Tag Archives: Embedded and PC-Based

Sensing networks in industrial automation

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Sensors are a huge part of industrial applications. IHS estimates that over 100 million discrete sensors were shipped into industrial automation sectors in 2013. These vary greatly in size, use, and capability. Not all sensors are small and simple: some offer extensive functionality and the ability to connect to wider industrial automation networks. These more capable embedded computer sensors are becoming critical for the collection of data from industrial environments. They are helping move towards the next stage of industrial automation, whether this is called advanced manufacturing, “Industry 4.0,” or something else.

As a brief overview, IHS views the term “Industry 4.0” as the combination of many factors and trends, including industrial networking, distributed embedded computer, cybersecurity, Big Data, and analytics, among other things, and combining these all to create a smart factory. Sensors offer great potential to gather extensive data from production lines and plants, which can increasingly be distributed via a network, analyzed, and then used to make better informed decisions. Benefits can include safety improvements, increased uptime, lower energy costs, and quicker or easier maintenance. There are potentials security concerns, however.

Of course, for this to be implemented it requires a sensor capable of transmitting data over a network. Networkable sensors still make up only a smaller portion of the market, with a large number using basic signals to transmit information to a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). Those sensors that are able to transmit data directly over a network generally also have some level of intelligence too, which can take loads off the embedded computer or other controller.

These sensors communicate with a wide array of networking technologies, be they Ethernet- or fieldbus-based. It shows the estimated split between the two technologies. AS-i and IO-Link, two technologies that are more orientated towards sensors, are also highlighted (IHS defines these as fieldbus technologies). It is clear that the vast majority of networkable sensors utilize fieldbus-based networks, often HART or PROFIBUS. An estimated one-fifth of devices use AS-i, and although it is not seen by some as a true networking technology, AS-i is widely used and has been adopted by most major sensor manufacturers.

IO-Link has the potential to be the main competition for AS-i in the future. However, there’s currently a lack of support from sensor vendors and the fact that AS-i has a safety variant may negatively impact on IO-Link adoption. In response, the IO-Link Safety group was recently founded, with a key aim of establishing a safety variant of the technology. Once this is available and proven, it should further bolster the excellent adoption rate that IO-Link is currently experiencing.

The remaining 12 percent share of networking technology adoption for sensors is split amongst a number of Ethernet variants. There are as many Ethernet variants as fieldbus, but they are considerably younger to market and as such are not yet as widely adopted. Fieldbus technologies are certainly not going to disappear overnight, but Ethernet adoption for sensor networking is growing more quickly. A variety of factors are driving this, but the most important is easy integration and interoperability with other industrial automation equipment that is already widely networked via Ethernet, be it in standard TCP/IP form or another embedded computer deterministic variant.

The popularity and growth of Ethernet adoption has filtered down from consumer/enterprise networking. It was first used at the industrial information level, then the controller level, and is now slowly being seen at the field level. The transition from fieldbus to Ethernet is going to take time, as factories and large plants are rarely refitted. This means that a large portion of embedded computer will continue to be fieldbus-based, or perhaps an Ethernet/fieldbus hybrid for some time. So while the door has been opened for advanced sensor networks, we are still a long way from moving towards ”Industry 4.0” and the benefits that a networked sensor array can bring.

refer to: http://industrial.embedded-computing.com/articles/sensing-networks-industrial-automation/

Acrosser’s AMB-IH61T3 Mini-ITX Board is Now Available for Both the Gaming and Industrial Automation Industries.

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When two separate devices need to communicate with each other on a single board computer, there should be a channel to bridge the communication: the COM port. acrosser’s AMB-IH61T3 is a board that supports up to 10 COM ports for multiple applications.
AMB-IH61T3 and Gaming Solutions
AMB-IH61T3, the Mini-ITX form-factor single board computer, has many characteristics that those in the gaming industry long for.  These characteristics include superior computing performance, numerous expansions, and a long life cycle. The board also features unrivaled connectivity with its remarkable 10 COM ports (1 x RS232, 1 x RS2323/485, and 8 x RS232 pin headers). For gaming machines or arcade vendors, multiple gaming peripherals, such as buttons, lamps, hoppers, or a coin acceptor, can all be integrated into the final gaming product, adding more depth and interactivity to the game. The combination of I/O, 10 COM ports, and dual display makes AMB-IH61T3 a suitable option for the gaming industry.
In the automation industry, interconnection of multiple industrial measurement devices is a necessity. These devices include sensors, PLCs, servos, inverters, temperature controllers, barcode scanners, air quality monitors, etc. With proper design and verification, the 10-serial-port AMB-IH61T3 can easily integrate these devices and provide the perfect control center solution for industrial environments.
To learn more about the AMB-IH61T3 Mini-ITX board, please send us an inquiry , or contact your local Acrosser sales vendor for detailed information.
Product Information:
AMB-IH61T3
The AMB-IH61T3 Product Film:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZggBHFrjD8

