EFYTimes applauds GWVectra as Convergence Of Navigation, Web And In-Vehicle Infotainment
| Texas
Instruments and Interchain have developed an infotainment system for
automotives that lets users communicate with their car through various
networks. |
January 30th, 2012
Interchain
Solutions and Texas Instruments (TI) recently announced GWVectra, an
in-vehicle computing platform (ICP) powered by Android for dashboard
entertainment as well as rear seat entertainment applications. With the
unique combination of touch, voice and gesture sensing inputs on the
steering wheel, the infotainment system allows users to send and
receive data from the car using any device, over Wi Fi or 3G
connectivity. With the help of Texas Instruments’ (TI)
high-performance, applications processors based on the enhanced device
architecture and integrated on TI's advanced 45-nm process technology,
Interchain has used a variety of hardware to integrate the various
local networks used in the car and bridge it along with the Internet.
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A collaborative effort
TI partnered with Interchain Solutions from conception of the project
and it took two years in total to complete the project. “TI engineers
were involved at every step once we came on board the project for
GWVectra,” comments Praveen K Ganapathy, director--business
development, Texas Instruments India. He adds, “TI provided Interchain
with high-performance applications processors based on the enhanced
device architecture and integrated on TI's advanced 45-nm process
technology--these include TI’s DM3730, TAS5424A and TI WiLink 7 WG7310
processors. The progress from stage to stage was something both teams
monitored very closely.”
S Kalyanaraman, president, Interchain, agrees, “TI was involved in
every stage of this project. They worked very closely with us in
studying our technical specification, advising on the right components
that can accomplish our expectations, sharing reference designs that
use similar configuration, design reviews of the completed design,
driver porting assistance and Android source and build share. We see
some key advantages that we got by working with TI as their product
portfolio is extremely wide. Application knowledge and timely support
are two more advantages that we found unique in TI.”
Since the infotainment platform is based on the Android platform, it
also provides for next-gen features like connectivity to your e-mails,
Twitter, Orkut, Facebook and instant messengers, location-based news
feeds, and other applications which even the driver can use without
being distracted. GWVectra is also open to third-party applications,
widgets and themes. For this device, Interchain used the TI DM3730, a
high-performance applications processor integrated on TI's advanced
45-nm process technology. This architecture is designed to provide ARM
and graphics performance, while delivering low-power consumption.
“This balance of performance and power allows the device to support a
number of applications like portable data terminals, navigation, auto
infotainment, gaming, medical imaging, home automation, human
interface, industrial control, test and measurement and single board
computers,” states Ganapathy.
He adds, “The device can support numerous HLOS and RTOS solutions
including Linux and Windows Embedded CE which are available directly
from TI.” For communication, GWVectra uses a single-chip solution to
integrate WLAN 802.11n, GPS, FM transmit/receive and Bluetooth
technologies. This reduced its costs by 30 per cent, size by 50 per
cent and delivers co-existence performance as compared to today's
existing solutions.
GWVectra also comprises high-end acoustics. TI and Interchain Solutions
worked together on chips that were primarily meant for home audio grid
performance to make it usable in a car. “Modifying it to suit a car
meant overcoming many challenges,” Sunderam states. It uses a
four-channel digital audio amplifier designed for use in automotive
head units and external amplifier modules. This amplifier provides four
channels at 23 W continuously into 4 Ω at less than 1 per cent THD+N
from a 14.4-V supply. Each channel can also deliver 38 W into two Ω at
1 per cent THD+N. The amplifier employs differential inputs for
increased immunity to common-mode system noise. The digital PWM
topology of the TAS5414A and TAS5424A provides dramatic improvements in
efficiency over traditional linear amplifier solutions. This reduces
the power dissipated by the amplifier by a factor of 10 under typical
music playback conditions. The WiLink 7.0 single-chip solution is the
industry's first offering to integrate WLAN 802.11n, GPS, FM
transmit/receive and Bluetooth technologies.
Built on seven generations of technologies and legacy software, this
single-chip solution further extends TI's heritage of bringing
technologies previously seen in high-end devices to the broad mobile
market. Moreover, integrated in-house applications like +iKnowyou and
+vPredict help identify the person who is driving and set their
preferences in music, speakers arrangement etc. Interchain is currently
looking to collaborate with automotive original equipment manufacturers
(OEMs) in India.
The TI advantage
With the race to deliver the best features in new cars escalating,
automotive infotainment systems now form key focus areas in automotive
electronics design. To support the growing importance of automotive
infotainment, Texas Instruments claims to offer a strong product
portfolio and design tools. TI’s broad analogue and digital embedded
and applications processing portfolio provides improved audio quality
and system speed, efficient power management and low-power consumption
for applications such as car audio, navigation systems, power supply,
as well as in-car and personal entertainment.
Customers working with TI have access to a few key advantages that are
unique to TI. These advantages help customers come up with cutting-edge
applications and get to market faster. TI has a broad portfolio of
products that cover all design requirements of customers. TI is the
only semiconductor company in India to have sales and applications
offices across locations including small cities like Nashik and
Chandigarh. TI also has an efficient partner/distributor channel
eco-system in place to reach out to customers across the country.
The TI engineer-to-engineer (E2E) community is an open network of
engineers and TI experts who collaborate by asking and answering
technical questions, sharing knowledge, exploring new ideas and solving
problems. The TI engineering community is comprised of technical
support forums for nearly all TI products, industry-focused blogs
written by TI experts and thousands of product and application videos.
Apart from this, Texas Instruments India also has a 24-hour helpline
service for queries.
Communication over various networks
GWVectra’s communication infrastructure is capable of leveraging over
any analogue and digital communication methodology including WiFi,
Bluetooth, WiMAX, Radio Frequency (RF), ultra high frequency (UHF),
very high frequency (VHF) etc. S Kalyanaraman, president, Interchain,
shares, “This range of connectivity opens up opportunities to include
applications to allow vehicle-to-vehicle communication where one
vehicle gathers information from other vehicles like position, speed,
drive mode, security alerts and much more. This makes it possible for
commuters to interact with each other using mediums such as voice
calls, text messages, alerts, greetings, games and video calls.”
Infotainment systems combine entertainment, multi-media and driver
information functions in one module. Communication interfaces allow
data exchange between independent electronic modules in the car, the
remote sub modules of the infotainment system as well as external
devices like USB memory or video sources. The infotainment device can
interact with any other electronic or communication device, like mobile
phones or laptops, which the user carries. “Communication with mobile
phone was possible earlier, but it was limited to the functionality of
just answering calls and reading text messages. Here, GWVectra can
synchronise information, perform data communication and exchange
information gathered in the vehicle,” informs Vishnu Sunderam, chief
technology officer, Interchain. The system has used engine control
units (ECU) in the vehicles - i.e. computing devices that control the
functioning of the engine and vehicle characteristics.
“GWVectra interacts with the ECU and provides the user interface with a
host of data. It also allows users to control the ECU ECU leveraging on
the on-board diagnostics (OBD), media oriented systems transport (MOST)
and controlled area network (CAN) communication capabilities,” Vishnu
reveals.
Source : EFYTimes
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