Fostering Collaboration and Innovation
The Eclipse SDV (Software Defined Vehicle) community has initiated three new Special Interest Groups (SIGs) within the Working Group. These will focus on ThreadX, Rust, and Automotive Grade Open Source.
ThreadX
The ThreadX project offers an embedded development suite including a Real-Time Operating System (RTOS). By fulfilling the highest automotive safety standards while embracing all the values and benefits of open source, ThreadX combines the best of both worlds. Originally called Azure RTOS, the ThreadX project has been contributed to the Eclipse Foundation by Microsoft.
Rust
Rust is quickly gaining prominence in the realm of programming languages for embedded and mission-critical systems. In the July 2024 Tiobe Index, it reached a new peak, rising from rank #17 to #13. The automotive industry has witnessed a significant increase in Rust adoption over recent years. Several projects within the Eclipse SDV, such as Eclipse SommR or Eclipse Ankaios, are now being written in Rust. Furthermore, the programming language boasts a robust ecosystem of open-source libraries and tools, backed by an active community.
Automotive Grade Open Source
The Automotive Grade Open Source SIG is advancing automotive OSS evolution by developing a comprehensive SDV software stack that fulfils functional safety requirements. ThreadX offers the first RTOS certified for safety-critical applications, and the SDV Working Group recently introduced maturity badges for Eclipse SDV projects. The Automotive Grade Open Source SIG will take Eclipse SDV’s focus on safety standards to the next level by aligning OSS development with automotive grade maturity models.
Getting Started
All of the SIGs were formed within the last few months: On April 19 of this year, Stephen Walli (Microsoft) proposed the ThreadX SIG. Its creation was announced on June 11. On May 22, Florian Gilcher (Ferrous Systems) proposed the Rust SIG. On June 16, Martin Schleicher (Continental) proposed the Automotive Grade SIG.
Recently, two SIGs held their inaugural meetings and appointed their chairmen: Florian Gilcher will be chairman of the Rust SIG, and Leonardo Rosetti will lead Automotive Grade Open Source. A chairman for ThreadX has not been appointed yet, therefore Frédéric Desbiens will serve as interim chairman.
While only Eclipse SDV WG members can join the SIG, the meeting notes are publicly available. Please find the notes at the following links: Rust kick off notes, and Automotive Grade Open Source meeting notes.
What Exactly Is a SIG?
The idea behind a SIG is to provide a flexible collaborative space for relevant topics and technologies within the scope of an existing Working Group. The primary aim of SIGs is to enable members to exchange expertise, discoveries, and best practices around a particular topic or technology. Within the context of the SDV Working Group, the SIGs will focus on emerging innovations and concepts in the automotive realm.
While SIGs don’t influence the SDV Working Group or open source projects directly, they can identify new trends and topics relevant to the Working Group. These insights, in turn, can help organisations with committers involved in a project align their priorities with the Working Group's activities.
How Is a SIG Created – and by Whom?
Any member of the SDV Working Group can propose a new SIG via the SDV mailing list to drive innovation or promote and support a specific subset of open-source projects and specifications within the Working Group's scope. New proposals must be approved by the Steering Committee. One important criterion for forming a new SIG is that at least three member organisations must demonstrate willingness to participate within 14 days after the proposal.
Deepening and Expanding Collaboration: The More, the Merrier
As the Eclipse SDV ecosystem is rapidly expanding, now boasting more than 50 members and 26 projects, Special Interest Groups (SIGs) offer an additional platform for members to identify and collaborate on critical topics within the dynamic software and automotive industries. This initiative will enable Eclipse SDV to maintain its technological leadership and foster deeper collaboration among its members. Moreover, SIGs will help attract new members to Eclipse SDV. Given the importance of vendor neutrality in an open-source ecosystem, the success of the Working Group will also strongly depend on the number of active participants.
Joining a SIG
Eclipse SDV WG members can join a SIG and participate in its meetings. While we are working on setting up a form to join, you can contact the chair of the SIG directly to participate.
If you would like to join a SIG but are not an Eclipse SDV member yet, please do not hesitate to reach out to us by joining our mailing list or contacting us about membership.