Location, location, location: Experts offer advice for in-store kiosk placement

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“It always amazes me to see the groups that just don’t pay attention to kiosk location,” said Frank Olea, CEO of Cerritos, California-based manufacturer Olea Kiosks Inc. “It’s as if they assume that if you build it, they will come.” But that is clearly not the case, according to kiosk indusrty experts. Customers are only interested in what really attractes their attention.
“The best location for any kiosk is where it will be best utilized for the optimum customer experience,” said Greg Buzek, president of Franklin, Tennessee-based research firm IHL Group. “If the kiosk’s purpose is providing industrial information, then the best place is either a high-traffic area or the store area where customers have the most questions. It makes little sense to have centralized answer kiosks when the bulk of the questions are for a specific area of the store. If you have several areas where customers might have frequent questions, position the answer kiosks consistently so customers know where to look to get the information they need to make buying decisions.”
Think of a kiosk like a industrial automation business, Olea advises. “Why would you open a business on the worst possible street corner when you know it’s only destined to fail?” he said. “Just like a business, the kiosk needs to be well marked and highly visible to passersby. It needs to be easy to get to, and out of the flow of traffic.”
If the kiosk is an entirely new category of service automation before, then the deployer must place it right in the most visible spot possible, Olea said. “This is because, otherwise, how would people know to even look for it?” he said. “If your kiosk isn’t anything new, but you’ve taken something that always existed in one location and are now making it available in several locations, placement and adequate digital signage on and around the kiosks become important. Just placing your kiosks all over the store doesn’t guarantee that people will find them. If customers do see the kiosks, but they don’t have adequate signage, will they know what they are?”
Frank Meyer & Associates
“Depending on the function of the kiosk, placement should be a combination of visibility, accessibility and convenience for the consumer at the point of purchase and during the information-gathering process while they are shopping,” said Ron Bowers, senior vice president of business development at Grafton, Wisconsin-based kiosk vendor Frank Mayer & Associates.
Bowers suggests the following locations:
Wayfinding kiosks should be placed at the entrance or front of the embedded computer to help consumers with their shopping process; Loyalty check-in kiosks should be near the cart corral to allow the consumer to initiate the shopping procedure, access coupons and download custom shopping lists; Endcap display kiosks let consumers download product information that targets their needs; Endless Embedded Computer in each of the store’s sub-departments allow consumers to order products in sizes and colors that are not on the shelves; and Kiosks should be placed in the services department to reduce lines for product returns and to provide insight on customer relations.
TIO Networks
“Self-service kiosks are meant to be convenient for your customers, but users want to feel that their transactions are still private,” said Jason Plante, senior director of supply chain management and logistics at Vancouver, Canada-based financial self-service kiosk company TIO Networks Corp. “Your kiosk placement should demonstrate both convenience and privacy while still being situated within the view of store staff so that they can help users who have questions.”
Plante recommends:
For transactional kiosks, avoid high-traffic embedded computer areas such as next to the counter or entrances and exits. Self-service kiosk users who obstruct the normal flow of foot traffic within a location will only feel rushed to end their transaction, and they may not come back next time; Wherever your self-service kiosk is placed within your store, ensure the store staff understand the features and benefits of the kiosk. Your store staff become your embedded computer to all potential new kiosk users, and, if the staff don’t convey a clear, positive experience to a potential new user, the customer may not use the terminal at all;
Placing your self-service terminal beside a familiar device such as an ATM may help users feel more comfortable using your kiosk for the first time; and Give your users enough room to conduct their business at your self-service kiosk. Similar to avoiding high-traffic areas, let your users feel comfortable at your kiosk.
Jibestream
“Every visitor has to pass by an entrance or exit at least twice in their visit to any store,” said Nicholas Yee, product manager of Toronto, Canada-based wayfinding technology firm Jibestream. “That makes these locations great for messages, or for offering functionality that visitors should know about. From a wayfinding perspective, it’s very useful to give users the ability to find what they’re looking for, right as they walk into the store.”
For Yee, the best locations are:
Checkouts: Nobody enjoys waiting in line, so, while these visitors are probably already on their way to becoming a paying customer, why not present them with information that may attract them to pick up a second item during their trip? Then give them the ability to view directions on how they can get to that item in the store, right from the kiosk so that they can easily act on that impulse purchase. Waiting rooms: Recent studies have shown that in health care, informing users of what they can expect during their visit to the hospital via helpful signage and messaging can greatly reduce the number of frustrated visitors. By applying this concept to a commercial environment, stores can help their customer service staff by reducing the amount of aggravated customers they have to deal with. These customers may have become further aggravated as they wait in line. So why not give them access to a kiosk that can give them an engaging focus point, and help them be more time-efficient by allowing them to plan the rest of their trip through the store?
Near elevators and escalators: As people are travelling through a store, one of the key decision points during their journey is when they approach an elevator or escalator. If the retailer provides them with a wayfinding kiosk, customers can be sure of where they need to go next.
Promotional areas: In addition to physical signage located near areas displaying promotional campaigns, stores can leverage the high customer traffic that visits these areas by installing a kiosk. Stores can use the kiosk to promote events or sales, while increasing the number of people who will see the retailer’s advertising. The kiosk can help manage a store’s traffic by diverting people from a high-traffic area to different places in the store via a wayfinding application.
refer to:
http://www.kioskmarketplace.com/articles/location-location-location-experts-offer-advice-for-in-store-kiosk-placement

