Xilinx Adds Flexible Connectivity to Low-Power Intel In-Vehicle Infotainment Reference Design

Xilinx Adds Flexible Connectivity to Low-Power Intel In-Vehicle Infotainment Reference Design

Xilinx Automotive FPGA and connectivity solution enables scalable, flexible infrastructure for rapid infotainment system development

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 21 /PRNewswire/ — Xilinx, Inc. (Nasdaq: XLNX) today announced availability of an integrated Xilinx Automotive (XA) field programmable gate array (FPGA) and intellectual property (IP) solution that is included in the Low-Power Intel In-Vehicle Infotainment Reference Design (Low-Power Intel IVI Reference Design) targeting automotive head units. The combination of the XA solution and Intel Atom processor in the design provides system developers with improved levels of performance, scalability, and flexibility when developing open infotainment platforms. Demonstrations of the platform will debut at Telematics Detroit 2008 taking place on May 21-22, at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi, Michigan.

This collaboration by Xilinx and Intel — and their respective ecosystem suppliers — addresses the growing demand for in-vehicle access to digital information and entertainment on par with what consumers have come to expect in their homes and offices. As a member of the Intel Embedded and Communications Alliance, Xilinx works with Intel to provide mutual customers with complete, flexible automotive solutions that accelerate system development. This latest development effort couples the inherent flexibility and built-in connectivity capabilities of XA Spartan-3 generation FPGAs with the high performance, low power processing and surrounding ecosystem of the Intel Atom processor Z530 and Intel System Controller Hub US15W.

Robust Development Platform

The Low-Power Intel IVI Reference Design utilizes the XA Spartan-3E FPGA-based solution to extend the platform’s flexibility and integrate many automotive-specific functions, such as video capture support and MOST network connectivity. The available solution incorporates multiple functions including SD 2.0 (including SDHC), Video frame grabber for camera inputs, Bluetooth connectivity, Low Pin Count interface for BIOS configuration, MOST connectivity with the LogiCORE NIC IP for MOST or Media Local Bus supporting an external network controller and Flash memory interface. These capabilities are geared for embedded systems within the vehicle central console, which typically encompasses navigation, entertainment, and Bluetooth wireless connectivity to portable devices.

The XA Spartan-3E FPGAs are delivered as part of Xilinx ‘end-to-end’ automotive solutions developed in collaboration with multiple leading automotive market members of the Xilinx Alliance program. XA solutions integrate the hardware and software components, including pre-verified Xilinx and third-party application-optimized IP building blocks, required to implement full-featured automotive subsystems that include vehicle networking based on MOST, FlexRay and CAN industry standards. In addition, XA programmable devices give developers optimal architectural flexibility with the ability to determine system partitioning and target multiple end user specifications. This contrasts the limitations imposed on product development by the pre-defined architectures and features of existing application-specific standard part (ASSP) implementations.

Nick DiFiore, senior manager, Automotive System Architecture & Solutions at Xilinx added, “We’re pleased to share our automotive industry experience and collaborate with Intel in this high growth sector. Together, we bring the compelling advantages of a high performance, low power programmable infrastructure to the development of infotainment systems. By building the flexible connectivity of our XA Spartan-3E devices into the ecosystem surrounding the Intel Atom processor, developers are now even better equipped to differentiate their offerings for next-generation applications.”

“Intel works with an extensive ecosystem of hardware and software vendors to provide the automotive industry with a range of development and design options,” said Ton Steenman, vice president, Digital Enterprise Group and general manager, Low-Power Embedded Products Division. “The Low-Power Intel IVI Reference Design demonstrates how we can enable our automotive customers to quickly bring solutions to market by working closely with our ecosystem. The integration of Xilinx XA FPGAs within the reference design proves how we can deliver a robust development platform with the flexibility and scalability needed to meet the growing complexity of infotainment system requirements.”

Availability

The XA Spartan-3E FPGA-based companion chip solution for the Low-Power Intel IVI Reference Design will be available in July 2008. For more information, visit http://www.xilinx.com/automotive/infotainment. For more information on the reference design, visit http://www.intel.com/go/infotainment.