems. By integrating feature models into the ASPICE process framework, automotive companies can ensure that their development processes are streamlined, traceable, and compliant with industry standards such as ISO 26262.
The adoption of tools like Siemens Polarion, PREEvision, and IBM DOORS allows for efficient management of features, enabling manufacturers to deliver new vehicle models faster, at a lower cost, and with higher quality. As the automotive industry continues to evolve toward software-driven vehicles, feature-based modeling will play a key role in maintaining flexibility and scalability across vehicle platforms.