Acrosser Releases the PCI-E x16 Slot AMB-IH61T3 Mini-ITX Board, for Your Industrial Automation System

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acrosser Technology, a leading provider of industrial and embedded computers, debuted the AMB-IH61T3 today, an industrial Mini-ITX motherboard with the highest cost-performance ratio yet, powered by an Intel H61 chipset supporting 3rd/2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7/i5/i3 processors.

Generous I/O Connectivity
The AMB-IH61T3 possesses high connectivity and multiple high-speed I/O ports. Built with 8 USB ports/headers and 10 serial ports/headers, this board provides sufficient and flexible connection possibilities, especially for KIOSK and industrial automation system integrators to link and manage multiple peripherals.
Expandable Graphic Power and Functionality
The Mini-ITX AMB-IH61T3 equipped with a PCI-E x16 slot, brings you not only more expanded functionality, but also enhanced graphic power. You can even choose to leverage an additional graphics card on top of the slot to improve visual effects for any kind of gaming application, or use the multiple displays for industrial automation purposes.
The industrial PC industry has been craving smaller, more affordable portable computing devices. We responded to this demand by introducing our cost-effective Mini-ITX platform AMB-IH61T3, making mini-computing more usable and redefining the embedded SBC market.

Embedding the World Cup with goal-line technology

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For years, international football association FIFA have heavily resisted technology’s influence in soccer, almost comically arguing that bad refereeing decisions are all part of the excitement of the game. FIFA president Sepp Blatter has described goal-line technology as “only 95 percent accurate”, though even that level of accuracy – when compared to a human eye, often tens of metres away – is surely a vast improvement?

For networking appliance technologists, even if this disputable 95 percent figure was to be believed, bridging that 5 percent gap was never a sizeable task. Though in 2008 following that statement, the FIFA president put the implementation of such technology on ice – permanently.

Predictably, subsequently further controversial decisions ensued, though in relatively low-key matches not on the international stage, and in March 2010 an election was held between eight of the founding bodies of soccer – voting 6-2 in favor of permanently ditching the technology, the two dissenters being England and Scotland.

In June that year at the 2010 FIFA World Cup the tide was about to turn, when hundreds of millions of fans across 241 separate countries saw England’s Frank Lampard score a goal – the ball clearly over a metre across the line – against Germany, which was disallowed due to human error by the referee. Scoring or missing was a turning point in the 2-1 game, which ended as a 4-1 loss for England. The entire embedded computer industry, quickly followed by immense global supporters!  Taking huge pressure on FIFA, and shortly after Blatter announced that the goal-line technology consideration would be re-opened.

