Most people know the Chevrolet Volt is a revolutionary kind of car, but at a recent Silicon Valley conference, an IBM executive said the car is very complex and the fact that it made it to market as soon as it did is more than a little remarkable.
The computer-controlled EREV uses an estimated 10 million lines of code and runs about 100 control units. This is a marked increase from a typical 2009 model car which uses an estimated six million lines of code, or one from 2005 which might use only 2.4 million lines of code. Consider also that the Volt was developed in half the usual time.
And according to Meg Selfe, a vice president for complex and embedded systems at IBM Rational, her company was a major contributor toward enabling GM to bring the Volt to market.
Shown is the first Chevrolet Volt available for sale (sold online – vehicle identification number BU10002). Getting this car to market as fast as it did took a lot of effort from the computer development side of the equation.
“Software is becoming the most strategic asset and its use is growing astronomically,” said Selfe during a keynote address at the Embedded Systems Conference last week.
Her division was acquired by IBM in 2003 and is credited with pioneering the Unified Modeling Language (UML) that helped with the Volt’s design.
UML “is a visual language for specifying, constructing, and documenting the artifacts of systems. Complex software designs difficult for you to describe textually can readily be conveyed through diagrams using UML. Modeling provides three key benefits: visualization, complexity management, clear communication,” says IBM’s Web site.
To augment GM’s own sense of urgency, Selfe said IBM helped the automaker cut the time to the Volt’s production from a customary 60 months to just 29 months.
“They focused on time to market, and they had to because it was a life or death moment for them,” said Selfe, “They were in a near-death experience, so they brought together their best thousand engineers.”
The degree of accomplishment this represented was increased by the fact that the Volt used a new battery pack, electric drive unit and cabin electronics. Selfe said the effort took a lot of quick adaptations on GM’s part to meet its goals.
“They were changing the way in which they did engineering,” said Selfe, who previously worked as a systems engineer at GM and Delphi.
She said the Volt Team was moved to a new product development platform. Along the way, it streamlined the details of bringing the new kind of car to market. This included having to decide which among thousands of tools and process it would keep, and which to abandon.
The “tools” included automatic code generators – something many in the embedded world are still coming to grips with, Selfe said.
“It was like a battle of tools,” Selfe said. “But they weren’t afraid to pull teams together and make decisions using new governance procedures” so in the end everyone could agree on how to move forward.
GM’s number of test procedures was also cut from more than 600 to about 400, Selfe said.
“Testing is something all of us can still waste too much time and energy on,” she said.
To acknowledge the increasing importance of its in-house software, Selfe noted that GM gave each Volt its own IP address.
“They use it for a few things today, like finding a charging station, but they hope to use it to push more software out to the vehicles in the future,” she said.
Selfe said GM put more of the Volt’s design in house, particularly the software design.
“It was a risk on their part because they are a very old company, but they needed to do it different and they did,” she said.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 11th, 2011 at 5:55 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
+11
May 11th, 2011 (6:47 am)Thank you IBM for helping with the Volt! You are truly a great company.
+39
May 11th, 2011 (6:51 am)Reading the EETimes article brought clarity to the “life or death moment” statement. The person was “referring to the near bankruptcy of GM and other Detroit automakers.”
Thinking about the software that makes the Volt possible, I am so happy that the process was completed 31 months early. Had the Volt been delayed, it would have been too late for my 87 year old mother who loved the Volt and enjoyed every drive for lunch, dinner or shopping. She passed yesterday during a midday rest at home in her bed. Thanks to all at GM and IBM who made it possible for her to enjoy a vehicle that gave her great pleasure while sitting in the passenger seat.
+12
May 11th, 2011 (7:11 am)I know that GM used IBM Rational tools to manage their software development. We use them, too, mostly ClearQuest. GM has one of the best control software which runs on embedded controllers, and it all began when the EPA established the first emission limits in the early 1970s. GM had to do away with mechanical and simple electrical engine controls, and replace them with newer electronic engine controls for ignition timing, fuel management, and exhaust monitoring. This introduced the use of sensors and electronic feedback so the new embedded engine controller (now known as the ECU) can handle the task under extreme conditions of heat, cold, and vibration that no PC, laptop, or even the smartest mobile device can ever survive, yet remain manageable and relatively easy to service if something failed. GM had the sensible vision of maintaining operational conditions if a component failed, and allowed the driver to continue until service was available, which we GM owners recognized as the “Limp Home” situation (which has saved me twice). All of this was the beginning of the famous service codes, the ALDL connector, and “Check Engine Light” feature, now part of the OBD (On Board Diagnostics) system that became a standard on every GM vehicle since 1981.
