Automotive connectivity chips on parade in Detroit

As a result of the significant increase in volume and complexity of in-car electronics, demand for connectivity solutions that offer low-cost, high speed transmission and bandwidth is on the rise. Collision warnings, comfort controls, infotainment and advanced driver assistance are some of today's sophisticated features enabled by Broadcom technology.

Broadcom has been giving live demonstrations of its automotive connectivity products including the automotive-qualified BroadR-Reach Automotive Ethernet technology, already on the road in the 2014 BMW X5, that allows multiple in-vehicle systems (such as infotainment, on-board diagnostics and automated driver assistance) to simultaneously access information over unshielded single twisted pair cabling.

By eliminating cumbersome, shielded cabling, automotive manufacturers can significantly reduce connectivity costs up to 80 percent and cabling weight up to 30 percent.

Also on show is Broadcom's 5G WiFi + Bluetooth Smart combo chips that allow drivers and passengers to easily sync and stream content from mobile devices to the car's infotainment system and rear-seat displays. The devices offer promise for new innovations in vehicle to person, vehicle to vehicle and vehicle to infrastructure communications (V2X). Designed to improve both driver and traffic safety, V2X communications will allow drivers to anticipate upcoming road hazards, traffic incidents and monitor speed limits.

The Android Automotive Bluetooth software stack delivers seamless in-car connectivity with Android-powered devices.  As an extension to the company's Bluetooth software stack (Bluedroid) contribution to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), Broadcom's Android Automotive Bluetooth software ensures seamless, end-to-end interoperability between in-car applications and mobile Android devices.