The tech contenders
In 2011 FIFA began internal trials with 10 companies’ goal-line embedded system technology, and by 2012 they whittled this down to two potential candidates: Goal Ref, utilizing a passive “chip-in-ball” and a magnetic field to detect its whereabouts; and Hawk-Eye, utilizing a series of high-resolution cameras and triangulation algorithms.

Both have a very high, though interestingly unpublished, accuracy percentage, but neither could claim 100 percent accuracy as both are fallible to some degree.

Through networking appliance technology based on electromagnetic fields, which is being used at the 2014 World Cup, it would be susceptible to interference an unscrupulous party could theoretically interfere with its accuracy.

The high-speed-camera-based system, you could argue, is less vulnerable to outside interference, though is reliant on installation accuracy and calibration, having rigorously proven the calculations used to derive the Embedded Computer decisions.

Additionally, in the 2014 World Cup referees are wearing smartwatches as part of a GoalControl-4D system to alert them to goal-line technology cameras detecting goals.

Both systems also can’t consider the change in shape of a ball when it bounces, for example. The Hawk-Eye system, prior to soccer, has long been employed in snooker (similar to billiards), cricket, and tennis. Bounce distortion in soccer, given we’re concerned with it passing a line, not falling short of it, isn’t relevant – in tennis however this can be contentious; during the 2008 Wimbledon final, a ball that appeared out was cited as “in” by Hawk-Eye by a single millimeter.

refer to:
http://embedded-computing.com/articles/embedding-world-cup-goal-line-technology/

 

Increasing Data Throughput with Innovative Embedded System

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Developed by the PCI-SIG consortium in response to SSD’s increasing demands on data throughput, M.2, formerly known as Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF) is a new specification for expansion modules in embedded systems with space limitations.

Slimmer and more flexible than the current Mini PCI Express (mPCIe)/Mini-SATA (mSATA) standard, M.2 does not introduce new signaling systems but rather allows for increased data throughput via multi-lane PCI Express (PCIe), and backward compatibility via SATA and USB signals. While driven by the demand for high-speed, high-capacity storage in ultrabooks, tablets and portable devices, M.2’s space-efficient form factor, backward automation, and flexibility mean it will have an impact on the embedded sector as well.

The unique needs and requirements of embedded systems make the adoption of M.2 a more complicated decision in this space than on the consumer side, but understanding the background of the technology, its specifications, and benefits can help embedded OEMs and system designers make the right choices now and prepare for the future.

The current automation of small form factor expansion modules for both storage and general peripherals uses a common 30 mm x 50.95 mm mPCIe card form factor (Figure 1). Designed originally for the notebook market as an evolution of MiniPCI, mPCIe is a physical and electrical specification for expansion cards allowing Wi-Fi, Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN), and other add-on functionality via a miniaturized PCIe connector. mPCIe’s widespread adoption in consumer applications, small form factor and its use of the familiar PCIe bus meant it naturally became a convenient and space-efficient way to add functionality to industrial and embedded systems.

As demand for single board computer in notebooks and mobile devices grew, in 2009, the mSATA format was introduced as a small form factor for storage, utilizing the same physical form factor and connector as mPCIe with a miniaturized SATA interface. While physically similar to mPCIe in both form factor and connector, single board computer are electrically different from mPCIe and require mSATA host support to function. Being based on the tried and true SATA storage protocol, mSATA made it easy for manufacturers to implement small form factor storage and it was rapidly adopted in the client space. These Embedded SBC have made mSATA attractive for embedded system storage and today it is one of the most popular small form factor SSD formats in both consumer and industrial markets.

As the client and automation markets pursue higher capacity embedded SBC and higher throughputs to match, the performance bottleneck for top-end single board computer has become the SATA protocol which is limited to 600 MBps. With increased capacities on embedded SBC, speeds go up as well and even the 600 MBps offered by SATA III is not enough for high-performance applications. At the same time, the automation which mSATA was based physically limited how much flash could be put on one mSATA card.

Single board computer strength as a small form factor lies not just in its potential for the next generation of high-performance SSDs, but also in its backward compatibility. While supporting high-performanced automation over multi-lane PCIe, M.2 also supports SATA, USB, and single-lane PCIe. As NVMe awaits adoption in the marketplace, SATA-based first-generation M.2 storage cards and M.2 peripheral cards can allow space-constrained systems to benefit from the smaller and more flexible form factor with the reliability and compatibility of SATA.

