What happens when technology from the fast paced communication industry makes a move into the traditional automotive industry? Semiconductor marketers and even the automotive industry are talking about revolutionary changes inside and outside the vehicle.
What kinds of changes? Ethernet and sensors. There’s a lot of excitement and enthusiasm over the prospect of cars with Ethernet networking capabilities and multiple ports for streaming video, driver-assist cameras, real-time diagnostics and autonomous driving. Ethernet is touted as being a faster, and ultimately cheaper, network solution for the operational information collected by sensors as well as providing more bandwidth for the infotainment needs of each passenger.
After attending DAC last week, I was quite bullish myself. Companies such as Synopsys are reporting significant design activity focused on automotive applications. Synopsys offers their DesignWare ARC SEP Processor for ISO 26262 safety compliant solutions as well as a sensor IP subsystem for small, low power devices.
Ethernet is already ubiquitous in the communication world, providing not only experienced design knowledge but also large-volume manufacturing. Large volumes lead to economies of scale and lower costs compared to other automotive network options. Cadence has a long history of designing Ethernet IP and developing standards which will make adoption in the automotive industry much smoother.
