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1394 TRADE ASSOCIATION EDITORIAL
Look What 1394 Automotive Can Do -
Part One: Integrated PHY-Controller Delivers Flexibility, Versatility, Reliability, for Auto Networking
Part 1 | Part 2
1394 Automotive is the very best technology that automakers and tier one suppliers can choose to fulfill infotainment and media demands in vehicles. It delivers the bandwidth, flexibility, cost effectiveness, and technological prowess to satisfy all requirements. Fujitsu has supported the standard with the development of its MB88395, an integrated device controller, including a PHY and controller. The IC provides the advantages that 1394 brings to automotive networking for entertainment, safety and other capabilities. Using this controller delivers the core benefits of 1394-Automotive: flexibility and versatility, reliability, cost-efficiencies, and scalability based on a technology — FireWire — that has been proven over more than 15 years now in consumer electronics, computing, storage, and industrial applications.
Let’s look at the PHY (controller) chip, its features, and how it performs. MB88395 is the latest 1394 automotive serial bus controller from Fujitsu. The device incorporates dedicated interfaces for BT656/RGB video and I2S/SPDIF audio. The device has MPU/DMA and serial interfaces for host control. Hardware acceleration of all functions allows use of a low MIPS MCU as a host processor to control the device. Two channels are available for both isochronous and asynchronous data.
The Fujitsu MB88395 provides a maximum data transfer rate, eg. bus speed, of up to 800Mb/s. This level of bandwidth allows lots of bus traffic from High Definition BluRay video, GPS navigation data, additional perimeter cameras. It also provides plenty of asynchronous data bandwidth to support GPS navigation data traffic on the network. Compared with the previous generation of devices offered for 1394-Automotive, this enhancement doubles the buffer size and number of channels supported. Also there is plenty of support for host and audio communication by using the SPI and S/PDIF serial interfaces. If the information transfer between the host processor and MB88395 isn’t extensive, using the SPI interface can bring cost and PCB space saving.
But perhaps the most important features built into MB88395 is the Fujitsu original SmartCODEC2 for video data compression. It uses what we call ‘predictive coding,’ and eliminates the need to use external compression chips (MPEG2, H.264, etc.) at sender and receiver ends and, therefore, brings significant cost saving. SmartCODEC2 is the next generation implementation and supports a higher compression rate (1/4 instead of 1/3). The higher bus speed and compression rates together open further possibilities of feature-rich and enhanced infotainment experience for the driver and passenger. For upward compatibility, the codec also supports the 1/3 compression of the previous generation SmartCODEC.
That’s what we can do with 1394-Automotive built around the Fujitsu MB88395 controller. With its 800Mb/s data transfer speed, enhanced capability for Asynchronous data communication, additional options for MCU and sound interfaces, and next generation SmartCODEC2, it allows the addition of High Definition audio/video content, sophisticated GPS Navigation, and perimeter cameras for car safety. The possibilities are truly infinite.
((Note: this is the first in a multi part editorial series on 1394’s benefits in the automotive market. Continue to Part 2.))
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