Driving the Digital Revolution: Infineon Technologies Introduces Integrated Hardware System to Make Wireless Communications and In-Car Entertainment Standard in New Automobiles
Munich, Germany / Orlando, FL March 18, 2002 Bringing together advanced technologies for wireless communications and automotive electronic control systems, Infineon Technologies (FSE/NYSE: IFX) today introduced the Telematics Communication Gateway (TCG) reference design that integrates mobile phone, wireless networking and global positioning technology to reduce manufacturers costs and thus speed widespread market adoption of mobile information and entertainment systems in new automobiles.
Infineon, which is demonstrating the applications made possible by the TCG reference design at the CTIA Wireless 2002 Conference and Exhibition (Booth # 5863) on March 18-20 in Orlando, Florida, offers the reference design to manufacturers of automotive electronics systems. As one of the worlds top three suppliers of electronic components for automotive systems, Infineon developed the TCG reference design to meet customer requirements for a cost-effective, modular system that can be deployed across multiple product lines.
This is an important step in driving down unit costs in the telematics industry, said Cindy Wolf, Industry Analyst with Cahners In-Stat/MDR. It is due to initiatives such as Infineons TCG reference design that we expect the worldwide telematics market to reach nearly 14 million subscribers by 2005, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 70 percent since 2001.
According to a recent study by Gartner Dataquest (San Jose, Calif.), telematics hardware will see global sales of US$9 billion this year and US$14 billion in 2004.
Telematics capabilities are mainly confined to luxury cars today, but industry experts predict that in-car electronics will play a key role in all car classes by the middle of this decade, said Dr Soenke Mehrgardt, Chief Technology Officer at Infineon Technologies. With the TCG reference design, our customers will be able to concentrate their development resources on applications and vehicle integration, helping to more quickly make exciting new products available to meet the demands of car manufacturers and consumers for new safety, information and entertainment features.
To create the TCG reference design, Infineon drew upon years of expertise and strong partnerships in two of its keys markets: wireless communications and automotive electronics. This combination of technology and insight into market requirements places Infineon in an ideal position to drive the convergence of computing and communication in automobiles and create personal networks on wheels. Some of the features made possible by the Infineon Telematics platform include internet and email access, automatic hands-free activation of personal cell phones, emergency assistance call capability, vehicle tracking in the case of emergency or theft, and GPS-assisted navigation.
The TCG reference design combines up to three wireless subsystems on a single module to create a flexible platform with the capability to support multiple applications. The base design includes Infineons advanced TC1920 telematics controller, a powerful 32-bit computing engine. The leading-edge wireless technologies available on the TCG reference design include Bluetooth wireless technology for short-range communication with devices in the car; cellular GSM/GPRS (Global System for Mobile Communications/General Packet Radio Service) for external connectivity; and GPS (Global Positioning System) technology.
To bring TCG reference design to market, Infineon partnered with leading suppliers of software and functional models. Two Infineon subsidiaries, Danish Wireless Design and Comneon, provide system level firmware and design services. Mecel AB, a Swedish subsidiary of Delphi Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: DPH), provides the fully qualified Bluetooth wireless technology protocol stack, recognized for its robustness and resource efficiency in automotive applications. The GPS technology is provided by
Trimble Navigation (NASDAQ: TRMB), a pioneer and world leader in positioning system technology. Various speech software suppliers, including Philips PSP, Fonix and ScanSoft, support the TriCore processor architecture, which is the core technology used in the TC1920 controller.
The TCG reference design will be provided as a single, integrated board with full external interfaces, including standard automobile interfaces (J1850 and TwinCAN ports) and interfaces to other in-car consumer electronics systems (DVD, CD, radio tuner, etc.). In prototype form, the integrated system is contained on a printed circuit board measuring 6 cm x 6 cm.
Infineon also is releasing a version of the reference design featuring Bluetooth wireless technology and gateway functionality. This Bluetooth Communications Gateway (BCG) reference design enables system OEMs to implement hands-free calling and links to other in-car electronic systems.
The Telematics Communication Gateway reference design is available to qualified customers, including automobile electronics OEMs and applications developers. Infineon estimates that the component costs of systems on the reference design will be 30 to 50 percent lower than the cost of procuring each subsystem independently. Further manufacturer savings are realized through reduced integration and qualification costs.
