Freescale and G4 Apps Jointly Develop Automotive Safety and Telematics Platform

By Rajani Baburajan

TMCnet Contributing Editor

 

Freescale Semiconductor (News - Alert), a company that designs and manufactures embedded semiconductors is partnering with G4 Apps, a software product and contract development company specializing in mobile broadband-based automotive safety and fuel economy, to develop an automotive platform for safety and telematics applications.

 

The platform, which is designed to support a complete range of mobile Web connectivity options including cellular and WiFi (News - Alert), will be unveiled at the upcoming Convergence 2008 automotive show.

 

Built on Freescale’s MPC5121e multicore microprocessor, the platform enables fast time to volume production of automotive-grade systems, Freescale said. The MPC5121e device provides an ideal processing platform for a wide range of automotive telematics and safety applications.

 

The MPC5121e technology, which is based on Power Architecture technology, includes an advanced graphics accelerator required for high-resolution 3D processing, along with sufficient capability to support personal device and Web-based infotainment applications and real-time safety capabilities.

 

According to Freescale, the production-ready automotive safety and telematics platform offers a full-featured solution for implementation in volume trials under continuous use. It also provides a comprehensive reference design that automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier 1 suppliers can use to develop higher volume products.

 

The integrated automotive platform supports dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), a protocol and radio interface used in the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) VII program for vehicle safety. DSRC uses the bandwidth set aside by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC (News - Alert)) exclusively for use in real-time vehicle safety and mobility applications.

 

Apart from the general purpose mobile Web connectivity through cellular and WiFi, the platform also supports mobility applications underway in the USDOT SAFE TRIP 21 initiative, as well as similar safety and mobility initiatives around the world, the company said.

 

“Multiple wireless technologies and exceptional processing power are available today to improve vehicle mobility and safety systems,” said Mike Bryars, manager of Freescale’s Infotainment, Multimedia and Telematics Operation, in a statement. “Our goal with this platform is to enable automotive manufacturers and suppliers to immediately undertake large-scale trials in everyday use and fine-tune their applications for ubiquitous roll out.”

 

According to Bob Burrows, CEO of G4 Apps, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications and real-time collision warnings can reduce fatalities on the road. These same technologies also enable people to streamline drive time, improve fuel economy and reduce emissions.

 

“With DSRC-based safety applications already running and a host of proven mobility and navigation products now available, our jointly developed platform is designed to provide a visible, reliable and cost-effective solution for the auto industry,” said Burrows.