For general embedded system applications, mSATA and mPCIe are not going anywhere soon. Industrial applications have modest performance needs, emphasizing reliability and consistency instead. Even for performance-driven systems, the near-term value proposition is tenuous as the full performance benefits of M.2 SSDs require either NVMe support or proprietary drivers to realize native PCIe speeds. It will take time for the storage environment to support NVMe before embedded applications will be able to enjoy this level of performance, so current-generation M.2 embedded SBC may be a hard sell over mSATA modules in the embedded space. Meanwhile, mPCIe currently offers more than enough bandwidth for general embedded peripherals such as graphics cards or Wi-Fi modules.

refer to:
http://embedded-computing.com/articles/increasing-data-throughput/

Opening Doors to Embedded Automation

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At the ultra-clean and newly expanded MINOR’s food processing plant in Cleveland a forklift picks up a bin of their product and carries it into the next room along the line, entering through an airlock to minimize the entry of automation pathogens into the packaging area. But unlike most facilities the forklifts here never take a break other than for a battery charge because there is no one sitting in the driver’s single board computer.

Nor is there a driver activating door operation. The signal to open and close is generated by the same process management system directing forklift travel.

MINOR’S has joined the growing ranks of companies that are putting automation material handling (AMH) vehicles to work, seeking increases in productivity and lower operating costs. A recent article in Fast Company on embedded SBC pending reveals that scientists are developing a embedded SBC that has already logged 500,000 miles. So it’s no surprise in the more controllable world of the manufacturing plant and with industry’s growing need for efficiency, speed and reliability; embedded system will be acquiring minds of their own.

The recently released Material Handling and Logistics US Roadmap, complied by the national supply chain publications and associations, looks at the industry ten years into the future. Among the ten megatrends unfolding in the next decade, the report predicts that “autonomous control and distributed intelligence” could one day extend to driverless equipment in the warehouse and over the road.

Engine maker  envisions unmanned  embedded SBC cargo ships, though many in the industry don’t think they will be sailing any time soon. Nevertheless, these technological changes will be driven by a changing embedded system, the growth of e-commerce, mass personalization and of course never-ceasing competition – all of which have impact on the factory or single board computer.

Industry  automation isn’t waiting for 2025. A report published by the Priority Metrics Group detailed that AMH vehicle sales exceeded $15.5 billion world-wide in 2011, up 18% over the previous year. This represents roughly 15% of the investment in new equipment.However, these vehicles also cannot wait for the doors within the plant to get out of the way.

Within these plants are walls sectioning off rooms; and like walls, doors are supposed to preserve the integrity of the processes or the inventories in the room while allowing traffic to pass in and out of the room. Just about every room maintains its own microclimate with a proper temperature. Humidity and air flow are controlled for whatever process takes place or for the product handled within it.

Doors ensure that these areas maintain those conditions, protecting the room from pressure differentials, extreme temperatures sparks, fumes, drafts, noise or other conditions in the previous room that could adversely affect work in process, employee productivity and building energy costs. But if the doors can’t get out of the way in time, progress goes nowhere.

To keep pace with embedded system that demand this speed, the doors along the material path must be able to do the following:

Open and Close Rapidly – The lumbering automation panel door is a thing of the past. For any door to be a member of today’s material handling team it must be an overhead roll up style to get out of the way of vehicles and to attain the high speeds necessary for efficient product flow. These single board computer also take up minimal wall space to maximize these areas for shelving or machinery.

These doors now are capable of speeds of 60 inches per second and faster, and can be fully opened in under two seconds for a typical eight-foot high door embedded system. The rapid roll up door minimizes room exposure, giving practically no time for energy to escape or contaminants to invade.

At MINOR’S ultra-pure food processing facility, their specially designed automated single board computer from one room to another. The concern of process engineers at this operation is to minimize contaminants throughout the processing chain. To maintain product quality, entrance/exit is through an airlock

refer to:
http://www.automation.com/automation-news/todays-featured-news-headlines/opening-doors-to-automation

Explore the Fanless Embedded System AES-HM76Z1FL in Real-Time Business Scenarios at Computex Taipei 2014!

