SW lifecycle management
Your individual electronics
always up to date

The requirements for security and data protection are increasing - as are the number of attacks, security gaps and identified risks. You have to face these ever-changing security threats and ensure that your systems can be updated when your devices are connected to the Internet.

This is also required, for example, by the current IEC 62443 standard in the patch management section of the "Industrial Automation Control System Environment". The software lifecycle management from PHYTEC supports you in this. Use our offer for the sustainable and binding maintenance of the board support packages for your customer-specific hardware. We test your hardware with the latest patches and updates throughout the product life cycle. If necessary, you can roll out your software quickly and easily.

 

 

This is how the SLCM concept works _ The continuous maintenance of your product

We develop a custom one BSP for your PHYTEC hardware - based on the preliminary work of the standard development. hardware and BSP we integrate into our test farm and the CI system.

Together with you, we will create an update strategy for your product and determine the frequency of the updates. As a rule, we agree annual major updates of the Yocto Project and updates of the LTS kernel version every two years.

Parallel become two BSP-Stats maintained: A current version of your BSPs, which we constantly provide with security and bug fixes over an agreed period of time. And another version where we her BSP continuously up to date with the latest developments in the Yocto Project and Linux kernel. A perfect basis for your next stable software release.

The automatic tests with nightly builds will resolve any conflicts with your BSP recognized quickly and can be remedied promptly. At the same time, we continuously check the compliance of the BSPs with your specifications. All results are recorded for you in test protocols.

You will have access to an up-to-date and tested version at all times BSP-Version without the risks of continuous updates in the field. Routinely or as soon as a relevant vulnerability is identified, you can BSP Test with your own software applications and play out promptly. The RAUC (Robust Auto Update Controller), which is installed in our BSPs is prepared. In addition, we provide you with updates of yours according to the agreed strategy BSPs with current kernel and Yocto versions.

conditions

The prerequisite for the lifecycle management of the software is the use of a mainline Linux-based system BSPs and the presence of a BSP-Specification covering all functionality of the platform. An automated test environment is used, with which the complete function of the system according to the BSP-Specification can be checked. 

The tests primarily cover the interfaces, drivers and connections created on the boards. Customer applications are usually not included in the test. The standard tests include "common" interfaces according to the list in the next point. Special interfaces or special protocols can be added individually by expanding the test specification; it may be necessary to create special test hardware for this. For the tests, the Jenkins-based continuous integration system is linked to the test environment for automatic hardware tests. The setup is therefore ideal for the continuous integration of standard board support packages as well as customized ones BSPs.

Interfaces

  • Ethernet
  • RS-232
  • RS-485
  • CAN
  • USB Host
  • USB OTG as device

System on Module / SoC tests

  • SD inertface w / eMMC
  • SPI inertface w / NOR Flash
  • I2C w / trivial I2C devices
  • RAM
  • CPU: Frequency scaling
  • CPU: stress test
  • Watchdog
  • NAND interface

hardware control

  • Power cut reboot
  • soft reboot
  • Boat tests

A positive side effect of the setup is the clear separation of BSP, middleware and application software, with which the individual layers can be treated individually if necessary, without errors resulting from unconsidered dependencies.

We make it easier to roll out your software in the field by preparing the RAUC (Robust Auto-Update Controller) in all current ones BSPs. The update client ensures the reliable installation of signed BSP-Updates on the embedded systems and is supported by Yocto in the meta-rauc layer. On the host system, using the tool BSP-Updates can be created, checked and modified.

We support you in implementing the update mechanisms as well as in creating a corresponding infrastructure - from the RAUC configuration to setting up cloudServices right up to protecting the hardware from the installation of malware.

Your contact for your individual software lifecycle management:

Axel Berghoff
Corporate customer acquisition
axel.berghoff@phytec.de
+ 49 (0) 6131 / 9221-32

Benefit from our other offers for your individual electronics:

Topic software lifecycle management _ at the Embedded World 2020

Our embedded experts are there for you!

 

Secure your personal consultation appointment quickly, easily and free of charge.
30 minutes exclusively for you and your project!