The automotive industry is witnessing a surge in the adoption of cockpit domain controllers (CDCs), driven by the need for cost reduction and by technological advancement.
As automotive original equipment manufacturers seek to consolidate various domains and electronic control units (ECUs) into a single CDC, global shipments of CDCs are projected to reach 45 million by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 72%, according to a report by ABI Research.
The primary drivers behind this growth are the cost efficiencies of space, weight and wiring reduction, which are particularly significant as OEMs aim to streamline their production processes and optimize resource allocation.
“We are seeing a global appetite for consolidation, ranging from infotainment with instrument clusters to incorporating high-level advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) features. OEMs, Tier 1s and silicon providers need to re-evaluate and restructure their organizational interaction to realize this trend’s potential fully,” explained Abu Miah, smart mobility and automotive analyst at ABI.
The growth of CDCs is expected to be particularly pronounced in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Chinese OEMs, in particular, are leading the innovation curve, benefitting from faster production cycles compared to their Western counterparts. Brands like Great Wall Motors and Hongqi have been integrating CDCs into multiple models since as early as 2019. As a result, APAC is anticipated to contribute to more 60% of CDC shipments by 2024, ABI Research reports.
“Additionally, the effects of mixed-criticality systems don’t stop after the vehicle leaves the production line – it has implications for vehicle software maintenance and upgrading across its whole lifecycle,” added Miah.
A crucial technology facilitating the development of mixed-criticality systems within CDCs is the hypervisor. Currently, the Blackberry QNX Hypervisor is dominant in the automotive market. However, there is growing interest in open-source projects like the Xen Hypervisor, with stakeholders recognizing their potential, particularly in collaborative efforts toward achieving ASIL-D safety certification.
“A close level of integration between OEMs and their partners is essential to address mixed-criticality requirements in the short to long term for vehicles currently being shipped. All vendors must understand the needs of their OEM partners to build and update their solutions accordingly and proactively prepare for change as the automotive industry continues the transition toward a software-defined vehicle,” said Miah.
These findings are from ABI Research’s Accommodating Mixed-Criticality Compute in Digital Cockpit Domain Controllers application analysis report.
