| Freescale Syncs up with Ford |
Sep. 12, 2007
 Freescale Semiconductor has announced the availability of "automotive grade" versions of its i.MX31 "multimedia applications processor." Shipping now, the processors will also be available later this month as part of the Windows CE-based "Sync" infotainment systems in 2008-model Fords, according to Freescale.
Sync, announced earlier this year, is what Ford calls its implementation of Microsoft's Windows CE-based automotive technology. Now branded Microsoft Auto, this has also been referred to as Windows Automotive (2003) and Windows Mobile for Automotive (2006).
Sync, and some typical devices it works with
(Source: Ford)
Ford says Sync integrates iPod, Zune, "Plays for Sure" music players, and most USB drives into a car's entertainment system. It reportedly offers voice-activated music browsing, USB device charging, and stereo Bluetooth streaming.
Telephony features of Sync are said to include:- Voice-activated, hands-free dialing
- Instant call transfer from or to a phone when a driver enters or leaves a car
- Audible readout of text messages
- Display of caller ID, phone signal strength, battery charge and other information
First shipped in 2006, the i.MX31 SoC (system-on-chip) is a key part of the Microsoft Auto hardware reference design. It integrates an ARM1136 processor core along with a Java accelerator, a vector floating point math coprocessor, and a video processing engine that supports full-motion (30 frames/sec) VGA video. It also contains a host of system functions and peripheral interfaces (see block diagram). Freescale says the new automotive-grade versions have achieved the Automotive Electronics Council (AEC) Q-100 qualification. Among the parameters required to achieve this rating, operating temperature is said to range from -40 degrees to 85 degrees C temperature range.
Other features of the Microsoft Auto hardware reference platform, according to Microsoft, are:- 256 MB NAND flash memory, 64 MB DDRAM
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Vehicle bus interface
- Microphone for voice interaction with system
- USB 2.0 host connections
- IEEE 1394
- UART connections
- Cell phone module capable
- GPS receiver capable
According to Ford, Sync will first be available on the Ford Focus and Ford Edge, where it will be a $395 option, and on the Lincoln MKX, where it will be standard. By the end of the year, it will be available on nine other vehicles, and "on nearly all Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury products within two years," the company says.
As for the i.MX31, it is shipping now, priced at $21.80 (in 10K quantities), or $24.86 for the i.MX31C processor version with on-chip 3D graphics accelerator. In addition to Windows CE, the processor is said to support Linux, QNX Neutrino, and other leading RTOSes.
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