Smart and Softwareless Endpoints in context of Software-Defined Vehicle

The transition to the Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) necessitates a fundamental overhaul of vehicle E/E architectures due to new regulations and evolving customer demands for digital services.  To address the limitations of function-oriented domain architectures, the zone architecture is increasingly adopted, effectively decoupling hardware and software.  In this context, endpoints are evolving from "smart" units with embedded application software into standardized "softwareless" devices, where application logic is migrated to central computing units.  This transformation is supported by protocols such as the OPEN Alliance's Remote Control Protocol, while safety-critical functions might continue to rely on smart endpoints.