With such an advanced vehicle like the Chevy Volt, GM has retained its leadership in the use of electronic controls, and given us a vehicle that is simple to use, yet allows the driver to monitor what the vehicle is doing visually on graphical monitors and some text messages, instead of seeing simple “idiot lights” and reading strange service codes through the blinking sequence of the “Check Engine” light. I am extremely happy that the Volt has passed the criticism of every major automobile magazine evaluator, and has surpass the expectations of all of its few but loyal owners.
May the Volt continue to win more awards, keep its owners happy and safe, and become the new reference symbol of the electronic automobile of the 21st century.
Well done, GM!
Raymond
+14
May 11th, 2011 (7:41 am)Mark Z,
I am sorry to hear of your mother’s passing – I hope she enjoyed Mother’s Day and glad she enjoyed riding in the Volt. We recently had a Volt Forum member who recently passed who bought the Volt as part of his “bucket list” and he was so thrilled to show it off whereever he went. I am sure they are sharing their thoughts together with the man upstairs.
+2
May 11th, 2011 (7:48 am)Why doesn’t the picture of the “first Volt sold” have that really low air-dam under the bumper? Are Volts available without it? How adversely would its lack impact gas mileage and electric range? I really don’t like the way that thing looks, and I fear breaking it in parking lots, over bumps, and on snowy days in the Northeast where I live.
+9
May 11th, 2011 (7:52 am)This article demonstrates once again that Volt is a remarkable achievement and establishes a new benchmark in automotive transportation.
If Volt had a Mercedes, BMW or Lexus badge on its hood those manufacturers would trumpet this car as the groundbreaking pride of their fleet, as would any car manufacturer in the world.
Congratulations again to GM and also to IBM for this accomplishment.
And this is just the beginning…
+5
May 11th, 2011 (8:34 am)It’s no surprise that there would be about a hundred or so control modules.
The listings of processors in current model year vehicles goes down a long list of about twenty or thirty or so. Many are not listed in the populated page of available processors in a Genisys, because they are likely very mundane or very basic.
While ten million lines of code (a previous statement was 100 million, which I thought to be excessive to be actually resident, though the supporting software to generate the ten million lines of code, yes) are essentially entirely of a background nature, which is how programming wants it. Programming wants software to be powerful, yet elegant in process, and seamless, always seamless.
With the best software design, you are not supposed to even be aware that it is there. Things just work very well according to lightly-educated expectations.
The best part is that the upgrades and updates are likely automatic. I would expect that this means that the code is intelligent enough to not be ambiguous as most fault codes still are today, unless the technician or engineer is completely aware of every single detail of wear and fault condition in the analog systems. The understandings of the analog systems comes first when there are compromises to the digital systems.
If I may say so, I have developed a perfected fault indexing system for the analog side that is highly reliable and generates a repeatable result for analog diagnosis in thirty seconds flat. It is changing the way automotive diagnostics are approached (even at one very large dealership servicing department, whose executives are very happy with my new fault indexing system) as it explains clearly all the previously untraceable faults for about half of all known otherwise unreliably-set fault code conditions. It cuts diagnostic error which wastes the vehicle owners far too much money far too often.
+2
May 11th, 2011 (8:36 am)All must get their dooooooo!ue, Even IBM!
Keep up the good work GM and even, strive for more improvements and inovations in reducing the usage of petroleum.
This is a reasonable notion providing, the oil industry doesn’t fill some pockets.
+9
May 11th, 2011 (8:46 am)The entire family was together at the Hotel Del Coronado on Easter and plans were made for the ladies to visit Hearst Castle for Mother’s Day. The 3 day adventure was perfect for the mothers, grandchildren and great grandchildren. I was out of town, but got to chat with Mom yesterday and she did enjoy her day! Life passes so quickly, take the opportunity to enjoy everyday. Purchasing the Volt was on the wish list just after this web site was started, and I will never regret the purchase.
+5
May 11th, 2011 (9:08 am)Mark Z.
Sorry to hear of you mom’s passing. It was so nice that she had been able to enjoy the drive.
+6
May 11th, 2011 (9:31 am)The tail can wag the dog sometimes; but the time and energy used testing is never wasted. JMO.
