Tokyo, December 11, 2007 -NEC
Corporation and NEC Electronics
Corporation have completed development of prototypes for a system LSI
chip and operating systems (OS) that will serve as the platform for
next-generation automotive information systems.
The system LSI chip and OS were developed in collaboration
with Toyota
Motor Corp., Aishin AW Co., Ltd., and Denso Corp., and capitalizes on
synergies between NEC's software expertise and NEC Electronics'
device technologies. NEC will continue to collaborate with these three
companies to implement the platform in Toyota vehicles equipped with
multimedia information systems from 2010 onward. Furthermore, the NEC
Group will encourage other automotive manufacturers and IT companies
to adopt the platform with the goal of establishing the industry
standard for automotive information systems.
NEC and NEC Electronics' platform provides two key elements
for future
automotive information systems such as car navigation, audio, and
telematics (*1) - improved communication between people, society, and
vehicles, and interfacing with external units that handle video,
music, communications, and other functions - enabling timely responses
to a wide range of user needs.
On this platform, the system LSI chip will be joined with
the "control
system OS" that governs vehicle control and body-related systems in
real-time, as well as the "information system OS" that governs car
navigation, audio systems, and communications, etc. These interactions
will make it possible to easily provide rich user interfaces, as well
as new functions such as vehicle control using digital maps, or road
information and remote failure diagnosis services based on sensing and
logging of vehicle conditions.
This new system LSI chip and OS utilizes a uniform architecture
thathelps shorten system development periods, facilitates efficient use
of
development resources, and enables ease of configuration and
modification.
An explanation of the next-generation system LSI chip and OS is below.
1. Next-generation system LSI chip
Based on the ARM11(TM) MPCore(TM) (*2) symmetrical multicore processor
developed jointly by ARM Ltd. and the NEC Group, the new system LSI
chip's uniform architecture enables easy configuration of additional
and peripheral functions, including an advanced parallel processor
array (IMAP (*3)) optimized for image recognition, as well as standard
I/O units such as PCI Express to support high-speed data exchange,
and automotive functions such as display controllers and global
positioning systems (GPS).
This chip was developed by NEC Electronics using DFT (*4)
technologies
for enhanced reliability of automotive applications, and cutting-edge
55-nanometer silicon technologies.
2. Next-generation "Information System OS" and "Collaboration OS"
The next-generation automotive information system platforms will be
comprised of two types of operating systems installed in parallel on a
multicore processor: a control system OS for vehicle control, and an
information system OS to accommodate expansions in new services.
The information system OS, which governs functions such as car
navigation, audio, and external information links, adopts standard
application programming interfaces (APIs), making it easy to develop
new applications in keeping with the evolution of information
technologies, and at the same time enabling easier configurations when
external applications are incorporated.
The platform also provides a new "collaboration OS" that enables
interactive communications between the control system OS and the
information system OS, while ensuring a high level of system security.
This collaboration OS was created by NEC based on an OS development
concept that was the result of joint research between Toyota and
Nagoya University.
In the future, electronics, IT, and network technologies will play a
vital role in improving automotive comfort, safety, and environmental
protection. Accordingly, the processors and software that form the
backbone of such technologies will become increasingly important.
The NEC Group will continue to participate in the development of
next-generation automotive information system platforms, to contribute
to further improvements in automotive safety and enjoyment.
(*1) Telematics: A concept combining "telecommunications" and
"infomatics"
(*2) ARM11 and MPCore are trademarks of ARM Limited
(*3) IMAP (Integrated Memory Array Processor): An advanced parallel
processor array developed by NEC
(*4) DFT (Design For Testability): A design method that incorporates
increased testability
About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation (NASDAQ: NIPNY) is one of the world's
leading providers of Internet, broadband network and enterprise
business solutions dedicated to meeting the specialized needs of its
diverse and global base of customers. NEC delivers tailored solutions
in the key fields of computer, networking and electron devices, by
integrating its technical strengths in IT and Networks, and by
providing advanced semiconductor solutions through NEC Electronics
Corporation. The NEC Group employs more than 150,000 people worldwide.
For additional information, please visit the NEC home page at: http://www.nec.com