Philips delivers world's first FlexRay silicon system for high-speed automotive networking applications
SJA2510 device integrates FlexRay 2.1 communication controller and ARM9 microcontroller for lower component count and system cost
Royal Philips Electronics – Today’s new vehicles are hitting the market loaded with electronics that enable innovative safety and performance features for chassis control and powertrain, providing a safer, more enjoyable ride for passengers. To meet the increasing demands these applications are placing on the in-vehicle networks, Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) has delivered the world’s first FlexRay system solution, which includes both the TJA1080 transceiver and SJA2510, a powerful ARM 9 microcontroller with an embedded and fully integrated FlexRay version 2.1 communication controller. With FlexRay as the networking bus, carmakers can differentiate through performance and features, giving consumers the latest safety applications.
Originally intended as the communication protocol for x-by-wire applications, FlexRay is hitting the market early with first implementations in high-end European vehicles in 2006 in advanced chassis applications. Car manufacturers have indicated they see FlexRay becoming the backbone of the in-vehicle network, replacing CAN over time.
“As mechanical systems in the automobile are replaced by electromechanical systems, networks will play a critical role. One key for the continued introduction and evolution of x-by-Wire applications is the availability of a communication network such as FlexRay and the underlying technology that supports it,” said Robert LaGuerra, senior automotive analyst, ABI Research. “FlexRay provides the ability to link all systems together and provide opportunity for vehicle systems to work as one instead of separate systems. With FlexRay, vehicle safety will be greatly enhanced as active safety systems are able to capitalize on this newfound integration.”
FlexRay has become the carmakers favored protocol for high-end vehicle networks for several reasons: it is fault tolerant and time triggered providing reliable, on-time delivery of messages for safety critical applications; it is flexible and allows for a large freedom of network topologies ranging from point-to-point to both passive bus and active star topologies; and it has more than 20-fold more net bandwidth than CAN, the bus used in existing chassis and powertrain applications.
“In today’s vehicles, 90% of the innovation is driven by the electronic content. FlexRay will be a key enabler for further innovations in the more advanced areas, such as integrated driver assistance, stabilization and ultimately x-by-wire but also offers immediate advantages like high bandwidth and low message delay. FlexRay enables the car to react instantly and appropriately to situations it encounters on the road,” said Harry Inia, general manager, automotive business line and vice president, Philips Semiconductors. “This significantly improves the driving experience with better safety and comfort as well.”
Philips, the global leader in in-vehicle networking has delivered several firsts with these TJA1080 and SJA2510 devices. The Philips TJA1080 offers many firsts: it is the first FlexRay device on the market that is based on the latest specification 2.1. It is also the only device on the market that can operate in both node and active star mode, allowing the same device to be used for all network connections, thereby reducing qualification efforts and simplifying component management. The SJA2510 is a 32-bit ARM9 microcontroller with an embedded and fully integrated FlexRay controller. It is the first integrated device available in silicon with V2.1 specification. The SJA2510 embedded controller is designed with variable buffer memory sizes providing design flexibility and dynamic memory allocation based on actual requirement. This flexibility allows the entire memory in the device to be available for the application, increasing the cost/performance ratio.
Availability
Engineering samples of the TJA1080 FlexRay transceiver are available now with production volume during the first half of 2006. Pricing in quantities of 1000 pieces will be around 2.5 Euros for production volume. Samples of the SJA2510 microcontroller –including demo board and software- are available in November 2005. Pricing in quantities of 1000 pieces will start around 12 Euros, depending on memory size and feature set.
About Royal Philips Electronics
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is one of the world’s biggest electronics companies and Europe’s largest, with sales of EUR 30.3 billion in 2004. With activities in the three interlocking domains of healthcare, lifestyle and technology and 159,700 employees in more than 60 countries, it has market leadership positions in medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring, color television sets, electric shavers, lighting and silicon system solutions. News from Philips is located at www.semiconductors.philips.com.