Automakers Move Toward OTA Software Upgrades

Lucas123 writes: While some carmakers today offer over-the-air software upgrades to navigation maps and infotainment head units, Tesla became the first last week to perform a powertrain upgrade overnight. But as the industry begins adopting internal vehicle bus standards with greater bandwidth and more robust security, experts believe vehicle owners will no longer be required to visit dealerships or perform downloads to USB sticks. IHS predicts that in the next three to five years, most, if not all automakers, will offer fully fledged OTA software-enabled platforms that encompass upgrades to every vehicle system — from infotainment, safety, comfort, and powertrain. First, however, carmakers must deploy more open OS platforms, remove hardened firewalls between vehicle ECUs, and deploy networking topologies such as Ethernet, with proven security.

Comments

Will they be cut off after 6mo-1year

[Anonymous Coward]

Will they be cut off after 6mo-1year
and they want the new update BUY A NEW CAR.

I hope auto drive systems have at least 5 years of updates at no added cost.

Re:Hmm... I thought it was *my* vehicle.

[AaronW]

All of the OTA updates to my Tesla ask me if and when to install the updates. Usually it's a no brainer.

BS

[stooo]

>> What could possibly go wrong?
Nothing. There are hardly any firewalls between ECUs. Firewalls do not exist on CAN.
The article is written by someone with no insight in car architecture :

>> First, however, carmakers must deploy more open OS platforms
Nothing to do with the reflashing

>> remove hardened firewalls between vehicle ECUs
There aren't any firewalls

>> and deploy networking topologies such as Ethernet, with proven security.
Ethernet is already widely deployed in cars for data hungry applications ( infotainment) For other uses, ethernet is absolutely not suitable ( price, power, wiring constraints, EMC, safety, .....)

Re:BS

[UnderCoverPenguin]

A friend of mine works for an automotive electronics supplier, so knows how in-service software updates are performed.

One of the ECUs also functions as a "diagnostic gateway" (DG). The DG is connected to the vehicles "diagnostic link connector" (DLC). To update the software in an ECU, a service technician plugs a reprogramming tool into the DLC and talks to the DG. The DG forwards the commands and data from the tool to the ECU being reprogrammed. It also forwards the ECU's responses to the tool.

Many new vehicles also have a remote assistance feature, like GM's OnStar, that uses a cellphone radio to communicate with a help center. An additional feature provided by these remote assist (RA) ECUs is reporting diagnostic messages from the other ECUs to the vehicle vendor.

To enable OTA software updates of any ECU in a vehicles requires only to upgrade the RA to be able to receive and buffer an entire file and to incorporate the "tool side" of the ECU reprogramming protocol (in vehicles that support OTA updates to the infotainment system, this has already been done). Also, the DG would need to be enabled to forward commands and data from the RA to ECUs not on the same network bus as the RA.

Re:OMG

[radl33t]

yep, i'm sure they never thought of that. good thing clever guys like yourself are around to ask the really hard questions.

Re:Oh HELL no ...

[vux984]

So some fucking OTA update is going to fail while you're in the middle of driving because it just happened without asking you?

Nice strawman you've constructed. The one car that does OTA updates right now (Tesla) downloads them and then prompts you when to do them, so you can wait until your home in your garage. You don't hear any Tesla owners complaining do you?

Mobile phones are another device with OTA update support. Have you heard a lot of stories where the phone interrupted a 911 call to do an ota update and then failed? No? Because it never happens. The phone says theres an update ready, and waits for you initiate... most of them will even refuse to go if you are low battery, and most recommend you be plugged into a charger for the update... absolutely none ever have just spontaneously decided to update during a call.

This is so incredibly stupid as to defy belief.

Why manufacture imaginary problems to be outraged about; there are plenty of real problems in the world. But OTA updates isn't one of them.