Sun and Onstar to Jointly Create Java Middleware
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THE HANSEN REPORT ON AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS. A Business and Technology Newsletter VOL. 13, NO. 10◆◆ RYE, NH USA DECEMBER 2000/JANUARY 2001 BMW and Mercedes Sun and OnStar to Jointly Choose FlexRay Create Java Middleware Global Automotive Standard is Likely Result ultimately endorse their work as the global New Fault-Tolerant Bus for Electric Brakes Toyota, GM, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, automotive middleware standard. Since some makers of upscale ve- BMW, Honda and the Volkswagen Automakers expected that AMI-C, hicles—among them, BMW, Mercedes Group all plan to use Java middleware in which formally began in October 1998 and Audi—hope to have electric brakes in production vehicles within the next five with five carmakers, would already have production vehicles by the MY 2004 or to seven years. Without a standard, how- developed and endorsed a set of standard MY 2005 timeframe, they have been look- ever, the full benefits of Java middleware Java APIs, but AMI-C’s progress has been ing at real-time communications protocols may not be realized. (See box below.) slow. Perhaps because it grew to include that would give them a safety-critical bus OnStar, a unit of General Motors, and all 12 major carmakers, who until recently to link system components. Electric Sun Microsystems, Palo Alto, California, had to all agree on all aspects of decisions, brakes, which are smaller, lighter and recently announced that they will cooper- given the bylaws of the collaboration. eventually will be less expensive than hy- ate to develop Java middleware and pro- Meanwhile, suppliers in the industry be- draulic brakes, can be more easily inte- mote it as a global standard. OnStar, the gan to work on a number of versions of grated with adaptive cruise control, ABS largest automotive telematics service pro- automotive Java middleware. and stability-control systems. vider/aggregator, and Sun, the inventor of Sun wrote in a white paper that the In real-time computer control systems Java technology, are in a good position to company “continues to support AMI-C’s there are two fundamentally different ap- establish what could well become that efforts. However, with some suppliers now proaches to control: time-triggered control standard. OnStar and Sun will submit advancing their own proprietary technol- and event-triggered control. In time-trig- their Java middleware to AMI-C (Auto- ogy implementations to satisfy their short- gered systems, all activities are carried out motive Multimedia Interface Collabora- term market goals, there is the possibility at certain points in time, so all nodes in tion) in the hope that AMI-C will that the effectiveness of AMI-C’s work time-triggered systems have a common may be compromised. Therefore, Sun is notion of time based on approximately Benefits of Standard seeking to play a leading role in prevent- synchronized clocks. In time-triggered sys- Automotive Java Middleware ing such fragmentation by working with tems, important messages, like safety criti- industry market makers to create a de cal ones, are assigned a higher priority and ◆ Java applications designed for the facto standard aligned with AMI-C’s ear- time is made available for them, even if standard can run in all vehicles with Java lier work.” another message is in the process of being middleware, and that will lead to lower-cost The only onboard product Sun intends sent about another event. By contrast, in applications. Java middleware can be run on to sell is its Java middleware, which could event-triggered systems, all activities are a number of different operating systems/ add about $1 to the OEM cost of multime- carried out in response to events, so an microprocessor combinations, and that will dia in the vehicle. Even if Java middle- event could occur and occupy the bus at lead to lower-cost hardware and software ware were used in every light vehicle the expense of a high-priority message. computing platforms. produced in the world, that’s only a $55 Some protocols, like FlexRay, are capable ◆ There are many Java programmers: million market—tiny compared with of both time- and event-triggered commu- 2.5 million, according to Sun. Sun’s main market, computing equipment. nications. ◆ Applications programmers can focus Sun says it will produce and sell an auto- TTP (Time Triggered Protocol) tech- on applications without having to rewrite motive middleware product only as a nology was developed over the last fifteen basic software such as APIs for the speech means to an end: More vehicles with Java- years at Vienna University of Technology, engine, the wireless connection or applica- compatible software means more sales of under professor Hermann Kopetz, who tion management functions. the back-end servers and computing started TTTech Computertechnik AG ◆ Carmakers and their service equipment Sun manufactures. Sun’s auto- (Vienna, Austria) to commercialize