Alliances
Infineon Technologies and Volkswagen have jointly developed a "Basic Telematics Unit" platform for wireless telecoms and location-based information services in motor vehicles. The co-operation aimed to build a platform for the price of an existing in-car telephone unit bringing advanced information services out of the luxury car and into the mass market. Volkswagen and Infineon intend marketing the platform as a manufacturer-independent solution. Differentiation will be provided by application software, the functions offered and the user interface.
The platform removes the need for a corded handsfree facility in order to use a mobile phone in a car. The data on the SIM card from the chosen mobile phone of a vehicle passenger is made available to the basic telematics unit via Bluetooth and all telephone calls are automatically diverted to the unit. SMS messages, telephone numbers or names of callers appear on the instrument panel display. The driver can dial telephone numbers directly by voice input or using controls on the steering wheel. Other potential applications include in-car fault diagnosis with subsequent relaying of the fault information by GSM/GPRS mobile radio to the nearest repair shop, as well as automatic calls to breakdown and recovery services.
The basic telematics unit is based on Infineon's TriCore 32-bit chip architecture, which was developed specifically for automotive use. The basic telematics unit includes Infineon's SingleStone module for the Bluetooth application, its GPS chipset for satellite-based positioning and its GSM/GPRS chipsets for mobile communication and internet access. Volkswagen developed the software architecture and the complete software package, which is modular in design and reusable. The use of standardised interfaces and rejection of manufacturer-specific software was a basic condition for this. Volkswagen plans to trial the basic telematics unit in an internal fleet pilot starting in autumn 2004.
Microsystem producer MEMSIC has entered into a co-operative marketing and sales agreement with the Sensors & Controls business of Texas Instruments. MEMSIC's thermal sensor technology will be made available to the wider automotive market through Texas Instruments. Texas Instruments (TI) will work together with MEMSIC to develop new automotive specific products to be fabricated by MEMSIC exclusively for TI.
"The automotive market is currently shrinking its supplier base and raising entry barriers for new companies," explains Dr Yang Zhao, MEMSIC's CEO. MEMSIC will supply product to Texas Instruments from its new 4200m2 TS16949 certified facility located in Wuxi, China, which has a current manufacturing capacity of 3mn units per month.
ISO/TS16949:2002 aligns existing American (QS9000), German (VDA6.1), French (EAQF) and Italian (AVSQ) automotive quality systems standards within the global automotive industry, with the aim of eliminating the need for multiple certifications to satisfy multiple customer requirements.