How quaint (we’ll think in a few years). Just wait until the cars start driving themselves …
Glad it wasn’t Microsoft!
“Brakes not applied (error -1). Send error report? Y/N …
Loud sound detected. Deploy airbag? Y/N”
+8
May 11th, 2011 (9:32 am)I would also like to express my sympathy for your mom’s passing. I am glad you were able to get your Volt in time to share the experience.
I still correspond with Jerry Reynold’s (a Volt Forum member who recently passed who bought the Volt as part of his “bucket list”) widow occasionally. She now contributes to this site as “VoltGal.” They too will never regret the purchase or the effort to get it time.
Michael in New Mexico, Volt #1761
+2
May 11th, 2011 (10:02 am)So true!
I had a Caddy mechanic try to diagnose a ‘computer’ problem when the engine had zero compression in one cylinder. It’s still an ICE.
+1
May 11th, 2011 (10:12 am)“To acknowledge the increasing importance of its in-house software, Selfe noted that GM gave each Volt its own IP address.
“They use it for a few things today, like finding a charging station, but they hope to use it to push more software out to the vehicles in the future,” she said.
—————-
Why didn’t they set it up so that my home Wifi network could access my Volt, or my Volt could access hotspots? I guess that’s what OnStar is for, but still. Will Onstar use 4G?
+8
May 11th, 2011 (10:28 am)Mark Z,
I am sorry to hear about your mother, Mark. It is good at least to know she enjoyed one more mothers’ day with family and friends, had a long life, and passed peacefully.
I hope you and your family take care.
Regards,
Jeff
+2
May 11th, 2011 (10:31 am)I was about to write about that too. Totally agree with you, you can never test too much, especially new pieces of software.
+2
May 11th, 2011 (10:48 am)I agree that thorough testing is important, however, at some point you get to the ‘apple polishing’ stage of development and you need to ship or die. Code can go to production with known bugs as long as they are not ‘reds’ or show-stoppers.
+6
May 11th, 2011 (12:36 pm)That is why GM had a Quality Control program that did the final test on each Volt before it leaves the plant. But at 10 million lines, it is very probable that one or two bugs are still in there. I have faith in GM “Limp Home” policy such that, in any singular event that may stop a vehicle and require servicing, the GM vehicle will allow the driver to continue the trip (in a limited way such as less power and lower speeds), and reach the destination safely, probably a dealership or service station.
I bet that there are several lines of code put in as redundancy or even a safety margin so that the “limp home” can be done and provide safety and some comfort to the driver. I had two different events happened to me twice in different vehicles, and both times I could “limp home” and arrive at my home then service the vehicle the next day. I believe that the Chevy Volt has this “limp home” feature encoded among those 10 million lines of code, its electronics, and its design.
I am also a strong believer of IBM software and hardware design, having operated, programmed, and serviced many IBM systems (from my first IBM System/360 mainframe in 1974 through all of the PC and PS/2 models, through the RS/6000 and Power Series, and the z10 mainframe with z/OS today), so I also believe that IBM did its best to help GM produce the magnificent Volt.
You Volt owners have in your hands a modern marvel of the 21st century, and I even expect it to be included in the list of the greatest vehicles in the history of this century, long after we are gone…
Raymond
May 11th, 2011 (1:27 pm)Cool. How/to whom are you marketing it?
+1
May 11th, 2011 (1:36 pm)#11
God forbid!
You took the words right out of my mouth, LOL +1
+5
May 11th, 2011 (1:46 pm)OT, but I got my first OnStar report today:
Lifetime 217 mpg.
3227 electric miles.
673 gas miles.
Gas saved 133 gal – How do you like that Saudi Royal Family, LOL?
CO2 avoided 2599 lb.
So I calculate 18 gallons of gas used, RE gas mileage 37.4 mpg
People ask me, “How do you like the Volt?” I always answer, “It’s doing exactly what it’s advertised to do.” I rest my case.
May 11th, 2011 (4:48 pm)and taxi drivers, truck drivers and airliner pilots will complain bitterly about losing their jobs.. but obviously gas savings and improved safety will be the payback. Teens will not be able to disconnect the AI autopilot until they turn 25
May 11th, 2011 (5:01 pm)T 1,
That’s the entire irony of it all. Most corporations are run by MBA’s in banking.
These are not techs. There is a huge gulf between small companies and the vast ones.