TTP. providers/aggregators can begin to easily motive business model is non-competitive The company provides TTP software- deliver web-based content and services to with automotive electronics suppliers and development tools and training. It has subscribers, establishing ongoing relation- content/service providers. Once the Java ships and ongoing revenue. Turn to FlexRay, page 2 Turn to Java, page 3 FlexRay... Continued from page 1 patents to TTP technology, including the from Motorola’s TTP Program manager, triggered protocols on the same bus, TTP/C IP module that it licenses to the Gary Hay, had the initials “TTP” crossed whereas FlexRay can; and (4) TTP could semiconductor industry. Honeywell’s En- out and the word “FlexRay” handwritten handle only a fixed bandwidth; engineers gine and Systems division will collaborate above it. want to be able to send control data at a with TTTech to manufacture electronic For brake-by-wire systems, carmakers faster rate than diagnostic data. FlexRay is control systems for aircraft engines. want a standard for the communications now considered the answer to all four in- Silicon suppliers interested in working data bus that is deterministic and fault- sufficiencies. with TTTech to supply automotive TTP- tolerant, characteristics that apply to both FlexRay is based on the ByteFlight based silicon have been fewer than ex- TTP and FlexRay, but carmakers also communications link invented by BMW pected. ARM Ltd. (Cambridge, England) want a high data rate and a bus that can for airbag systems and made public in May is developing TTP CPU cores, which to- handle distributed control. FlexRay can 1999. ByteFlight is a round-based proto- gether with TTP communications con- handle a redundant communications col: A master controller sends out a sync trollers can be manufactured into channel, a requirement of electric brake pulse to start a round, from which all safety-critical system-on-chip solutions for systems, which have two electronic con- nodes are synchronized. After receiving a vehicles. Austria Mikro Systems (Graz, trol units at each wheel, plus two central sync pulse, each node starts a timer whose Austria) is another TTP silicon maker ECUs. Dr. Wilibert Schleuter, in charge of duration is determined by priority so that involved with automotive applications. electrical engineering for Audi, told us high-priority messages always get sent first. Last fall at the automotive electronics that Audi, which has been cooperating BMW is working on this safety-critical bus conference in Baden-Baden, Germany, with TTTech, has begun to talk with with help from semiconductor makers BMW and Mercedes announced that they BMW and Mercedes about FlexRay. “We Infineon Technologies, Motorola and had changed their plans about adopting want one standard together with the other Elmos Semiconductor. TTP for their X-by-wire systems and are carmakers. That is our first priority.” FlexRay is certain to play an important now developing FlexRay instead. BMW The FlexRay web site (www.flexray- role in the development of electric brakes, and Mercedes have partnered with Philips group.com) lists BMW, DaimlerChrysler, and reflecting that is the listing of Conti- Semiconductor and Motorola Semicon- Philips and Digital DNA/Motorola as nental as one of two supporting companies ductor Products Sector, who will help partners. The companies plan to take on the FlexRay web site; the other com- define and develop the FlexRay system. FlexRay beyond the protocol stage, to de- pany is Delphi. German tire and auto The suppliers will support the effort with fine the physical layer, service aspects, electronics-maker Continental is already silicon: Philips for FlexRay transceiver power and wake-up modes. Their intent is jointly developing electric brakes with chips, and Motorola for FlexRay commu- that FlexRay be open and a de facto stan- Siemens, on behalf of BMW, and develop- nications controllers. Engineering samples dard, leading to a formal standard. Engi- ing electric brakes with Mercedes, through are due in 2002, and production samples neers at these companies told us they its subsidiary Continental Teves. ◆ by 2003. started finding problems with TTP as they Although Motorola has been working built prototypes: (1) TTP was too slow, THE HANSEN REPORT ON in an alliance with TTTech since the whereas FlexRay is capable of a net data AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS summer of 1998, when BMW and Mer- rate of 5 Mbps (10 Mbps gross); (2) TTP © 2000 Paul Hansen Associates, 11 Went- cedes got behind FlexRay instead of TTP, was inflexible; changing the programming worth Road, Rye, NH 03870, USA; Tele- Motorola quickly switched allegiance, as a on one TTP node meant all the nodes had phone: 603-431-5859. Fax: 603-431-5791. business card we picked up at Baden- to be reprogrammed; (3) TTP could not E-mail: [email protected]. All rights Baden graphically illustrated. The card handle both event-triggered and time- reserved. 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