The Future Will See Ever-Increasing Complexity

The trend in software - whether embedded systems or CAD tools for design engineers - is moving toward greater and greater complexity. More than 20 percent of the cost of the average car is now the electronics systems. Electronics monitor the cars operating systems. Soon electronics will run multiple media streams and formats in the cabin. "The complexity is increasing due to the personal aspect of the information system," says Andrew Poliak, automotive segment manager at QNX Software Systems. "When you talk to an iPod from a media player, it becomes complex in how you speak the protocol to get the audio." He says cars will soon have master information systems that can stream iPods, radio, CD and DVD feeds to different parts of the cabin.

Multimedia and Multi-layers Frameworks

QNX Software Systems now provides frameworks that allow users to integrate filters, format and content handling components with advanced multi-layering support, including 3D multimedia applications. With these capabilities, users can integrate new codes into multi-media applications, handle new data sources or media formats or create media players that handle multiple formats. The frameworks also support reusable filters, format handling components, content handling components, stream filters, format filters and renderers.

QNX has also introduced multi-layering technology that provides improved visualization and differentiation for advanced graphics displays such as automotive navigation systems, casino gaming displays and industrial automation process control systems. The technology lets users render different displays independently to separate layers, resulting in multi-display composited content on a single screen. Layer independence means each layer can't affect the presentation of timely or critical data of other layers. Developers can use the multilayers to implement rich displays that incorporate legacy applications, as well as standard and customized display elements. Users can also port these across a range of hardware platforms.

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The DoubleCheck Integrated Static Analyzer

Green Hills Software has developed DoubleCheck, an integrated static analyzer designed to work within the same compiler used to build software. The goal is to reduce the hours, even days, of analysis time. The DoubleCheck analysis engine takes advantage of efficient dataflow and path pruning algorithms developed over years of compiler optimization. The total time to build and analyze software is reduced since the compiler uses a single parsing pass of the code to perform both compilation and analysis. The analysis is limited to modified code paths, ensuring a small change does not require a long analysis time.

DoubleCheck was developed to address the trend toward increased complexity in systems in products such as automobiles. "In 1990, there was a million lines of code in the average car. By 2010, there will be a hundred million lines of code," says David Kleidermacher, CTO of Green Hills Software. "We're going beyond manageability. We addressed that with DoubleCheck." Kleidermacher believes DoubleCheck is the start of a "bigger body of analysis tools" designed to cope with the greater complexity of software systems in products.

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Abaqus Version 6.7

SIMULIA has added a number of enhancements to its new architecture for Abaqus, including high-performance linear dynamics, advanced capabilities for simulation and nonlinear materials modeling. The 6.7 version also offers an intuitive and customizable user interface for accelerated model building and results visualization, plus two new interfaces for CAD associativity. The heavy-duty vehicle producer Scania has adopted Version 6.7 "Simulia is delivering several important enhancements to Abaqus FAE software that we expect will greatly improve overall productivity at Scania," says Martin Edberg, head of chassis simulations at Scania CV AB. "We are particularly impressed with the new high-performance linear dynamics functionality in Abaqus Version 6.7."

The new linear dynamics architecture is fully integrated with existing nonlinear capabilities, enabling engineers to share model data and results across workgroups. For the auto industry, the new version offers a unified simulation environment for general purpose structural integrity, powertrain durability, noise and vibration behavior, crashworthiness, occupant safety and tire-road interaction. The software's distributed memory parallel direct solver technology uses recent advances in high-performance computing to offer performance improvement in clustered environments.

http://rbi.ims.ca/5406-612