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Within the automotive industry model-based specification techniques are the basis for the definition of seamless design processes allowing the complete, the consistent, and the unambiguous specification of software and hardware parts of car specific networks of control units. For a successful application, those modeling approaches have to give methodical support for adequately capturing the architecture in the targeted system class. In our opinion most standard modeling languages leave room for improvement exactly at this point. Therefore we develop a modeling language characterized by the following features: (1) architecture centric modeling, (2) domain-specificity, and (3) close relation to standard modeling languages. Within this article we introduce the Automotive Modeling Language (AML) by illustrating a case study which comprises parts of the body car electronics within a car.

This article focuses on model based development of electronic control units (ECUs) in the automotive domain. The use of model-based approaches solves requirements for the fast-growing integration of formerly isolated logical functions in complex distributed networks of heavily interacting ECUs. One fundamental property of such an approach is the existence of an adequate modeling notation tailored to the specific needs of the application domain together with a precise definition of its syntax and its semantics. However, although these constituents are necessary, they are not sufficient for guaranteeing an efficient development process of ECU networks. In addition, methodical support which guides the application of the modeling notation must be an integral part of a model-based approach.

Electric's and electronics' content in the high performance luxury segment's vehicles is continuously increasing. Dynamically controlled safety features, passenger comfort, information and entertainment and operational convenience are the field of permanent innovation. To guarantee an appropriate level of quality for this permanently innovated features requires robust design techniques (analysis, modeling, simulation, rapid prototyping and verification) and reliably controlled integration processes for components with significantly different lifecycles including information management and change control. For these purposes BMW chose to utilize object-oriented analysis (OOA) methods and to define its automotive-specific subset of the Unified Modeling Language UML [OMG99]. The resulting object networks of OOA are then specified within an object-based specification (generation of executable models) process. Dedicated tools support a seamless development process.