The vastly complex array of systems and subsystems in the modern car will get a haircut in the next few years, if the automotive industry follows the lead of unlikely partners, BMW and Hyundai.
The car companies have joined forces with a band of technology specialists to develop the next generation of networked systems for use in vehicles. Along with Broadcom Corporation — the company that devised an open standard Ethernet technology named BroadR-Reach — BMW and Hyundai are members of a 'Special Interest Group' (SIG) dedicated to furthering the cause of the OPEN (One-Pair Ether-Net) Alliance. Other partners are NXP Semiconductors, Freescale Semiconductor and Harman International.
The Alliance's purpose is to promote the OPEN system as a standard for onboard automotive networking in the future. Adoption of the Ethernet-based technology — offering network speeds up to 100Mbps — will result in faster processing from lighter networked systems simpler than today's. Without the shielded cabling in use currently, the proposed system's single twisted pair cable will help reduce vehicle weight — a plus for the environment — while making vehicles 'smarter' and capable of responding more rapidly to changing inputs.
Onboard systems likely to be enhanced by the new networking technology include safety, comfort/convenience and infotainment facilities. There stands to be some gain for the car companies too, with production expenditure reduced by means of lower cabling costs.
In the short term, the members of the SIG will work towards developing industry-wide criteria, support for network migration applications, the roll-out of third party testing opportunities and the establishment of certification procedures.
BMW was among the first car companies to adopt the CAN bus system (Controller Area Network) for its E38 generation of 7 Series back in 1993. At the time, the CAN bus was considered a major step forward in reducing the complexity of onboard systems and thus lowering weight and even opening up the flexibility of vehicle packaging. Ethernet technology offers similar potential for the future of automotive design and engineering and may be on the drawing board for integration in the design of BMW's i3 electric vehicle (pictured), currently under development ahead of a launch date in 2014.
Companies joining the OPEN Alliance are permitted to license the technology from Broadcom. More information is available at the Alliance's website.
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