Delivering an Optimized Linux Platform Tailored to In-Vehicle Application Requirements
Networking and consumer technologies are converging in automotive applications in a big way: rear-seat entertainment systems; multimedia in the dashboard; advanced turn-by-turn navigation; consumer electronics connectivity, from MP3 players to the Internet; and drive-by-wire technology that accommodates increasing requirements for safety and security functionality. Industry analysts note that software is becoming a key to original equipment manufacturers’ (OEMs) and suppliers’ competitive advantage. Bringing new high-quality, low-cost features to market more quickly is fundamental to creating a compelling consumer experience without pricing vehicles out of the market.
For infotainment and telematics devices, automotive manufacturers continue to face a difficult challenge: While a vehicle's life cycle may last a decade or more, consumer devices stay current for only a matter of months. This means automakers must design in the flexibility to integrate both current and future consumer devices. They also face complex product development processes and massive configuration management challenges. They must address the high cost of integration, as well as increasing costs and time-to-market pressures, quality/reliability concerns, and customer loyalty issues.
New infotainment and telematics applications will require collaboration with many vendors, alongside the interoperability of many technologies. In addition, as these devices move from closed proprietary platforms to connected platforms for application deployment, they will require an open and flexible architecture as well as expertise from the consumer electronics, automotive, and networking industries. This new connectivity will create even more complexity. OEMs and suppliers will need to manage a vast array of applications, middleware, and human machine interface (HMI) options.
Increasingly OEMs and suppliers are turning to Linux as the preferred technology for new platform designs. The ready availability of multimedia and connectivity options coupled with a rapid development window offer new opportunities for innovation and differentiation. However, baseline open source solutions are insufficient. Linux-based technology must be enhanced for automotive use: Power state management, "instant on"/fast boot, robust file system, and hardened system infrastructure are just a few of the in-vehicle requirements that go beyond a typical kernel.org distribution.
Why Wind River
Wind River is leading the development of an automotive-optimized Linux solution, including the definition of an automotive industry specification and contributing to the first reference platform. A reference Linux platform tailored to the needs of the automotive market with evolving industry specification jump-starts your next development project and keeps your platform on the path for broader industry alignment. This protects your investment and increases the compatible applications, middleware, and tools that you may choose to apply to further differentiate your platform.
As a leader in the open source market, Wind River understands that a true standard belongs to the community, not just one company. That's why Wind River is also opening both the specification and code to the automotive industry for everyone's ongoing contribution, development, and benefit. At the same time, Wind River continues to lead the further enhancement of both standard and source. More information on the open source standard may be found at Moblin.org.
Automotive-Based Solutions
Wind River offers a commercial version of our automotive-optimized Linux solution for in-vehicle devices, Wind River Linux Platform for Infotainment. This platform goes beyond just the Linux distribution to include automotive-enhanced middleware and available value-added hardware debugging and development tools, world-wide support, professional services, and open source business solutions, including open source indemnification and flexible business models.
The commercial platform is optimized for Intel Atom processor technologies, which offer a low-power, highly integrated chipset with 3D graphics, hardware-accelerated video, high-definition audio, and support for autoconnectivity requirements including integrated CAN, MOST, USB, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi.
Standards
Wind River is driving the definition of the automotive Linux standard, helping to build industry consensus and acceptance with AUTOSAR and the Connected Vehicle Trade Association (CVTA).
Partners
Our extensive ecosystem of leading automotive applications partners providing preintegrated solutions enables our customers to reduce time-to-market and development costs and increase software quality.