Infineon offers design services support and the required software packages for GSM/GPRS, Bluetooth wireless technology and GPS. For the TC1920, a broad range of RTOS and application software is available. Further information on Infineons Telematics Communications Gateway is available at www.infineon.com/tcg; for background on Infineons infotainment activities please refer to www.drivinginnovations.com; and for information on the companys microcontrollers for automotive and industrial applications, see www.infineon.com/microcontroller
Infineon, which is demonstrating the applications made possible by the TCG reference design at the CTIA Wireless 2002 Conference and Exhibition (Booth # 5863) on March 18-20 in Orlando, Florida, offers the reference design to manufacturers of automotive electronics systems. As one of the worlds top three suppliers of electronic components for automotive systems, Infineon developed the TCG reference design to meet customer requirements for a cost-effective, modular system that can be deployed across multiple product lines.
This is an important step in driving down unit costs in the telematics industry, said Cindy Wolf, Industry Analyst with Cahners In-Stat/MDR. It is due to initiatives such as Infineons TCG reference design that we expect the worldwide telematics market to reach nearly 14 million subscribers by 2005, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 70 percent since 2001.
According to a recent study by Gartner Dataquest (San Jose, Calif.), telematics hardware will see global sales of US$9 billion this year and US$14 billion in 2004.
Telematics capabilities are mainly confined to luxury cars today, but industry experts predict that in-car electronics will play a key role in all car classes by the middle of this decade, said Dr Soenke Mehrgardt, Chief Technology Officer at Infineon Technologies. With the TCG reference design, our customers will be able to concentrate their development resources on applications and vehicle integration, helping to more quickly make exciting new products available to meet the demands of car manufacturers and consumers for new safety, information and entertainment features.
To create the TCG reference design, Infineon drew upon years of expertise and strong partnerships in two of its keys markets: wireless communications and automotive electronics. This combination of technology and insight into market requirements places Infineon in an ideal position to drive the convergence of computing and communication in automobiles and create personal networks on wheels. Some of the features made possible by the Infineon Telematics platform include internet and email access, automatic hands-free activation of personal cell phones, emergency assistance call capability, vehicle tracking in the case of emergency or theft, and GPS-assisted navigation.
A flexible, modular solution
The TCG reference design combines up to three wireless subsystems on a single module to create a flexible platform with the capability to support multiple applications. The base design includes Infineons advanced TC1920 telematics controller, a powerful 32-bit computing engine. The leading-edge wireless technologies available on the TCG reference design include Bluetooth wireless technology for short-range communication with devices in the car; cellular GSM/GPRS (Global System for Mobile Communications/General Packet Radio Service) for external connectivity; and GPS (Global Positioning System) technology.
To bring TCG reference design to market, Infineon partnered with leading suppliers of software and functional models. Two Infineon subsidiaries, Danish Wireless Design and Comneon, provide system level firmware and design services. Mecel AB, a Swedish subsidiary of Delphi Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: DPH), provides the fully qualified Bluetooth wireless technology protocol stack, recognized for its robustness and resource efficiency in automotive applications. The GPS technology is provided by
Trimble Navigation (NASDAQ: TRMB), a pioneer and world leader in positioning system technology. Various speech software suppliers, including Philips PSP, Fonix and ScanSoft, support the TriCore processor architecture, which is the core technology used in the TC1920 controller.
The TCG reference design will be provided as a single, integrated board with full external interfaces, including standard automobile interfaces (J1850 and TwinCAN ports) and interfaces to other in-car consumer electronics systems (DVD, CD, radio tuner, etc.). In prototype form, the integrated system is contained on a printed circuit board measuring 6 cm x 6 cm.
Infineon also is releasing a version of the reference design featuring Bluetooth wireless technology and gateway functionality. This Bluetooth Communications Gateway (BCG) reference design enables system OEMs to implement hands-free calling and links to other in-car electronic systems.
Availability, cost
The Telematics Communication Gateway reference design is available to qualified customers, including automobile electronics OEMs and applications developers. Infineon estimates that the component costs of systems on the reference design will be 30 to 50 percent lower than the cost of procuring each subsystem independently. Further manufacturer savings are realized through reduced integration and qualification costs.
Infineon offers design services support and the required software packages for GSM/GPRS, Bluetooth wireless technology and GPS. For the TC1920, a broad range of RTOS and application software is available. Further information on Infineons Telematics Communications Gateway is available at www.infineon.com/tcg; for background on Infineons infotainment activities please refer to www.drivinginnovations.com; and for information on the companys microcontrollers for automotive and industrial applications, see www.infineon.com/microcontroller
About Infineon
Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, