Automotive Grade Linux (AGL) has announced a reference platform that addresses issues holding back software-defined vehicles (SDVs).
As manufacturers attempt to transition toward SDVs, the traditional reliance on specific hardware availability often creates bottlenecks that delay feature deployment and increase integration costs. Named SoDeV, AGL’s open-source platform is designed to enable software-first development that is not bound by hardware constraints.
Developed through a collaboration led by Panasonic Automotive Systems, Honda, and the AGL SDV Expert Group, SoDeV seeks to standardise how manufacturers approach hardware abstraction and cloud integration.
Getting software-defined vehicles on the road
The current automotive development model often forces software teams to wait for final hardware specifications before validating applications. SoDeV attempts to resolve this by combining the AGL Unified Code Base (UCB) with established open source projects to support the consolidation of Electronic Control Units (ECUs) and virtualisation.
According to Masashige Mizuyama, Executive Vice President and CTO at Panasonic Automotive Systems, the industry requires interoperable solutions to realise the promise of software-defined architectures.
“By leveraging technologies such as Unified HMI, VirtIO-based device virtualisation, and open hypervisors, the AGL SoDeV reference platform decouples software implementation from the hardware requirements,” Mizuyama stated.
This separation allows teams developing for software-defined vehicles to proceed independently of current or future hardware availability, aiming to shorten time-to-market for in-vehicle applications.
Technical composition of the platform from AGL
The reference platform is not a single tool but a pre-integrated package of existing open-source components hosted by the Linux Foundation.
The architecture relies on several key technologies to achieve isolation and flexibility. The platform utilises Xen (a type-1 hypervisor) alongside Linux containers to run multiple functions – such as the instrument cluster and infotainment systems – on a single processor without interference.
A central component is VirtIO, a standardised interface for device virtualisation. This interface separates the software from the physical hardware, allowing for deployment across different vehicle variants without extensive code rewriting.
The package for software-defined vehicles also includes the AGL Unified Code Base, which serves as the Linux-based platform for infotainment and telematics, and Zephyr, a real-time operating system (RTOS) designed for embedded systems. Additionally, the Yocto Project toolkit is included to allow developers to build custom Linux distributions for specific embedded systems requirements.
Dan Cauchy, Executive Director of Automotive Grade Linux, noted that while these components existed previously, developers were forced to handle complex integration independently.
“SoDeV combines AGL’s proven Unified Code Base with Linux containers, VirtIO, Xen hypervisor and Zephyr RTOS, all in a single pre-integrated downloadable package that can run on real hardware SOCs or cloud-based processors,” Cauchy explained.
“Up until now, developers had to do all this complex integration themselves. SoDeV serves as a catalyst for the community to build and deploy SDV technologies much faster.”
Implications for OEMs
For OEMs, the adoption of a standardised reference architecture for software-defined vehicles offers a potential path to reduce research and development overheads. Honda, a key contributor to the project – alongside Toyota, Mazda, AISIN, and Renesas – views the platform as a foundation for simplifying updates across vehicle generations.
Kazuo Tsubouchi, Executive Chief Engineer at Honda Motor, said: “AGL SoDeV provides a flexible platform that OEMs can use as a foundation to develop modern in-vehicle architectures, streamline software consolidation, and simplify updates across multiple vehicle generations.”
Regarding safety, AGL is collaborating with the ELISA Project to support future Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) functional safety applications within the SoDeV environment. This collaboration is necessary for ensuring that open-source virtualisation can meet the safety standards required for driver-assistance systems.
The platform is intended to run on real hardware Systems-on-Chip (SOCs) as well as cloud-based processors, connecting virtual testing environments with physical deployment. By standardising the infrastructure via open-source, automakers may redirect their competitive focus toward upper-layer applications and user experience rather than proprietary middleware.
AGL has confirmed the SoDeV platform for software-defined vehicles will be available for virtual environments and automotive SOCs in early 2026.
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