VLAB Works

winIDEA and Analyzer Support for VLAB VDMs

VLAB Virtual Development Machines (VDMs) provide fast, Level 4 virtual ECUs for automotive and embedded software development and testing. With Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs), continuous software updates and development throughout the lifecycle are critical.

Virtualization gives developers the fast, scalable infrastructure needed for efficient software integration and testing.

VDMs can be used before hardware is available to enable shift-left software and system development, as well as for ongoing software work on both in-production and legacy hardware.

Figure 1: VLAB software development lifecycle

 

Virtual ECU simulation and compatibility

VDMs run the same software as real hardware, including AUTOSAR Classic and Adaptive stacks, Linux, QNX, RTOS, and hypervisor-based configurations.

They simulate complete boards (CUs, HPC nodes, and custom hardware) and support network simulation and integration with full digital-twin environments. Software can be tested, validated, and debugged on VDMs before deploying identical binaries to physical hardware.

 

Figure 2: winIDEA and VLAB version 2

 

High-performance virtualization

VLAB VDMs are designed for speed, using a modern simulation kernel combined with advanced instruction-set simulation techniques and parallel execution to maximize performance. They provide winIDEA with unmatched visibility into the target system, including processors, memories, and peripheral devices.

Python scripting enables automated debugging and testing across both winIDEA and VLAB toolchains.

 

Figure 3: VLAB version 3 and its Visual Studio Code GUI

 

Unified development with winIDEA

winIDEA supports VLAB VDMs and offers the same front-end and functionality used for on-target software development, debugging, and testing — regardless of whether the target is virtual or physical. Developers can switch between virtual and physical ECUs with a single click and continue working in the familiar winIDEA environment.

Likewise, the winIDEA SDK provides identical interfaces, allowing the same Continuous Integration (CI) automation scripts to run without modification on both real and virtual ECUs.

 

Figure 4: winIDEA and VLAB integration

 

Typical use cases for the winIDEA + VDM Setup

• Low-level software development (drivers, operating systems)
• AUTOSAR CP integration
• Middleware development
• Application development
• Test automation and continuous integration/deployment
• Complex software debugging
• Pre-silicon software development and testing