SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE: FSL) is extending its Vybrid controller solutions portfolio into the automotive market with silicon-enabled software designed to bring connected radios, entry-level infotainment systems and reconfigurable instrument clusters to mainstream automobiles. Vybrid automotive devices address up to 80 percent of an automaker’s development needs with production-grade software and comprehensive enablement support, reducing the total software investment and effort required and speeding time to market.
In-car audio systems are quickly evolving from basic radio and CD players to connected systems that provide entertainment and information from a variety of sources. Consumers are growing to expect advanced features in their new vehicles, including voice command, smartphone integration and interactive, streaming audio.
“With smart mobile devices in the hands of almost every consumer, expectations for connectivity in cars are rapidly increasing,” said Ray Cornyn, vice president of Freescale's automotive microcontroller (MCU) business. “Vybrid automotive solutions help dramatically expand the functionality of driver information systems, at price points suitable for mainstream vehicles. Freescale is going beyond silicon to provide a full software-hardware solution, reducing the workload for system developers.”
Silicon-enabled software
According to the GENIVI® Alliance, infotainment development costs range on average from $20 to $50 million (USD), with software costs already accounting for more than half of the cost and expected to continue to grow in the future. Vybrid automotive solutions provide everything designers need to quickly go from concept to market, including automotive-grade board support packages (BSPs) based on the MQX and Linux operating systems, production-ready application software, pre-integrated partner software, reference designs, application notes, leading development environments and a rich ecosystem of third-party and open-source resources.
Freescale’s recently announced Vybrid controller solutions are built on a unique asymmetrical-multiprocessing-architecture platform that leverages the company’s heritage as a leader in microcontroller (MCU) development and multicore design. The Vybrid platform integrates the ARM® Cortex™-A and Cortex™-M cores, reducing complexity and cost while increasing system security for automotive applications. The new Vybrid controller solutions, along with i.MX applications processors, give Freescale an unparalleled breadth of scalable solutions based on ARM architecture to cover infotainment solutions ranging from basic and connected radio up to high-end, multi-core infotainment systems with best in class graphics capabilities.
In addition, Freescale has teamed up with select industry-leading partners that have extensive automotive experience and embedded systems know-how to provide software solutions for areas such as Bluetooth® wireless connectivity, human-machine interface (HMI) tools and acoustic echo cancellation/noise suppression. Time to market is improved by pre-integrating the partner solutions, helping to ensure these production-ready components are optimized for both performance and memory footprint.
In partnership with Altia, Sybase, Cybercom and Alango Technologies, Freescale offers automotive customers best-in-class user interfaces, reliable Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free functionality and high-quality voice communication. These partners also supported the development of a Vybrid connected radio platform and an entry-level fully reconfigurable automotive instrument cluster platform on display at the Freescale Technology Forum in San Antonio this week.
Targeted system integration
Future in-car systems will include a convergence of safety-critical functionality with traditional telematics and digital entertainment applications. Fusing these capabilities into a single compute platform is critical to minimize size, weight, power, cost and electronics complexity.
- Unique dual-core (Cortex-A5 + Cortex-M4) architecture allows Vybrid automotive solutions to handle both MCU and MPU tasks on a single chip, providing performance over 850 DMIPs.
- Integrated Video ADC for direct connection of one or more analog cameras to ensure lowest system cost and easy conformance to upcoming mandates requiring rear view cameras for safety purposes.
- Generous 1.5 MB on-chip SRAM and multiple package options provide scalability – from low-cost, basic connected radios without external DRAM up to entry-level infotainment systems with dual displays.
- Innovative 2D-ACE and integrated OpenVG™ hardware acceleration greatly reduces memory requirement and provides rich, compelling user interfaces.
- Standard vehicle connectivity is provided through integrated CAN controllers, MLB, UART/LIN and Ethernet with IEEE® 1588 support.
- Dual USB 2.0 on-the-go (OTG) controllers (with integrated PHY) and a large variety of serial interfaces such as UART, SPI, and I2S provide connectivity to consumer electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets and Bluetooth-enabled devices.
- Vybrid VF series devices are included in Freescale's product longevity program, with assured supply for a minimum of 10 years. For terms and conditions and to obtain a list of available products, visit freescale.com/productlongevity.
Vybrid automotive devices are ARMv7 compatible, allowing designers to maximize software and hardware reuse and accelerate time to market. For more information, visit www.freescale.com/vybrid.
Availability
Alpha samples of Vybrid automotive solutions are available now. Broad market availability of samples and tools is planned for early 2013 from Freescale and its distribution partners.
About the Freescale Technology Forum
Created to drive innovation and collaboration, the Freescale Technology Forum (FTF) has become one of the developer events of the year for the embedded systems industry. The Forum has drawn more than 48,000 attendees at FTF events worldwide since its inception in 2005. Our annual flagship event, FTF Americas, takes place June 18-21, 2012, in San Antonio, Texas.
About Freescale Semiconductor
Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE:FSL) is a global leader in embedded processing solutions, providing industry leading products that are advancing the automotive, consumer, industrial and networking markets. From microprocessors and microcontrollers to sensors, analog integrated circuits and connectivity – our technologies are the foundation for the innovations that make our world greener, safer, healthier and more connected. Some of our key applications and end-markets include automotive safety, hybrid and all-electric vehicles, next generation wireless infrastructure, smart energy management, portable medical devices, consumer appliances and smart mobile devices. The company is based in Austin, Texas, and has design, research and development, manufacturing and sales operations around the world. www.freescale.com
Freescale and the Freescale logo are trademarks of Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. Vybrid is a trademark of Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. ARM is the registered trademark of ARM Limited. Cortex is the trademark of ARM Limited. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners. © 2012 Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
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