SDV Wiki

Reference entries on the software-defined vehicle sector, written plainly and kept current: architectures, platforms, standards, and the regulations that govern them. Each entry explains the instrument itself — what it requires, when it took effect, and how it connects to the others — carries the date it was last reviewed, and says where the record was unreachable rather than guessing. Written and maintained by our editorial desk alongside the daily reporting.

All entries

• AUTOSAR Adaptive

  The POSIX-based AUTOSAR platform for high-performance vehicle computers — service-oriented, dynamically updatable, built for SDV workloads.

• AUTOSAR Classic

  The established standard software architecture for deeply embedded, real-time automotive ECUs — statically configured and safety-oriented.

• Central compute / HPC

  The high-performance computer(s) at the heart of a modern E/E architecture, running most vehicle software on a few powerful SoCs.

• China's vehicle market access

  The permissions a vehicle needs before it can be sold in China — and how, during 2026, software validation, cybersecurity and update logging became conditions of keeping them.

• COVESA

  The Connected Vehicle Systems Alliance — best known for the Vehicle Signal Specification (VSS), a common data model for vehicle signals.

• Digital twin

  A living virtual representation of a vehicle or fleet, fed by real data — used for development, validation, diagnostics and lifecycle management.

• Domain controller

  An ECU that consolidates the functions of one vehicle domain — such as ADAS, cockpit or body — replacing many single-function ECUs.

• Driver monitoring (DMS)

  The in-cabin systems that watch the driver rather than the road — what European law requires of them, and why nobody has agreed how to test whether they work.

• E/E architecture

  The overall electrical/electronic layout of a vehicle — its ECUs, networks, power distribution and software topology.

• Eclipse SDV

  The Eclipse Foundation's working group building open-source software for software-defined vehicles, backed by major OEMs and suppliers.

• EU Cyber Resilience Act

  The EU regulation on cybersecurity for products with digital elements — vulnerability reporting duties start September 11, 2026, and type-approved vehicles are outside its scope.

• EU Data Act (vehicle data)

  The EU regulation giving users rights to data generated by connected products — with major consequences for who can access vehicle data.

• ISO/SAE 21434

  The engineering standard for automotive cybersecurity — risk-based processes across the vehicle lifecycle, and the usual path to R155 conformance.

• Middleware (automotive)

  The software layer between operating systems and applications in a vehicle — communication, abstraction and services that make apps portable.

• OTA update

  Over-the-air delivery of software to vehicles in the field — from map data to feature releases to safety recalls fixed in software.

• SDV news sources

  Where software-defined vehicle news originates — regulators, standards bodies, company filings, consortia, trade press and specialist outlets — and what each layer is good for.

• SOAFEE

  An Arm-initiated industry alliance defining a cloud-native architecture for vehicle software, so workloads develop in the cloud and deploy in the car.

• Software-defined vehicle (SDV)

  A vehicle whose features and value are primarily delivered and updated through software, on centralized computing hardware designed for change.

• Type approval / homologation

  The regulatory certification that a vehicle type meets all applicable requirements before it can be sold — now extended deep into software.

• UDS / vehicle diagnostics

  Unified Diagnostic Services (ISO 14229), the standard protocol for reading faults, testing ECUs and flashing software — and its move to remote use.

• UN R171 (DCAS)

  The UN regulation on driver control assistance systems — the approval rules for hands-on assistance that steers and paces the car while the driver stays responsible.

• UNECE R155

  The UN regulation requiring vehicle manufacturers to run a certified cybersecurity management system as a condition of type approval.

• UNECE R156

  The UN regulation on software updates — manufacturers must run a certified software update management system and keep updated vehicles compliant.

• Vehicle OS

  An OEM's full software platform for its vehicles — OS kernels, middleware, APIs and cloud — such as MB.OS, Pleos or VW's Cariad stack.

• Zonal architecture

  An E/E architecture that organizes vehicle electronics by physical zone, with zone controllers aggregating local I/O and central computers running the logic.