EDN Executive Editor Ron Wilson explores how IC design teams really work: the struggle for power efficiency and performance, wrestling with semiconductor processes and design methodologies, the challenges of global design teams. How do we somehow herd architecture, IP, design and verification into a successful tape-out?
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Blog
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Automotive applications for Ethernet are coming
Nov 18 2008 11:55AM | Permalink |Comments (8) |
A conversation with Micrel at Electronica naturally highlighted one of their new product initiatives: Ethernet devices that have AEC-Q100 qualification for the automotive industry. The family initially includes a transceiver and two switches. But it raises an interesting question: why Ethernet in an automobile?
The obvious answer is to use Ethernet for interconnecting entertainment and information appliances that would normally use Ethernet outside the automotive environment. But according to Micrel, the answer is actually a bit more interesting than that. A source in the company said that the customer behind the automotive qualification was a famous Bavarian car company—no surprise there. Also not surprising, said company wants to introduce Ethernet into its high-end models, and then spread the technology down-market.
The surprise is the application: code maintenance. According to this Micrel source, the issue that led the car company to turn to Ethernet was time: it takes literally hours to download a new firmware load into a high-end automobile over the existing automotive busses. So the Ethernet connections will initially be used for a dedicated network within the vehicle to update code on the myriad of processors scattered around the car.
Once the bus is proven in this off-line application, Micrel says, the industry will undoubtedly move on to an Ethernet-based architecture for information and entertainment. But that is still in the future, as are decisions by companies other than the one in Bavaria. An interesting back-door approach for bringing the auto industry out of its isolation and into the mainstream of modern networking technology.
Related entries in: Automotive & Aerospace Test | Digital ICs | LANs |
Reader Comments
at 11/19/2008 2:53:12 PM, straithitter said:
I would hope that they aren't thinking of a wireless connection. The next thing you know someone will be hacking car networks and infecting cars with viruses.
at 11/19/2008 3:27:45 PM, Skeptico said:
For entertainment I would say a small group out of all automobiles in operation just like satelite radios and mobile television, etc. I do see a good use if the service is affordable to everyone such as knowing the geographical location of the vehicle when it is stolen, police sends command to stop the vehicle in a high speed chase, alarm system to monitor every vibration / impact of the vehicle park blocks away, easily monitor the teen''s driving behavior and location, insurance premium by miles or even driving behavior, etc.
at 11/19/2008 4:29:57 PM, Fulhorst said:
The adoption of ethernet is not a ''surprise'' application as it has been characterized above. Since 1999, several technical proposals to service vehicles ''while in motion'' have been woven into the backroom corporate roadmaps (consider oil/friction monitoring, tune-ups, fuel ignition module and ECU adjustment)
The real horizon is integration of CLOUD computing into the vehicle with EDS/servers dedicated to all aspects of vehicle and driver behavior.
at 11/19/2008 5:23:47 PM, Brandon said:
This is not a new concept.
at 11/20/2008 1:25:54 AM, Ian Proffitt said:
What surprises me more than anything is the slow uptake of in-car ethernet for things like passenger 'spot' climate control, display management and other non-life critical systyems. Primarily to reduce the amount of interconnect wiring in a modern car.
at 11/20/2008 9:55:12 AM, RT said:
So exactly which entertainment and information applicances am I connecting with Ethernet?
Ethernet is good for connecting my PC to the corporate network, but none of my entertainment devices connect via Ethernet, and my consumer information devices connect via USB. Walk around your favorite electronics applicance store and see how many Ethernet connections you see vs how many USB. Ethernet may be useful a connection in the service bay for downloading diagnostic information or uploading reprograming information, but in the later case, the data will bridge to some network that is actually useful within the car, and that isn't Ethernet - particularly for infotainment.
at 11/21/2008 9:02:55 AM, Schmidt said:
I assume that if an automobile has a wireless network that it would be used my manufacturers to upgrade the software controlling the imbedded microprocessors in the car to improve efficiency etc. as upgrades become available. It worries me that
an upgrade might be in process while the automobile is in operation. What happens if part of the transmission is lost due to buildings, tunnels and the car is left with incomplete or faulty programming. What if a hacker decides to control a car. Such as lock the doors, rev the motor and disable the braking system. I think I would be reluctant to opt for such a system as I have described above.
at 11/26/2008 3:35:02 AM, Andrew COOMBES said:
Ethernet for diagnostics and calibration has been talked about for a long time, especially in conjunction with the XCP protocol (see www.dedicated-systems.com/VPR/layout/display/pr.asp?PRID=3474 for a 2002 application).
A secondary effect is the benefits to aftermarket servicing - the costs for tools to connect to ethernet enabled cars could be cheaper, which is great for third party service centres
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