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BMW will use Analog Devices’ 10Mb ethernet to the edge technology in their cars, enabling software-defined vehicles

March 13, 2024

Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) and BMW Group have announced the early adoption of E²B, ADI’s 10BASE-T1S Ethernet to the Edge bus technology within the automotive industry.

This technology is a significant enabler of new, zonal architectures in automotive design and supports automotive megatrends such as software-defined vehicles. BMW Group will implement this technology, utilizing ADI’s E²B for their ambient lighting system design in future BMW Group vehicles.

The companies have been working together since 2018 on a new concept to simplify the implementation of Ethernet to the Edge. Concurrently, the IEEE802.3cg Group was defining a new 10Mbps Ethernet standard called 10BASE-T1S, with ADI and BMW Group among other companies actively involved. By using ADI’s 10BASE-T1S E²B technology to eliminate microcontrollers and shift software from edge nodes to central processing units, the BMW Group enables an all-hardware edge node while reducing software development and qualification tasks.

In-cabin experience continues to be a critical focus for automakers, with driver and passenger expectations becoming more refined. This is especially true of the ambient lighting within the vehicle. However, many of today’s lighting solutions are complex to implement, use legacy technologies, and are difficult to scale and update as the number of supported LEDs increases. By leveraging the 10BASE-T1S with E²B technology, OEMs can provide a rich customer experience while also synchronizing lighting with other applications in the vehicle. Fully enabling a software-defined lighting system provides improved flexibility, ease of upgrade, and ease of use.

“This approach to edge connectivity is so sought-after that the automotive industry inside the Open Alliance (opensig.org) is now aiming to standardize a similar solution. ADI, along with the BMW Group and other companies, are actively working with the industry to create an Open Standard implementation,” said Yasmine King, Vice President, Automotive Cabin Experience at ADI.