ETAS and ThunderSoft introduce pre-integrated multi-domain middleware solution for HPC SoC platforms

Ludwigsburg, June 6, 2025 – ETAS and ThunderSoft are pleased to announce their close collaboration and will jointly present their newly developed multi-domain middleware solution for high-performance computing (HPC) SoC-based vehicle systems at this year’s Automobil-Elektronik Kongress, taking place June 24–25 in Ludwigsburg.

In the context of realizing software-defined vehicles (SDVs), OEMs and suppliers face the challenge of efficiently and securely integrating multiple vehicle function domains. The new platform solution—ETAS Vehicle Software Platform Suite combined with ThunderSoft Aqua Drive OS—is specifically designed to address these requirements of modern centralized and zonal E/E architectures. The ETAS Vehicle Software Platform Suite targets the ADAS/AD, Body, and Energy and Motion domains. It can seamlessly integrate with ThunderSoft's AI-native vehicle operating system, Aqua Drive OS, which is built for central computing. After deep integration of both platforms, they will enable coordinated support across multiple domains, including intelligent cockpits and ADAS/AD.

At the heart of the ETAS Platform Suite is RTA-VRTE, ETAS’ production-grade AUTOSAR Adaptive platform for next-generation vehicle computers. RTA-VRTE provides a robust foundation for developing and deploying complex automotive applications across multiple domains. It enables safe and efficient orchestration of mixed-criticality workloads on HPC platforms, supports dynamic software updates over the air (OTA), and ensures seamless integration with both safety-critical and infotainment functions. Complementing RTA-VRTE, the platform also features the ETAS Deterministic Middleware Solution (EDMS), dedicated to automated driving systems (ADAS/AD). EDMS ensures high-performance, deterministic communication—crucial for safety-critical ADAS applications—by enabling efficient, zero-copy data exchange at over 10 GB/s. With its suite of tools and robust API, EDMS accelerates ADAS/AD development cycles and supports both software and hardware architecture modeling. Developed according to ASPICE and ISO 26262 standards, EDMS enables functional safety up to ASIL-D for advanced driver assistance systems.

An essential component of the joint solution is the co-developed gateway (VHAL), which enables high-performance, bidirectional communication between safety-critical applications and IVI systems—with extremely low latency and high bandwidth. The platform is fully optimized for use in hypervisor-based systems and meets the highest standards for functional safety and cybersecurity.

“By combining our expertise, we offer customers a pre-integrated, future-proof platform solution that shortens development cycles and accelerates innovation,” says Christopher Pohl, Chief Product Manager at ETAS. “Together with ThunderSoft, we are also ideally positioned to provide outstanding local support—especially in the rapidly growing BEV market in China.”

“Aqua Drive OS, as an AI-native vehicle operating system integrating edge and cloud, supports both separate intelligent cockpits and autonomous driving as well as central computing for cockpit-driving fusion, offering flexible adaptation to different automakers' technical route choices," said Xu Dongchao, Vice President of ThunderSoft's Intelligent Vehicle Business Group. "The collaboration with ETAS further expands the global ecosystem of Aqua Drive OS, enhancing the system’s technical security and engineering implementation capabilities under multi-domain fusion architecture."

Visit ETAS and ThunderSoft on June 24–25 at the Automobil-Elektronik Kongress in Ludwigsburg at booth 35 to learn more about the joint platform solution for software-defined vehicles.

ETAS GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH, represented in twelve countries in Europe, North and South America, and Asia. ETAS' portfolio includes software development tools, software testing solutions, automotive middleware, data acquisition & processing tools, authoring & diagnostic solutions, automotive cybersecurity solutions, and end-to-end engineering and consulting services for the realization of software-defined vehicles. Our product solutions and services enable vehicle manufacturers and suppliers to develop, operate, and secure differentiating vehicle software with increased efficiency.