What is AUTOSAR? Is it a file structure?

Question

I've gone through AUTOSAR Layered Software Architecture and understood that it is something like a file structure in which it is defined to have all the hardware abstraction in one directory and called as MCAL, and so on. Am I correct? Does a proper File Structure make a project AUTOSAR Compliant?

If it is a file structure then what should be used as it's build system? shall we use gnu-make?

Answer 1

Autosar is a standardization initiative for software architecture in the automotive industry, and more precisely in the field of Electronic Control Units, which are all theses computing devices involved in the subsystems of a car (e.g. engine, brakes, transmission, etc...).

A reference architecture is not a file format: it‘s primarily a specification. It describes how the software is to be structured, what are the responibilities, functions, or quality attributes expected from the different software components involved. It can also specify some technological building blocks to be used and specify sole common APIs.

The aim of such an architecture is to guarantee interoperability between sub-systems or even parts, which are designed and produced by different suppliers.