Reference Architecture & Variability

Stages

1. Platform Strategy & Definition^A
2. Reference Architecture & Variability (this stage)^A
3. Roadmap & Derivative Planning^A

Portfolio and products milestones

• Platform concept approval (CA)
• Roadmap approved (RA)

Platform engineering milestones

• TR1: Technology feasibility (TF) (technical readiness review TR1)
• Platform definition approved (PD)
• Reference architecture baselined (AB)

Disciplines

• Platform product and portfolio management^A
  • Platform Strategy & Definition: maturity 0.3, Commonality sketched. Platform business case approved for the definition work, with the product family it serves named and analysed by segment.^A
  • Reference Architecture & Variability: maturity 0.3, Commonality sketched. Platform business case approved for the definition work, with the product family it serves named and analysed by segment.
  • Roadmap & Derivative Planning: maturity 0.5, Draft. Roadmap, lead product and first derivatives agreed with cost, schedule and resources, and the platform's development committed.^A
• Platform architecture^A
  • Platform Strategy & Definition: maturity 0.0, Scoped. Product family, common core and variation points scoped in the platform definition, with technology feasibility shown at TR1.^A
  • Reference Architecture & Variability: maturity 0.3, Commonality sketched. Reference architecture, variation points and platform interfaces baselined and placed under platform change control.^D; Reference architecture under change control (milestone for one item)
• Virtual platforms and models^A
  • Platform Strategy & Definition: maturity 0.0, Scoped. Modelling needs agreed with the platform definition: the architecture and variation questions the models must answer, their fidelity and the modelling effort; no model built yet.
  • Reference Architecture & Variability: maturity 0.3, Commonality sketched. Performance and power model of the reference architecture final for the architecture baseline, kept current through the roadmap.^A
  • Roadmap & Derivative Planning: maturity 0.3, Commonality sketched. Performance and power model of the reference architecture final for the architecture baseline, kept current through the roadmap.
• Reusable IP and subsystems^A
  • Reference Architecture & Variability: maturity 0.0, Scoped. Block list estimated as the reference architecture forms: which blocks the platform needs and a first build, reuse or buy view with its effort; no choice made yet.
  • Roadmap & Derivative Planning: maturity 0.3, Commonality sketched. Blocks to build, reuse or buy chosen against the baselined architecture, with their configuration space outlined.
• IP catalogue and reuse management^A
  • Reference Architecture & Variability: maturity 0.0, Scoped. IP needs surveyed for the architecture: which blocks may come from the existing catalogue or outside suppliers, and the licensing effort to expect; no sourcing plan yet.
  • Roadmap & Derivative Planning: maturity 0.3, Commonality sketched. IP sourcing plan agreed with the roadmap and the IP catalogue started, with reuse rights for each planned product checked or being negotiated.^A
• Software platform^D
  • Platform Strategy & Definition: maturity 0.0, Scoped. Software platform scope agreed with the definition: the operating systems, layers and variation points the product family needs, with a first effort estimate; no architecture yet.
  • Reference Architecture & Variability: maturity 0.3, Commonality sketched. Software platform architecture baselined with the reference architecture: layers, board support boundary and configuration options for each variation point.^D
  • Roadmap & Derivative Planning: maturity 0.3, Commonality sketched. Software platform architecture baselined with the reference architecture: layers, board support boundary and configuration options for each variation point.
• Firmware and boot^D
  • Platform Strategy & Definition: maturity 0.0, Scoped. Boot and firmware scope agreed with the definition: the boot sources, secure boot and update needs across the family, with a first effort estimate; no architecture yet.
  • Reference Architecture & Variability: maturity 0.3, Commonality sketched. Boot and firmware architecture, including the secure boot chain and update path, baselined with the reference architecture.^D
  • Roadmap & Derivative Planning: maturity 0.3, Commonality sketched. Boot and firmware architecture, including the secure boot chain and update path, baselined with the reference architecture.
• Tools, SDK and build infrastructure^A
  • Reference Architecture & Variability: maturity 0.0, Scoped. Tools and build infrastructure plan written against the reference architecture: toolchains, SDK scope, build system and capacity.
  • Roadmap & Derivative Planning: maturity 0.3, Commonality sketched. Toolchains chosen and the build and continuous integration system being set up for the planned configurations.
• Emulation and FPGA prototyping^A
  • Roadmap & Derivative Planning: maturity 0.0, Scoped. Prototyping needs agreed with the roadmap: which configurations will need emulation or FPGA prototypes, the capacity to book and the effort; no plan written yet.
• Platform verification and conformance^D
  • Reference Architecture & Variability: maturity 0.0, Scoped. Environment: verification approach and first platform verification plan written against the reference architecture.
  • Roadmap & Derivative Planning: maturity 0.3, Commonality sketched. Environment: verification plan expanded for the supported configurations, with the conformance test approach and the verification IP planned.
• Platform security^A
  • Platform Strategy & Definition: maturity 0.0, Scoped. Security objectives agreed with the definition: the assets, markets and certifications the family must address, with the security effort estimated; no threat model yet.
  • Reference Architecture & Variability: maturity 0.3, Commonality sketched. Platform threat model and security architecture baselined with the reference architecture: root of trust, isolation, keys and debug protection.^A
  • Roadmap & Derivative Planning: maturity 0.3, Commonality sketched. Platform threat model and security architecture baselined with the reference architecture: root of trust, isolation, keys and debug protection.
• Configuration, release and change management^D
  • Reference Architecture & Variability: maturity 0.0, Scoped. Change control set up for the architecture baseline, with a first platform baseline definition and the platform board formed.
  • Roadmap & Derivative Planning: maturity 0.3, Commonality sketched. Platform configuration management plan approved with the roadmap: versions, baselines, branches and the platform board.