A proposed new approach to embedded firmware. BMW and Audi, who often pioneer much that is new in automotive electronics globally, are in the process of developing radically new electronics architectures for future vehicles. The carmakers are taking a similar approach: high-performance central computing units replacing today’s outmoded distributed computing architecture. The auto industry is facing profound disruption, with new competitors from the IT and consumer electronics worlds making inroads. Google, Apple, Tencent, Uber, Alibaba, and Baidu are developing revolutionary new mobility solutions. Tesla is already here. Automated driving is coming faster than initially thought. The vehicle’s interior is quickly going digital. A revolutionary new architecture is needed that can take advantage of what has become the state of the art in consumer electronics: internet connectivity, cloud computing, swarm intelligence, and over-the-air feature updates. Today carmakers purchase infotainment systems and vehicle control systems from tier-one suppliers who tightly embed software components within electronic control units. If a carmaker wants to change suppliers, it must validate and test a completely different software stack—an enormously time-consuming and expensive endeavor. . . . This is what happens when you outsource too much of your product design. The procurement folks read the dollars and cents but don't understand the technical specifications. Tesla can do it because they had too. Bob Wilson
Hmmm, sounds like the nascent PC industry in the early 2000’s before graphical CPUs took over. One could argue the pace of change has outstripped the ability of the larger car manufacturers to implement those changes. I’m pretty sure they can’t hire enough IT people let alone electric and electronics engineers. And I’m pretty sure they don’t want to. Why burn through 5 years of cash waiting for your IT department to catch up when you can hire it out. I could almost imagine a tv or movie series where Fast and Furious meets Silicon Valley. Scene 1: All the gear heads look at the motley group of nerdy IT people and say “What do you mean, it’s their turn?”. Unsupervised!
