RTI Introduces Connext Drive 4.0: The First AI-Enhanced Communication Framework for Faster SDV Development

New SDV toolchain to boost developer productivity and bridge legacy and modern architectures for automotive OEMs and Tiers 1s

SUNNYVALE, Calif. – Nov. 6, 2025– Real-Time Innovations (RTI), the safety-certified communication framework leader for Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs), today announced Connext Drive 4.0, the industry’s first AI-enhanced platform designed to accelerate SDV development and simplify the integration of legacy and modern automotive architectures. With a new SDV toolchain, common automotive scenarios, and pre-integrated partner solutions, OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers can deliver vehicle software faster, more flexibly, and with greater developer productivity across zonal, high-performance compute (HPC), edge-to-cloud and simulated environments.

Built on the open Data Distribution Service (DDS™) standard, Connext Drive 4.0 accelerates innovation and enables real-time support, all while meeting the highest automotive requirements for safety, security, and performance. Today, Connext Drive powers over 1 million vehicles on the road and is used by more than 25 automotive companies to jumpstart their SDV programs.

''Connext Drive 4.0 is designed to remove friction and boost productivity for distributed teams of developers,'' said Mihai Potoceanu, Senior Product Manager for Automotive at RTI. ''By providing a unified framework for developing, testing, and deploying vehicle software across various environments, teams can focus on building value rather than creating new code to bridge gaps. Through the new SDV toolchain and other productivity features, we are providing OEMs and Tier 1s with a more intelligent and adaptable foundation for their applications.''

The SDV toolchain provides sequential tools for rapid development, which reduces reliance on custom code and gives development teams greater flexibility to focus on innovation and system performance throughout the vehicle lifecycle.

Connext Drive 4.0 includes new features and certifications to help integrate safety with security for enhanced risk management for mixed-criticality applications, incorporating ISO 26262 - ISO 8800 best practices, ISO/SAE 21434 cybersecurity compliance, and robust PSK-based protection to ensure data confidentiality, integrity and control within DDS domains.

The new automotive scenarios are paired with Connext-aware guidance to provide tailored, real-time support; a live chatbot that serves as an embedded co-pilot for developers; and model-based integrations that use AI-driven assessments to recommend optimal DDS configurations. The scenarios are: zonal architectures for modular ECU connectivity; high-performance computing (HPC) for AI-intensive workloads such as sensor fusion and perception; edge-to-cloud connectivity through real-time WAN transport; and full simulation compatibility for HiL, SiL, and MiL, as well as integration with standard workflows such as AUTOSAR, enabling a seamless transfer from testing to production.

The Connext Drive platform has already been successfully deployed across many automotive domains, supporting over 250 autonomous vehicle programs globally, demonstrating RTI’s commitment to helping OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers accelerate SDV development while maintaining the highest standards of safety, security, and performance.

Connext Drive 4.0 will begin shipping on November 20, 2025. Experience the industry's leading solution and try Connext Drive 4.0 for free at rti.com/drive.

About RTI

RTI delivers the real-time data communication that powers the next generation of Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs). RTI is the safety-certified communication framework leader for SDVs, trusted by OEMs to bridge from legacy to modern architectures, thereby accelerating development from simulation to production. RTI Connext Drive^® powers over 1 million vehicles on the road today and is used by more than 25 automotive companies to accelerate their SDV programs and enable zonal, ADAS, and telematics architectures.

Experience the industry's leading solution and try Connext Drive for free at rti.com/drive.