Analog Devices (ADI) and the BMW Group are collaborating to deliver industry-leading 10Mb automotive Ethernet to support software-centric vehicle (SDV) implementations.

Analog Devices (ADI) announced today that BMW has adopted ADI’s 10BASE-T1S Ethernet-to-Edge bus technology, E²B™ (Ethernet to the Edge bus).

Automotive Ethernet connectivity is a key enabler for new zonal architectures in automotive design and supports automotive industry megatrends such as the software-centric vehicle (SDV).

As a leading OEM implementing this technology, the BMW Group will leverage ADI’s E²B to design ambient lighting systems for future vehicles.

Since 2018, ADI has been working closely with the BMW Group to develop new concepts for easily introducing Ethernet technology to the Edge.

At that time, the IEEE802.3cg group was defining a new 10Mbps Ethernet standard called 10BASE-T1S, and several companies including ADI and the BMW Group were actively participating in it.

BMW Group is using ADI's 10BASE-T1S to eliminate microcontrollers (MCUs) and move software from edge nodes to the central processing unit. Leveraging E²B technology, we implement all-hardware edge nodes while reducing software development and verification efforts.

BMW Group said: “During the development of 10BASE-T1S E²B together with ADI, we worked together to address a number of key issues, from simplifying implementation to cost analysis and design support. This close collaboration with ADI has enabled us to get to market more quickly with domain-based architecture solutions for software-centric vehicles.”

“We have been working closely with the BMW Group to understand their requirements for next-generation vehicle designs and to further optimize and standardize our offerings to support next-generation architectures,” said Yasmine King, vice president, Automotive Cabin Experience, ADI. “10BASE-T1S E²B is a new addition to ADI’s automotive connectivity and networking portfolio, developed to enable customer success across a broad range of use cases with the flexibility and scalability to support multiple segments, domains and hybrid architectures.”

As driver and passenger expectations of their vehicles become increasingly sophisticated, automotive OEMs are increasingly focusing on the in-vehicle experience, particularly mood lighting inside the vehicle.

In contrast, many of today’s lighting solutions are complex to implement, use legacy technology, and are difficult to scale and update as the number of LEDs they use continues to grow. Leveraging 10BASE-T1S with E²B technology, OEMs can deliver a rich customer experience while synchronizing lighting with other applications in the vehicle. Implementing a fully software-centric lighting system here would further increase flexibility, ease of upgrade, and ease of use.

“This approach to edge connectivity has received so much attention that we are currently working with the automotive industry within the Open Alliance (opensig.org) to standardize similar solutions,” said Yasmin King, vice president of ADI. “ADI is actively working with the BMW Group and other industry players to drive open standards.”