This gulf prevents many of those same executives to feel at ease in talking directly to individuals as happened in decades past. So, more often than not, highly profitable advancement is left undiscovered by these same execs. I have found that there are always management in the middle or highly influential individuals in the middle who stop the advancement cold. Only because they insufficiently understand it. One in particular made a very extended point spread over the course of an hour in-person meeting that he thought my advancements would cost him his job, so, he clearly was not interested.
So, I still market my advancements in the form of my seminars to those same 250 shops still. One at a time. Maybe that might change if some executive somewhere sees these posts and has the guts to do something unheard of nowadays. Pick up the phone, call for white pages directory assistance to my residence office. Yet better still, my published cell phone number as listed at the Texas Department of Public Safety Genesis training.
I doubt however, my post will clear the spam filter, but I’ll click once and see.
+1
May 11th, 2011 (5:38 pm)Post Script to above post.
In the 1980′s I compiled 256 abstracts within one of the first e-book libraries (14 volumes all personally written by me & sold nationally) called the Auto Parts Failure Datasystem. One huge firm said they liked it, but a contract with them would have been valued at over fifty percent of my firms annual gross receipts. So they had to say no for just that one simple policy. That was their policy then. Maybe Big Blue has a more adaptable policy now. It would be the highest honor for me to work with them.
+1
May 11th, 2011 (5:54 pm)Mark Z,
My sincerest condolences, Mark.
Best wishes to you and your family.
+1
May 11th, 2011 (5:57 pm)Condolences Mark.
May 11th, 2011 (7:19 pm)Hey, I’d love to maneuver myself to the left lane of the interstate and then start surfing the net!
May 11th, 2011 (7:57 pm)How quickly things change… seems like just a few months ago I would have said start reading the newspaper.
+2
May 11th, 2011 (8:10 pm)I still read the newspapers. How else could I swat mosquitos with a laptop, iPad or a smartphone??
Raymond
May 11th, 2011 (9:06 pm)Welcome back Herm!!
+1
May 11th, 2011 (9:15 pm)Manipulation?
Yesterday the news was that the Mississippi River overflowed resulting in a 4% climb in oil prices. Here’s what the media are laying on us today.
NEW YORK (AP) — Gasoline futures tumbled almost 8 percent Wednesday after a government report showed the strongest evidence yet that higher pump prices are forcing Americans to drive less. Oil also dropped back below the $100 mark.
___________________________________________
Looks like Big Oil feels $100 per barrel is the price where people will continue to buy gas hog vehicles. And where they can still make $20,000,000,000 per quarter profit. Remember the headline from last week? “Gas pump price to fall 50 cents this summer.”
What a joke!
NPNS
+2
May 11th, 2011 (10:09 pm)“Success has a thousand fathers. Failure is an orphan.”
The Volt is clearly a success.
All the fathers are coming forward to claim their baby.
+1
May 11th, 2011 (11:03 pm)Mark Z,
Thank you for sharing such personal news, of your mother’s passing, with us. Please accept my condolences for you and your family. Life is so short, but I’m glad your mom had a chance to ride with you in your new Volt.
WVhybrid
+1
May 12th, 2011 (7:29 am)I appreciate the condolences and support. My mother was as wonderful as the public knew her and while she will be missed, her work will continue to be enjoyed for years to come.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iWu0PDe5JUTgX9E-k3m2gPztvcaA?docId=ef5348e966a14fea82d898f23da2e9e0
+1
May 12th, 2011 (9:57 am)Mark Z,
Mark Z, thanks again for sharing. Norma Z. was a wonderful lady and blessed many lives over the years.
Michael in New Mexico, Volt #1761
+1
May 15th, 2011 (1:05 am)I finally got a chance to read this article, and watch the video, and HEY … that was the event I went to! I had ordered my Volt back in July, but hadn’t actually SEEN one in person yet. The closest the Volt Unplugged tour was getting to me (in Atlanta) was Raleigh, so I FLEW to Raleigh for the day. Jennie (seen in the video) got me into the IBM event (otherwise private) and I spent pretty much all day looking at the Volt. I got two quick drives, and was underwhelmed, but now I know for sure that that was because the cars were in CS mode. In CD mode, under pure electric power, the Volt is a BLAST to drive! 6 weeks later I flew up to DC to get my Volt, just days after GM started releasing them from the factory lot.
Chris, http://www.FirstVoltInGeorgia.com