Philips Semiconductors Moves Cars Into Fast Lane of Information Superhighway With Nexperia Car Infotainment Platform
21 September 1999
Philips Semiconductors Moves Cars Into Fast Lane of Information Superhighway With Nexperia Car Infotainment Platform
SUNNYVALE, Calif.--Sept. 21, 1999--In-Car Office, Entertainment Solutions
Philips Semiconductors today announced the Nexperia Car(TM)Infotainment Platform (CIP), an innovative approach to electronic systems design that will give the automotive industry a fast, flexible way to tap into the vast emerging market for connecting cars to the information superhighway.
The Nexperia CIP allows quick development of complex systems that combine many entertainment and telematics functions. For example, the platform facilitates the creation of an in-car "mobile office" with features such as Internet and e-mail scheduling, as well as state-of-the-art in-car entertainment, including the latest developments in car stereo systems. Additional applications could include GPS route guidance and navigation to help drivers avoid traffic jams, download local maps and receive up-to-date travel information. With the new platform, these and similar functions can be incorporated quickly into one system.
"A key benefit of Nexperia CIP is the reduced design risk achieved through our use of tested, reusable hardware and software modules," said Pascal Langlois, vice president global market automotive at Philips Semiconductors. "Our flexible platform approach lets us adapt to customers' changing requirements and help them to be first on the market with the car infotainment systems of the future."
A generic architecture for automotive applications, the Nexperia CIP includes a reference architecture, specific hardware modules, software and interfaces. Philips Semiconductors' Silicon Systems Platforms (SSPs), such as Nexperia CIP, speed development of new and complete systems-on-silicon, and are based on pre-defined, reusable hardware and software modules tested for interoperability and compatibility. The platforms also incorporate scalable, advanced programmable processor cores, such as Philips Semiconductors' TriMedia(TM), VLIW (Very Long Instruction Word) and MIPS(R) RISC-based cores, to provide maximum design flexibility.
The drive toward microprocessor-based electronics in the car, while previously focused on improving safety and performance, is now shifting toward linking cars to the world. The in-vehicle computing systems market, featuring telematics equipment as a major component, is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of more than 16 percent, according to marketing consultants Frost & Sullivan. The rapid convergence of consumer, computing and communications systems within the car will be a major feature of this growing market.
Nexperia CIP demonstrates Philips Semiconductors' revolutionary approach to silicon system design and benefits from Philips Semiconductors' strength in audio/visual, telecommunications and vehicle networking. On Aug. 30, Philips Semiconductors introduced the Nexperia Digital Video Platform to power the next generation of Digital Convergence Appliances for the home, the first implementation of the company's SSP strategy.
About Philips Semiconductors
Philips Semiconductors, a subsidiary of Philips Electronics North America Corporation and an affiliate of Royal Philips Electronics, headquartered in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, is the eighth largest semiconductor supplier based on Dataquest's 1998 report(1). Philips Semiconductors' innovations in digital audio, video, and mobile technology position the company as a leader in the consumer, multimedia and wireless communications markets. Sales offices are located in all major markets around the world and are supported by systems labs. Additional information on Philips Semiconductors can be found on the home page at www.semiconductors.philips.com.
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(1) Based on Vendor Revenue from Shipments of Total Semiconductors
Worldwide according to Dataquest's 1998 Worldwide Semiconductor
Market Share report published in May, 1999.
Nexperia is a trademark of Philips Electronics NV.
MIPS is a registered trademark of MIPS Technologies Inc.