BMW and ADI collaborate on 10Mb Ethernet for automotive

This technology is poised to play a crucial role in shaping new zonal architectures in automotive design, facilitating automotive megatrends such as the transition towards software-defined vehicles. The BMW Group is set to become one of the first original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to incorporate ADI’s E²B technology into the ambient lighting systems of its future vehicles.

Since 2018, ADI has been in close collaboration with the BMW Group to develop a novel concept aimed at integrating Ethernet to the Edge more efficiently. This collaboration coincided with the IEEE802.3cg Group's efforts in establishing a new 10Mbps Ethernet standard, 10BASE-T1S, with both ADI and the BMW Group actively contributing. The adoption of ADI’s 10BASE-T1S E²B technology allows the BMW Group to simplify edge nodes by eliminating microcontrollers and centralising software in the central processing units, thereby streamlining software development and qualification processes.

The BMW Group expressed its satisfaction with the collaboration, stating: “While working alongside ADI on 10BASE-T1S E²B, we joined efforts on a number of key considerations, from simplifying implementation, to cost analysis and design support. The relationship with ADI has enabled us to move more quickly to market with a solution of a zonal architecture for software-defined vehicles.”

Yasmine King, Vice President of Automotive Cabin Experience at ADI, underscored the mutual commitment to innovation and standardization: “We continue to deeply engage with the BMW Group to understand their next-generation needs and bring further optimised products to aid next-generation architectures, as well as bring continued cooperation on standardisation. 10BASE-T1S E²B is a great new addition to our automotive connectivity and networking portfolio, innovated to drive success across different use cases, with the flexibility and scalability to support zonal, domain and hybrid architectures.”

The ambient lighting within a vehicle, an increasingly important aspect of the in-cabin experience, stands to benefit significantly from this technological advancement. Traditional lighting solutions, often cumbersome and based on outdated technology, can struggle to adapt and scale with the increasing complexity of modern vehicles. The 10BASE-T1S E²B technology enables OEMs to offer enhanced customer experiences, seamlessly integrating lighting with other vehicle systems and paving the way for software-defined lighting systems that boast superior flexibility, upgradeability, and user-friendliness.

King further highlighted the broader industry movement towards standardized edge connectivity solutions, stating: “This approach to Edge connectivity is so sought-after that the automotive industry inside the Open Alliance (opensig.org) is now aiming to standardise a similar solution. ADI, along with the BMW Group and other companies, are actively working with the industry to create an Open Standard implementation.” This initiative reflects the industry-wide endeavour to foster innovation and collaboration in the development of next-generation automotive technologies.