What is DEXT?
DEXT (Diagnostic EXTract) is the AUTOSAR module that bridges the gap between the AUTOSAR SW architecture and ODX. In an AUTOSAR Classic project, the diagnostic behaviour of the ECU is configured via the DCM (Diagnostic Communication Manager) module, which is parameterised using AUTOSAR configuration elements. DEXT is an extraction of the diagnostic-relevant AUTOSAR configuration data in ODX format -- it is automatically generated from the AUTOSAR ECU configuration and represents the ground truth of what the ECU actually supports.
The DEXT workflow: AUTOSAR configuration tool (Davinci Developer, SystemDesk, etc.) generates DEXT from the DCM configuration; DEXT is then imported into ODX authoring tools to create the full ODX diagnostic description; the ODX is delivered to the OEM who imports it into their diagnostic tools.