Migrating Traditional Automotive Applications to Service-Oriented Architectures Using MATLAB & Simulink

As the automotive industry shifts toward software-defined vehicles, OEMs and suppliers face a common challenge: how to modernize legacy software for today’s service-oriented architectures (SOAs). 

This white paper explores how to modernize legacy software for today’s SOAs. It lays out a practical, model-based workflow to help engineering teams transition from tightly coupled, monolithic systems to modular, service-based architectures. This transition is driven by the adoption of modern software architecture, which enables greater modularity, scalability, and standardization in automotive systems—without starting from scratch. 

Why it matters 

Modern vehicle platforms, especially those using HPCs and zonal controllers, now demand new software strategies. Legacy ECU code, built around signal-based communication and rigid execution patterns, just isn’t designed for SOAs. Meanwhile, rewriting everything to suit them is rarely feasible. 

This white paper offers a roadmap for migrating existing applications by restructuring them into reusable services and enabling message-based communication—all within a simulation-driven development process. 

What you’ll learn 

While the full white paper dishes up all of the details, here are a few takeaways: 

• How to shift from signals to messages using DDS or AUTOSAR Adaptive; 

• How to modularize legacy software into independent, testable services; 

• How to simulate and validate service interactions before deployment; 

• How tools like Simulink® and System Composer™ fit into the process by enabling engineers to author models and services within a structured, model-based design framework; and 

• How to generate C++ code ready for service-based architectures. 

The paper is especially relevant if you’re working on embedded applications for HPCs or zonal controllers and need to adapt your software development practices accordingly. 

Model-Based Design makes it possible 

At the heart of the workflow is Model-Based Design. By using models to define, simulate, and generate code, teams can ensure early integration testing, easier reuse across programs, and smoother migration to modern platforms. 

Rather than diving into code refactoring first, the approach emphasizes simulation and architecture modeling, which make the migration more predictable and less risky. 

Decomposition and design: Breaking down legacy applications for SOA 

Migrating traditional automotive applications to service-oriented architectures (SOA) means decomposing monolithic application software into modular SOA applications. This process enables flexible, scalable software architectures essential for software-defined vehicles. 

Using Model-Based Design and System Composer, engineers can decompose legacy applications by identifying services, defining interfaces, and modeling dependencies. This approach supports reuse and simplifies integration across platforms, making it easier to update and maintain application software within evolving SOA frameworks. 

Configuring services for AUTOSAR Adaptive applications 

Configuring services for AUTOSAR Adaptive is a crucial step in building service-oriented architectures for software-defined vehicles. Using Model-Based Design and System Composer, developers define and configure application software as AUTOSAR Adaptive services. This involves mapping service interfaces and ports according to AUTOSAR Adaptive standards to ensure proper communication and integration. 

System Composer’s AUTOSAR editor streamlines the alignment of services with platform requirements, while Simulink enables simulation and validation before deployment. This approach supports modular, reusable software architectures that can be deployed efficiently across high-performance computing platforms in SDVs, enabling scalable and maintainable SOA applications. 

Get the full story 

If your team is navigating the shift to service-oriented architectures, this paper is a must-read. It offers structured guidance grounded in real-world engineering practice, not just theory.  

Featured products

All products mentioned are developed by MathWorks®:

• MATLAB
• Simulink

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