The automotive industry is going through a revolution. To adapt to new customer demands such as convenience, safety, autonomy, and electrification, the automotive industry is moving to software-defined vehicles. These require new, more powerful electrical/electronic (E/E) architectures and significantly increase the vehicle software content. They also force the industry to move from lengthy development cycles and complex maintenance schedules to a more agile development approach allowing for continuous over-the-air (OTA) updates over the vehicle lifespans.

This paper includes a comprehensive definition of the various vECU types, their abstraction levels, and their applicability during software development and validation.