Chongqing - Chongqing recently hosted the inaugural China Intelligent Vehicle Infrastructure Software Ecological Conference and the Third China Automotive Chip Summit Forum, where "Xiaoman," China's first production-level open-source safety car control operating system, was officially released.

Chongqing recently hosted the inaugural China (Chongqing) Intelligent Vehicle Infrastructure Software Ecological Conference and the Third China Automotive Chip Summit Forum. (Photo/He Chao)

During the conference, the Chongqing government and  China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) signed a strategic agreement to develop integrated circuits, intelligent connected vehicles, and next-generation mobile communications in southwest China.

Puhua Basic Software has announced three new companies landing in Chongqing. These companies focus on vehicle control hardware and software co-design, vehicle control systems, and a chip adaptation center. These companies aim to enhance collaboration between the automotive chip and software sectors, tackling cost reduction challenges and efficiency.

In a significant collaboration, over ten companies, including the OpenAtom Foundation, China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, Puhua Basic Software, Dongfeng Motor, and Changan Automobile, launched the China Vehicle Operating System Open Source Co-construction Program. 

The event announced that the EasyAda program, developed by CETC, is now an incubation preparatory project under the OpenAtom Foundation. EasyAda is the world's first open-source vehicle operating system, a microkernel designed for intelligent driving.

The event also marked the launch of the Xiaoman Safety Vehicle Control Operating System project, China's first large-scale, mass-production open-source safety vehicle control system, setting a new milestone in the country's automotive industry.

Lv Yi, chairman of Puhua Basic Software, underscored the vital role of open-source platforms in boosting product competitiveness. He noted that the Xiaoman product has reached large-scale production, surpassing 17 million sets by the end of 2023, and has undergone thorough market verification, meeting international advanced standards.

The conference attracted over 500 experts, scholars, and industry representatives who engaged in in-depth discussions on key topics such as in-vehicle operating systems, automotive chips, software-hardware collaboration, and open-source initiatives.

In his keynote address, Ni Guangnan of the Chinese Academy of Engineers academicians highlighted RISC-V's potential as an open-source instruction set architecture to advance China's basic software.

Ni Guangnan, the Chinese Academy of Engineering academician, delivered a keynote speech at the conference. (Photo/He Chao)

RISC-V stands for Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) and the "V" represents the fifth version of the RISC architecture. It's an open-source instruction set architecture (ISA) that's used to develop custom processors for various applications. 

While RISC-V's application in intelligent connected vehicles is still emerging, its technical and open-source advantages promise a broad market prospect, driving new quality productive forces in the automotive industry.