ISO 17356-1:2005

Overview

ISO 17356-1:2005 - "Road vehicles - Open interface for embedded automotive applications - Part 1" defines the general structure, terms, definitions and abbreviations used across the ISO 17356 family. It establishes the vocabulary and organization for the software open interface used in embedded automotive systems (commonly associated with OSEK/VDX specifications). ISO 17356-1:2005 does not itself specify operational APIs in full; instead it frames and harmonizes the concepts that Parts 2–6 implement (OS, COM, NM, OIL and binding specifications).

Keywords: ISO 17356-1:2005, open interface, embedded automotive applications, OSEK/VDX, automotive software standards.

Key Topics

ISO 17356-1:2005 focuses on structured terminology and the architecture needed for consistent implementation of automotive embedded software. Important technical topics and definitions included are:

• Structure of the ISO 17356 series and relationship between parts (Part 1 through Part 6).
• Application Program Interface (API) concept as the interface between application and OS/COM/NM.
• Operating system concepts: basic and extended tasks, conformance classes (BCC/ECC), scheduling (including full pre-emptive scheduling), task states and activation.
• Timing and synchronization: counters, alarms, alarm callbacks, deadline monitoring, interrupt latency, ISR categories.
• Communication concepts: interaction layer (IL), data link layer (DLL), I-PDUs (message packing), address-related vs group addressing, arbitration, broadcast/multicast.
• Network management (NM): alive messages, direct/indirect node monitoring, limp-home behavior, logical ring for NM synchronization.
• Error handling and hooks: error hooks, fatal vs application errors, centralized shutdown and certification considerations.
• Configurability and conformance: static configuration parameters, conformance classes and their purpose.
• References to relevant models such as the ISO/OSI reference model (ISO 7498-1) and the Controller Area Network (CAN).

Applications

ISO 17356-1:2005 is practical for:

• Automotive software architects and embedded system engineers implementing or integrating OSEK/VDX-compatible ECUs.
• Suppliers and OEMs aligning software modules (OS, COM, NM, OIL) to a common terminology and architecture.
• System integrators and test/certification groups that need a consistent reference model and vocabulary for conformance assessment.
• Technical writers, trainers and tool vendors creating documentation, configuration tools, or code generators for automotive embedded stacks.

Related Standards

• ISO 17356 series:
  • Part 2: OSEK/VDX specifications for binding OS, COM and NM
  • Part 3: OSEK/VDX operating system (OS)
  • Part 4: OSEK/VDX communication (COM)
  • Part 5: OSEK/VDX network management (NM)
  • Part 6: OSEK/VDX implementation language (OIL)
• ISO 7498-1 (ISO/OSI reference model) is referenced for communication-layer concepts.

This part is essential for anyone using ISO 17356 to ensure consistent terminology and correct interpretation of the OSEK/VDX open interface for embedded automotive applications.