Junko Yoshida, EETimes
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 07, 2017 –
With its processor cores installed in practically every automotive chip used in vision SoCs, sensor fusion ICs and secure microcontrollers, Arm, a microprocessor IP giant, has not only witnessed the automotive industry's evolution, but has become an integral part of the story.
Advancements in electrification and automation in driving technology have brought fundamental changes to the automotive industry. Arm sees these as prelude to even bigger challenges awaiting automakers and tier ones.
In an interview with EE Times during the Consumer Electronics Show, Richard York, vice president of Embedded Marketing at Arm, noted that the next big solutions will involve open vehicle platforms, software-defined cars, security, and built-in connectivity for over-the-air software updates.
At this year's CES, Arm brought Renault's Twizy to its booth, typically full of mobile devices.
Calling Twizy "the world's first OEM open-source vehicle," York explained that Renault is already seeing in action a wave of open-source hardware and software developments.
"Some of our customers have been already customizing Twizy for their own specific needs," said Pierre Delaigue, innovation project manager at Renault Innovation Silicon Valley (Sunnyvale, Calif.). "This was happening in the dark, without getting us involved."