The use of ADI’s E2B technology enables a move towards all-hardware edge nodes by removing microcontrollers and centralizing software processing, simplifying software development and qualification.
Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) and the BMW Group announced their collaboration on the early adoption of ADI’s E²B™ technology, a 10BASE-T1S Ethernet to the Edge bus, in the automotive sector. This technology is crucial for enabling new zonal architectures in automotive design and supports trends like software-defined vehicles. BMW Group is set to be a leading manufacturer to integrate this technology, using ADI’s E²B for their ambient lighting system design in future BMW vehicles.
Since 2018, ADI has worked closely with BMW Group on a new concept to simplify Ethernet implementation at the edge. Concurrently, the IEEE802.3cg Group was defining a new 10Mbps Ethernet standard, 10BASE-T1S, with both ADI and BMW Group actively involved. By utilizing ADI’s 10BASE-T1S E²B technology, BMW Group aims to eliminate microcontrollers and shift software from edge nodes to central processing units, enabling an all-hardware edge node while reducing software development and qualification tasks.
BMW Group expressed that their collaboration with ADI on 10BASE-T1S E²B has facilitated a quicker market entry with a zonal architecture solution for software-defined vehicles. ADI continues to work closely with BMW Group to understand their future needs and provide optimized products for next-generation architectures, as well as collaborate on standardization efforts.
Yasmine King, Vice President of Automotive Cabin Experience at ADI, highlighted that 10BASE-T1S E²B is a valuable addition to their automotive connectivity and networking portfolio, offering flexibility and scalability to support various architectural designs.
In-cabin experience remains a key focus for automakers, with increasing expectations for driver and passenger comfort, particularly in ambient lighting. Current lighting solutions are often complex, rely on outdated technologies, and are challenging to scale and update as the number of supported LEDs grows. By leveraging 10BASE-T1S with E²B technology, manufacturers can enhance customer experience and synchronize lighting with other vehicle applications, enabling a software-defined lighting system that offers improved flexibility, ease of upgrade, and user-friendliness.
Yasmine King also mentioned that the approach to edge connectivity is highly sought after, leading the automotive industry within the Open Alliance to aim for standardizing a similar solution. ADI, along with BMW Group and other companies, is actively working with the industry to create an Open Standard implementation.
