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innovation
pulse-AR, formed in September 2009,
provides support and expertise for customers
in the adoption of the AUTomotive
Open System ARchitecture (AUTOSAR)
standard. “The AUTOSAR standard is a
wonderful means to bring about synergy
between the automotive players. It enables
new business models for cooperation by
speaking the same language,” says Pascal
Gula, CEO of pulse-AR.
“From a purely technical point of view,
AUTOSAR introduces new concepts in
software design that will modernize the
embedded software development approach,
Specialist company
formed to implement
AUTOSAR By: Lenny Case
The introduction of standardized automotive software architecture is picking up speed with
the formation of a dedicated support and development company.
release is planned for the second quarter
of 2010.
The consulting services offered by
pulse-AR include helping customers build
an AUTOSAR compliant process, defining
a migration path from non-AUTOSAR
to AUTOSAR process and bringing solutions
to specific AUTOSAR implementation
issues. Its engineering services include
providing tool engineering to complete
an existing tool-chain through the Artop /
Eclipse Framework and providing software
engineering to develop software based on
customers’ specifications.
“Our expertise enables us to offer traditional
system/software development services, with a
model-based software engineering approach.”
as was the case in the aeronautic industry
with the ARINC653 standard.”
pulse-AR has a relationship with a number
of other highly informed companies
such as ArcCore and RealTime-at-Work
(RTaW). It is also in discussions to form
a strategic partnership with CEA List, a
French government-funded technological
research organization and prominent player
in the European Research Area.
pulse-AR offers services such as consultancy,
development tools and software,
and training on both AUTOSAR
and ISO 26262. Future products include
a system design tool focused on variant
handling and safety with R4.0, based on
the Artop / Eclipse Framework. The first
Automotive Industries asked Pascal
Gula, CEO of pulse-AR, why it was important
to start a company solely aimed
at propagating the AUTOSAR standard.
Gula: AUTOSAR really represents an incredible
opportunity to move a step forward to
reach excellence in quality, reusability, flexibility
and safety for complex embedded software
development. It will ease the development of
distributed functions like hybrid vehicles, and
open new perspectives in terms of business
models between the automotive players. Our
expertise enables us to offer traditional system/
software development services, with a modelbased
software engineering approach.
AI: Why are you planning to open offices
in Berlin and China later this year,
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and will you be opening offices in any
other locations?
Gula: Considering my background and
my contacts, Paris was an obvious choice
to begin. However, once the business was
established, we decided to expand rapidly
into other territories. Germany, with an office
in Berlin, represents one of the biggest
markets for embedded software development,
especially in the automotive industry.
It hosts some of the most prestigious and
significant OEMs such as BMW, Daimler,
Audi, VW as well as Tier Ones like Bosch,
Continental and ZF. In China, we have an
office in Beijing. Economic growth in the
country is steady and the government is
helping local OEMs and suppliers to reach
a level of international competitiveness. AU-
TOSAR has therefore been a clear choice
to aid in reaching this goal.
AI: Tell us more about the first product
you plan to launch in the second
quarter of this year.
Gula: Our first planned product will be
a system design tool for AUTOSAR compliant
systems. It will be divided into a core
part, with standard functionalities like diagram
editor and development editor. Additional
modules will be included that are
dedicated to variant handling and safety.
Both concepts are available through
AUTOSAR R4.0 and are of importance for
both OEMs (to offer flexibility in a vehicle’s
platform development) and Tier Ones (to
be able to meet different OEMs’ specific
requirements).
Moreover, we will have a flexible business
model which follows the evolution of
the market. Eventually, we plan to build a
global solution with a bundle composed of
Papyrus from the CEA (a UML modeler including
real-time profile like SysML, MARTE
or EAST-ADL2) and the solution of ArcCore
(product suites for BSW configuration and
integration) together with our tools. AI