OSEK 

OSEK is taken from the German phrase "Offene Systeme und deren Schnittstellen fur die Elektronik im Kraftfahrzeug", and VDX is the abbreviation for "Vehicle Distributed eXecutive."
Now, OSEK/VDX is broadly adopted in the automobile industry and many products based on OSEK/VDX specification are sold.

• It is the project which standardizes the program interface of ECU (electronic control unit) by which network connections are made within vehicles.
• The main companies of the automobile industry of Germany and France took the lead, and established it.
• The network correspondence in vehicles is considered important and the following three specifications are exhibited.
• Realtime OS specification : OSEK OS(Operating System)
• Communication specification between ECU and inside of ECU : OSEK COM(Communication)
• Network management specification : OSEK NM(Network Management)

According to such specifications, each company is developing OSEK/VDX specification OS, COM, NM.

• Multitasking, real-time operation (it specializes in vehiecles)
• Several conformance classes (BCC1, BCC2, ECC1, ECC2)
• Two task models (Foundations / extended task)
• Three scheduling functions (Non-preemptive/preemptive/Mix-preemptive)

• Communication in ECU, communication between ECUs through the network
• Several conformance classes (CCC0, CCC1, CCC2, CCC3)
• Common Communication interface (inside of ECU, between ECUs)
• Three kinds of transmission systems (Direct / Cycle / Mixed transmission)
• Deadline monitor
• Notice function (The message transceiver notice to Task)

• Monitoring of each ECU operation state linked to the network
• A node operation state monitor, a check of operation
• Shift to a bus sleep mode

OSEK

• "Offene Systeme und deren Schnittstellen fur die Elektronik im Kraftfahrzeug"
• "Open systems and corresponding interfaces for automotive electronics"

VDX

• "Vehicle Distibuted eXecutive"

(1) Prehistory

OSEK/VDX can be used for various applications. It is suitable for applications, such as the automotive field, the construction apparatus field, FA field, etc. which especially uses CAN.

Application field: In the case of an automobile LAN system(Example)

In the automotive industry, regarding the program which controls engine, a suspension, etc., a performance demand and the restrictions to program size are severe, and have created the exclusive program not for realtime OS but for every application created up until now.Program size increases by diversification and advancement of the contents of control in recent years, and furthermore the reuse of software is still more difficult, it became increasingly difficult to correspond to private programs.

Standardization of a communication protocol (OSEK COM, OSEK NM)

• On the reusability of application software, and transferable improvement(Hardware, network a non-depending interface)
• Shortening of development cost and development period

• Its use is limited for cars. (Since the automobile industry is the focus)
• Higher Realtime performance
• Scalability-conscious (Memory saving needs)
• Standardization of communication