ISO 17356-6:2006

Overview

ISO 17356-6:2006 - "Road vehicles - Open interface for embedded automotive applications - Part 6: OSEK/VDX Implementation Language (OIL)" defines the OSEK Implementation Language (OIL) used to describe configuration for real‑time, multitasking automotive systems on a single CPU/ECU. It is a language specification (not a product spec) for expressing system objects, attributes and references so that embedded automotive software can be configured, validated and generated in a portable way.

Keywords: ISO 17356-6:2006, OIL, OSEK/VDX, embedded automotive, real-time systems, ECU configuration, implementation definition, application definition.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Language concept and syntax: A BNF-like grammar defines the OIL file format. The syntax is case‑sensitive, allows C‑style comments, and supports descriptions enclosed in double quotes.
• File structure: An OIL description contains two parts - an implementation definition (standard + implementation‑specific attributes) and an application definition (objects and attribute values for a particular CPU). One main file can include other files (#include).
• Standard objects and attributes: The standard defines a fixed set of object types and mandatory standard attributes. Implementations may add attributes but cannot change grammar or create new standard objects.
• Defaults and automatic assignment: Default attribute values and a special WITH_AUTO/AUTO mechanism allow generators to compute values automatically. The standard forbids default values for standard attributes except where explicitly allowed.
• Conditional attributes and dependencies: ENUM and BOOLEAN attributes can be parameterized to express conditional/nested dependencies between attributes.
• Conformance classes: Two supported sets - a full set (supporting COM, NM, OS features and multiple conformance classes) and a subset (internal communication only). Implementations must support either the full set or a defined subset.
• Tooling guidance: Grammar, include search paths, object uniqueness, and generator hints (annex) facilitate automated configuration generation and validation.

Practical applications and users

• Use cases:
  • Defining ECU software configuration for automotive control units.
  • Enabling generator tools to produce OS/COM/NM initialization code from OIL files.
  • Ensuring portable, repeatable configuration across suppliers and OEMs.
• Who uses it:
  • Embedded software engineers and system integrators.
  • Tool vendors (configuration editors, code generators).
  • OEMs and suppliers delivering ECU software or implementation definition files.
• Benefits: Improves portability of embedded applications, standardizes object/attribute descriptions, and supports automated code generation and validation workflows.

Related standards

• ISO 17356 series: Part 1 (general terms), Part 2 (binding OS/COM/NM), Part 3 (OSEK/VDX Operating System), Part 4 (Communication), Part 5 (Network Management).
• ISO 9899: C language standard referenced for include semantics and C‑style conventions.

This specification is essential when implementing OSEK/VDX‑based ECU configurations or building tools that generate deterministic real‑time automotive software.