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As acrosser Technology announces its participation in Computex Taipei 2014, we will introduce our latest embedded product, which will be shown in live demo: AES-HM76Z1FL. Featuring an Intel® Core™ i series CPU, a fanless thermal design and a super-thin frame, this model is a suitablebusiness solution for various system integrators. Let’s take a look at this device: 2 IP cameras and 2 monitor displays are attached to the AES-HM76Z1FL to demonstrate its outstanding performance. They not only highlight AES-HM76Z1FL’s applicability for surveillance technology, but also showcase its computing performance for audio entertainment. Acrosser has constructed live demos based on two different scenarios in which AES-HM76Z1FL is used as a business solution.

Scenario 1 takes place in the banking industry. Traditionally, a banking dispute is settled within 3 days. (No less than 72 hours). Therefore, for banking companies, a short file-storage time will not harm their business. However, the recorded file must be in a high-definition format, so that every detail of what occurred at the counter can be clearly seen. At the same time, a bank would also embrace the idea of having a screen displaying its corporate advertisement, not only for promoting its latest house loan plans, but also for garnering more corporate awareness. By assembling AES-HM76Z1FL under this framework, the bank owner can easily achieve his business goal without extra staffing or training.

Scenario 2 takes place in a fast food restaurant that runs 24/7. From breakfast to dinner, different menus and promotional ads are regularly replaced on a daily basis. In addition, the restaurant manager also needs to ensure that the customers are dinning in a safe environment. Through the adoption of AES-HM76Z1FL, the camera can reconstruct any moment in the restaurant, and also provides valuable information on consumer behaviors and preferences. Through thorough analysis of these video data, the manager can even begin to make his own business improvements without needing a consultant.

In conclusion, similar needs can be found in other commercial areas, such as hotel management, home/community security watch, etc. For example, a local governmental office may need a device that can monitor its work place, while also displaying its latest public announcement on population policy. The number of cameras can vary from 2 to 16 based on application. We cordially welcome you to join us for this year’s annual ICT trade fair! Visit Acrosser and its live demos of AES-HM76Z1FL at TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall, booth K0216.

Double Up Your Security Level With The Acrosser AMB-A55EG1 Gaming Board!

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The gaming business has never been easy. Most game developers not only need time to find suitable hardware, but also to work on software programming. By time they have finished both, the best time-to-market has already vanished. acrosser’s AMB-A55EG1 All-in-One gaming board can assist you in building up more security measurements, while also remaining highly flexible for your gaming business.

Security mechanisms
Through a design integrating iButton®, PIC and FPGA, the A55EG1 ensures that your business is safer than ever. The security function allows you to define the security key with your gaming machine, preventing anyone from breaking into the gaming system and changing stored information without authorization. As for AMB-A55EG1’s exterior look, Acrosser has also prepared one intrusion detection log on the top, and one on the bottom of the board, in case you need it for security purposes in a cabinet design.

Battery back-up SRAM and protected input/output
Unlike most other Mini-ITX boards, this board is equipped with Battery back-up SRAM, allowing you to save gaming data when playing the game. Alternately, you can also save the log into the SRAM when the cabinet is opened to secure authorized entry. Currently, Acrosser’s all-in-one AMB-A55EG1 also embodies 2 ccTalk protocols, as well as 17 golden fingers for protected input and 16 for output, all of which are the main focus of the current gaming industry.

Acrosser supplies stable gaming boards to our clients. With our steady commitment to quality, casino manufacturers and arcade game manufacturers can concentrate on building the best game and win the market!

Product Information:
http://www.acrosser.com/Products/Gaming-Platform/All-in-One-Gaming-Board/AMB-A55EG1/AMD-Embedded-G-Series-AMB-A55EG1.html

Contact us:
http://www.acrosser.com/inquiry.html

IVI system sandboxing: The next frontier for in-vehicle upgrades

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With the rapid advancement of mobile, cloud, and embedded technologies, it may surprise most that In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) systems are typically developed four to five years before the in-vehicles are release to the market. In fact, most 2014 models are running IVI systems from 2009. By most modern industry standards, a five-year development lifecycle is unacceptable. So how is it that one of our most valued commodities – the automobile – is subjected to such a technological lag?

