http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20071212/144142/

NEC, NEC Electronics Develop Microcomputer, OS for Next-gen Automotive Information System
12 12, 2007 19:10
Ikutarou Kojima, Nikkei Microdevices

NEC Corp and NEC Electronics Corp announced that they completed the joint development of prototype microcomputer and operating system (OS) that serve as core components in the platform for the next-generation automotive information systems.

The prototypes were developed in collaboration with Toyota Motor Corp and Aisin AW Co Ltd and Denso Corp.

NEC and NEC Electronics will continue to collaborate with these three companies to implement the platform in Toyota vehicles equipped with multimedia information systems from 2010 onward. Furthermore, NEC and NEC Electronics will encourage other automotive manufacturers and IT companies to adopt the platform with the goal of establishing the industry standard for automotive multimedia information systems.

According to NEC and NEC Electronics, the microcomputer will operate in concert with the control system OS (real-time) and the information system OS (multimedia) on the platform for the next-generation automotive information systems. The former OS handles vehicle control and body-related systems, while the latter OS controls the car navigation and audio systems as well as communications with the outside.

The setup will make it easier to provide user-friendly interfaces in addition to functions such as vehicle control in response to maps or road information and remote failure diagnosis services based on the record of vehicle driving conditions, the companies said.

Microcomputer based on MPCore

The prototype microcomputer and OS were developed based on a concept of uniform architecture that helps shorten system development periods, facilitates efficient use of development resources, and enables ease of configuration and modification. The main features of the latest prototypes are as follows.

Based on the ARM11 MPCore symmetrical multicore microprocessor developed jointly by ARM Ltd of UK and the NEC Group, the latest microcomputer's uniform architecture enables easy configuration of additional and peripheral functions. For example, it is provided with functions like IMAP, an advanced parallel processor array for image recognition and other applications, standard I/O units such as PCI Express, and automotive units such as GPS and display controllers.

The microcomputer was developed by NEC Electronics with the use of 55nm process technology and is equipped with an automotive design for testability (DFT) circuit. The company released NaviEngine, a microcomputer employing ARM11 MPCore for use in car navigation systems, on October 2007. Developed in view of implementation over the next several years, the latest microcomputer is provided with IMAP and other functions that are not employed in NaviEngine.

Two operating systems installed in parallel

The next-generation automotive information system platform will have two types of operating systems installed in parallel on a multi-core microcomputer: the control system OS to collaborate with the vehicle control system and the information system OS to accommodate expansions in new services.

The information system OS will employ the standard application programming interfaces (APIs) to facilitate the development of new applications, while allowing configurations suitable for incorporating external applications. A collaborative OS that establishes interactive communications between the control system OS and the information system OS and ensures system security will also be provided on the platform.

The collaboration OS was created by NEC based on the "OS development concept," which is the result of a joint research program launched by Toyota and Nagoya University last year.