Automotive GUI Testing at Production Speeds: Months Before Silicon
“We were finding GUI timing issues months after we needed to,” recalls a senior development manager at a leading Asian automotive manufacturer. Like many teams, they had relied on simulation and simplified platforms for cockpit software development. Their challenge? The simulation environment fell short when validating complex GUI operations requiring split-second responses across multiple displays while processing real-time vehicle data.
Picture this real-world scenario their lead architect shared: A driver reaches for the climate control. As they adjust the temperature, the navigation system refreshes its route display, while the instrument cluster updates vehicle dynamics. What looks simple to the driver actually demands an intricate coordination of:
- Complex graphics acceleration with real-time response
- Multiple processor cores processing simultaneously at >100MHz
- Precise timing across multiple displays
- Real-time sensor data integration
- Critical memory bandwidth management
What surprised the team most? They discovered timing issues only after silicon arrived. “By then,” the architect notes, “we were looking at expensive rework and delayed launches. We needed a better way.”
That better way came through the Veloce proFPGA UNO Desktop platform from Siemens. The transformation was significant and measurable, as shown in Table 1:
| Before proFPGA | proFPGA Capabilities | User Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Simulation-speed validation only | Validate GUI operations at actual system speeds | “Caught critical timing issues months before silicon” |
| Late discovery of timing issues | Catch timing-critical interface issues early | “User experience finally matched real-world conditions” |
| Limited multi-display testing | Test complex multi-display scenarios thoroughly | “Late-stage integration problems eliminated” |
| Post-silicon performance validation | Match production-level performance | “Development cycles significantly accelerated” |
What started as a test deployment transformed their entire software development process. Today, teams validate complex GUI interactions at true system speeds long before silicon arrives. As one engineer put it, “We’re not just finding issues earlier; we’re delivering production-ready software months ahead of schedule.”
Contact us to learn how your team can achieve real-time GUI validation months earlier with Veloce proFPGA UNO Desktop platform. Click here for more information.
