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[FAQ] PROCESSOR-SDK-DRA8X-TDA4X: What are the AUTOSAR Software Architecture layers?

Part Number: PROCESSOR-SDK-DRA8X-TDA4X

What are the different layers that go into AUTOSAR, what is the functionality of each layer, and how does MCAL relate to the framework as a whole?

  • AUTOSAR architecture has three major software layers: Application, Runtime Environment and Basic Software, which run on our Microcontroller (going from top to bottom to hardware).
    The Basic Software Layer (BSW) is horizontally divided into Services, ECU Abstractions, Microcontroller Abstraction (MCAL) and Complex Drivers layers. The sub-layers of BSW are vertically grouped into functional services such as System, Memory and Communication.

    MCAL is the lowest software layer in BSW, and closest to the microcontroller. It includes internal drivers, so it has direct access to the microcontroller's internal peripherals. The main purpose of MCAL is to allow the higher software layers to be independent of the hardware. Therefore, MCAL software modules are hardware dependent, while higher layers are independent.

    The next layer above MCAL is the ECU Abstraction Layer. This acts as the interface for the drivers in MCAL and provides the APIs that allow access to peripherals and devices.

    Services layer is the highest in BSW and offers basic services for applications and basic software modules.

    The AUTOSAR Runtime Environment (RTE) provides communication services to application software and ensures that AUTOSAR software components stay independent from mapping to specific ECU.

    Furthermore, going into MCAL details: MCAL acts as an interface/abstraction layer between the hardware and above software layers. Since it can make actual and direct calls to memory and can transmit information to external destinations, MCAL needs to be provided by the SoC provider. Texas Instruments provides MCAL software drivers for Jacinto 7.

    To read more about AUTOSAR and its layers, please refer here.

    To start looking into the software package that Texas Instruments provides, please refer Processor SDK RTOS Automotive package, and its documentation

    After installing the Processor SDK RTOS Automotive package, MCU software can be found in "mcusw" directory. Please refer to the MCU Software User Guide and the MCU Software Release Notes.