Microchip shipped 25mn MOST devices to carmakers

BANGALORE, INDIA: Microchip Technology has shipped 25 millionth MOST50 Intelligent Network Interface Controller (INIC). as a wide variety of brands from carmakers General Motors Co. and Toyota Motor Corporation, including both volume and luxury vehicles, continue to deploy Microchip's MOST50 devices in their infotainment systems.

Microchip is a leading provider of Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST), the de-facto standard for high-bandwidth automotive multimedia networking.

The MOST Cooperation standards enable automotive OEMs and their Tier 1 suppliers with a proven and well-supported methodology for defining and implementing high-bandwidth infotainment and Advanced Driver Assistance (ADAS) systems, including a standard physical layer and a robust method for system management and control with superior reliability and Quality of Service (QoS). Using MOST technology also results in reduced weight for easier compliance with environmental regulations.

To date, more than 170 million MOST devices have been installed in 184 car models since 2001. GM, Toyota and all major carmakers have for many years successfully implemented MOST technology in their multi-node infotainment networking systems, as it provides a field-proven, low-risk, whole-system solution.

GM and Toyota's networks utilise Microchip's MOST50 INICs, featuring an Electrical Physical Layer (ePHY) that is optimised for use with Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) copper wire. The result is a system that can predictably and efficiently transport video, audio, packet and control data throughout the vehicle without time-synchronisation protocols, using dedicated channels for minimal processor overhead in the main infotainment control unit processors.

The remote-connection-management and remote-control capabilities of all MOST INICs enable further options, including the ability to build slim (processor-less) network nodes. MOST INICs also provide industry-standard hardware interfaces to processor and peripheral devices for the efficient routing of audio, video and packet data, which greatly simplifies module designs. End users can immediately access the vehicle's infotainment system, due to the MOST INIC's ultra-fast network startup feature.

Dan Termer, vice president of Microchip's Automotive Information Systems Division. "The models employing MOST technology received exceptional results in the latest Consumer Reports vehicle reliability and JD Powers and Associates vehicle dependability survey rankings, where in-vehicle technology performance has become a larger factor in the vehicle's overall rating."