OSI Tutorial

OSI (Open Simulation Interface) is an object-based specification for interfaces between models and components of a distributed simulation. As a standardized interface, OSI enables compatibility between driving functions, models and simulation frameworks. Its main application is in the field of advanced driver assistance systems and autonomous driving. Information about the environment and the sensors can be transmitted via OSI. Thus, OSI also addresses the ISO standard 23150 for data communication between sensors and data fusion. OSI is an ASAM standard and is being further developed within the ASAM consortium. More information can be found on the project pages:

Technically, OSI is based on Google’s Protocol Buffers (Protobuf). Thereby, the description of the OSI format is done via proto files. Based on the proto files, the required artifacts for the creation and serialization of the messages can be created for different target languages. The message transmission of the serialized messages is not standardized. In practice, ZeroMQ is often used for message transmission.

Use in ecu.test

To use OSI, a system for environment communication must be set up in the test configuration. The system for environment communication must be linked to a tool for message transmission. For the transmission of OSI messages the following tools can be used, which implement the ENVCOM port:

Setup

The setup of an OSI environment communication system is shown using the configuration of a SensorView source (e.g. for data of a camera sensor) connected via ZeroMQ:

  1. Configuration of the tool for message transmission in the testbench configuration: The tool for message transmission (here ZeroMQ, see also ZeroMQ) and an associated ENVCOM port are created in a test bench configuration. img_TBC_ZeroMq

  2. Configuration of an environment communication in the test configuration (see also Configuration of environment communication access): In the test configuration, the ENVCOM port created in step 1 is linked to a specific configuration of the message format. For this, OSI is selected as message format and the OSI format definition is set (here to SensorView). img_TCF_ZeroMq

  3. The configurations created in steps 1 and 2 (test bench configuration and test configuration) are selected and activated.

  4. In the Tab Environment Communication, the OSI model of the selected data source is now available. img_Tab_ENVCOM

Use

The OSI model can be accessed via the Tab Environment Communication. The structure of the concrete OSI format is displayed in the tree. The signals are accessed via read test steps in a package. At runtime, the next value sent on the message transmission bus is returned; there is no caching or holding of the last value.