BMW uses Ethernet technology for ambient lighting

Ambient light BMW relies on slim Ethernet technology

2024-03-06 From Sven Prawitz Sven Prawitz | Translated by AI 1 min Reading Time

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Fewer microcontrollers, more intelligence in the zone control unit. For this approach, BMW uses an Ethernet technology from Analog Devices.

Ambient lighting of the new BMW 5 Series.(Image: BMW) — Ambient lighting of the new BMW 5 Series.
(Image: BMW)

The BMW Group will use the Ethernet bus technology E2B from Analog Devices. According to the supplier, this will control the ambient lighting system of future BMW vehicles. The data is transmitted according to the Ethernet standard 10BASE-T1S with a bandwidth of 10 Mbit/s using a physical layer with a single pair of wires.

Analog Devices' E2B technology implements this standard and does so without the need for a microcontroller. BMW uses the concept to shift software from edge nodes to central computers (so-called zone computers). This reduces the effort for software development and qualification, according to Analog Devices. As explained in a video by the company, a zone computer also does not require a gateway, as would be necessary with CAN or LIN bus systems, for example.

In mid-February, OpenAI introduced a new AI system called Sora, which can create short videos from text instructions. The tool has huge fans in the Chinese automotive industry. (Image:freely licensed by Pixabay)

Open Alliance wants a standard

"This concept for edge connectivity is so in demand that the automotive industry within the Open Alliance is now aiming for the standardization of a similar solution," says Yasmine King, Vice President, Automotive Cabin Experience at Analog Devices. Therefore, the supplier is working together with BMW and other companies on a so-called open standard implementation.

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