RISC‑V has long since ceased to be a niche technology and is enjoying growing popularity, particularly in the automotive industry. Christoph Herzog, Co — CEO of TASKING, comments on the opportunities and challenges.
For years, there has been a trend in the automotive industry toward more software in cars, with the goal of creating software-defined vehicles. More and more functions are no longer defined by hardware but by software. However, in order for software to bring its flexibility benefits to vehicles, the underlying hardware must also provide the necessary foundation. This is where RISC‑V comes into play, because RISC‑V brings openness and flexibility to the hardware world. This is not just a technical shift, but a cultural one.
Of course, the transformation to open standards is indeed a challenging journey for all of us. But we have already successfully navigated such transformations to open standards in the automotive industry. One example is the transition to AUTOSAR. We at TASKING have learned a lot from these transformations and can now apply these insights to the journey ahead.
The insights gained back then that are useful for RISC‑V can be divided into three main topics:
- Bridging Both World: We’re investing in toolchains that support both current systems and emerging RISC‑V platforms. Our RISC‑V compiler shares the same proven technology as our TriCore toolchain, which are considered the industry standard. Our role as software tool vendor is to make this journey as seamless, safe, and efficient as possible.
- Safety and Security First: In automotive, safety isn’t negotiable. We’re addressing this by ensuring our tools meet the same safety and cybersecurity standards that the industry demands and focus on cooperating with leading semiconductors and RISC‑V IP suppliers like Infineon or Synopsys.
- Education and Ecosystem Development: We support building the ecosystem for RISC‑V by providing solutions for virtual prototypes and starter kits that enable pre-silicon software development together with partners, allowing developers to begin working with RISC‑V architectures before the hardware is available. This accelerates ecosystem development and reduces time-to-market. As we move toward software-defined vehicles, RISC‑V offers the standardization and ecosystem needed to unleash a new era of innovation and collaboration in the embedded space.
Therefore, I do not see any specific challenges in implementing open standards. On the contrary, the automotive and software tool industries have long demonstrated that open standards are not only feasible but also highly beneficial. Commercial success in these industries has never depended on keeping standards proprietary but rather on the quality, performance, and usability of the implementation. In this context, open standards are not a hurdle—they are the foundation.
Tools for the transformation
We at TASKING are convinced that it is important that all our products are ready for RISC‑V. At the last Embedded World, we already demonstrated how our products are used to compile and debug the code executing the virtual prototype from Infineon.
The design considerations for the compiler have remained consistent, focusing on optimizing execution speed and code size while ensuring compliance with functional safety and cybersecurity goals. Therefore, we consistently deliver best-in-class results on benchmarks.
However, debugging and verification, which account for approximately 50% of development costs, should not be overlooked. Our winIDEA debugger has been available for the Infineon virtual prototypes for a long time. It helps the software developer by hiding the complexities of the virtual model and providing full debugging experience along with features like OS-aware debugging and profiling even on virtual hardware solutions.
The benefit of using our tools is that all test and debug scripts developed for the virtual model can be reused once physical hardware becomes available.
The advantage of collaboration
In the coming years, I envision collaboration among companies in the automotive domain becoming increasingly structured, transparent, and technology-driven. The complexity of modern vehicles – especially with the rise of software-defined architectures, electrification, and autonomous systems – demands a level of cross-industry cooperation we’ve never seen before.
From our perspective as a supplier of compilers and tools focused on functional safety and cybersecurity, we see a growing alignment between semiconductor companies, OEMs, Tier 1s, and tool vendors. This alignment is driven by the need to meet stringent safety standards and cybersecurity regulations. These challenges can only be addressed effectively through early and deep collaboration across the supply chain.
We believe that the future lies in ecosystems where each player brings their domain expertise to the table but works within a shared framework of trust, traceability, and compliance. This is not just about technical integration; it’s about cultural alignment and long-term partnerships.
This is also evident in the fact that the RISC‑V community is something very special: when you meet at conferences or similar events, the atmosphere is always unique, with open collaboration and high energy in the room. It is incredibly inspiring to see people from different backgrounds come together, share ideas so freely, and really build on each other’s perspectives.
One part of an ecosystem that is often overlooked is the user. But user feedback is essential in shaping the ecosystem. This mindset is not new to us: Our tools are used by developers building systems that must meet the highest standards of reliability, performance, and compliance. That means we can’t afford to operate in a vacuum.
Ultimately, a healthy ecosystem is one where all players—semiconductor vendors, tool providers, and end users—are in constant dialogue. Feedback is the glue that holds that dialogue together and ensures that innovation is both relevant and sustainable.