Exponential Growth in Software Complexity

Remote Key Fob Example

Drivers today expect their smart keys to not only control the door lock system but also allow them to remotely switch on the car, adjust the climate, and even give the car instructions for self-parking.

In the past, the key fob communicated with one ECU. That ECU for the door lock system received the signal and instructed the door on what to do. Today the smart key features alone require communication with up to a dozen ECUs in the vehicle, each in charge of a single function.

This has led to a major change in the electrical and electronic (E/E) architecture of the car. Instead of having an entirely distributed model, with every ECU serving a particular function, the industry is moving towards a centralized E/E architecture. OEMs are starting to group all ECUs by their domains of service in a process called domain consolidation.