Primarily, the bloated IVI development lifecycle can be linked to two factors: driver safety and vehicle longevity. Although most people associate IVI systems with just navigation and entertainment, these systems also interact with many critical in-vehicle safety components such as driver assistance, engine control, and vehicle sensors. This means that all IVI systems must go through significant testing, evaluation, security, and certification processes. In addition, in-vehicle manufacturers need to ensure that an IVI system will remain operational for the duration of a vehicle’s 10-15 year lifespan.

Unfortunately, even the sleekest of in-vehicle on the market today are equipped with IVI systems that contain old software and unattractive user interfaces. Furthermore, consumers do not currently have the option to upgrade their IVI systems through new software rollouts or third-party applications. And while some people do trade in their vehicles every two-to-three years, for most of us purchasing a car is a long-term investment. According to automobile information analysis firm R.L. Polk & Co., the average age of automobiles in the U.S. is rising. Assuming this trend continues, many consumers will be stuck with an outdated IVI system for the next nine-to-ten years.

Customizing the car

What if IVI systems could be customized and continuously upgraded like infotainment or tablets? What if drivers could listen to music through their Pandora account, share their location via Facebook, or take a call on Skype? What if online marketplaces like iTunes and Google Play started offering IVI-specific apps? With the rising demand for consumer device customization, it’s just a matter of time before these rhetorical scenarios become the new standard.

The Android platform is especially ripe for IVI customization efforts, as it is an open source wonderland for developers. Whereas iOS remains a proprietary Apple technology, Google has opened Android up to a wide variety of uses, which is why it is currently dominating in the mobile space.

However, Android does have some major drawbacks that must be addressed before it can be utilized for infotainment applications. For example, from an automotive perspective, Android has a slow boot time and does not meet the industry’s strict security and stability standards. The average boot time on an Android-based device is 40 seconds. While this is an acceptable length of time for a mobile device that rarely gets shut off, it becomes a bigger problem in a vehicle. Since most people immediately begin driving after turning on the car, a long IVI system boot time would result in drivers pulling up a map or a play list while the vehicle is in motion – further adding to distractions while driving.

Furthermore, drivers cannot simply restart their vehicles if the IVI system crashes. An unstable Operating System (OS) is inconvenient in a mobile device, but it’s downright dangerous in a vehicle. And if a driver downloads a third-party IVI app whose settings override those of the vehicle’s operational components, it could seriously compromise the vehicle’s security and functionality, from altering diagnostics and sensor parameters to disabling emergency services.

While slow boot times and operating speeds can generally be resolved by modifying the Android OS distribution for an “automotive-grade” platform, the real challenge lies in balancing the innovation of Android with the stringent safety and reliability requirements of the automotive industry. How can a infotainment system be flexible and modular for consumer customization while at the same time ensuring uncompromised security and reliability?

Hypervisor sandboxing splits safety-critical from software-upgradeable

The unfortunate truth is that there is no way to combine these two conflicting demands – nor should we try. Instead of managing one complex and potentially flawed OS, the goal should be to run two completely functional and sandboxed systems. By leveraging an open source, “bare metal” Xen hypervisor, developers could simultaneously run two different OSs on a single System-on-Chip (SoC) to provide:

Highly reliable automotive-grade Linux or Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOSs) like Autosar and QNX for mission-critical vehicle infotainment, Highly customizable Android for infotainment software .

A hybrid architecture that is based on a Type-1 hypervisor would allow developers to create an Android-based IVI system without compromising the functionality, security, or reliability of the vehicle’s operational software. Critical components such as vehicle sensors, diagnostics, and emergency services would never be impacted by third-party apps, as they would be completely enclosed within their own respective OSs (Figure 1). Sandboxed Linux and Android operating systems give developers the freedom to create truly customizable infotainment software without negatively impacting a vehicle’s security or reliability.

Although still a relatively untapped field, it’s only a matter of time before infotainment systems become just as customizable as any other mobile device. While Android still has some issues around reliability, security, and speed to address before it can become truly “automotive grade,” it is an ideal OS for IVI customization. By modifying Android to accelerate operating and boot time speeds, and by leveraging a hybrid architecture to separate a vehicle’s mission-critical and infotainment components, developers can begin shaping a new and industry-changing market for automotive software.

refer to:

http://embedded-computing.com/articles/ivi-sandboxing-next-frontier-in-vehicle-upgrades/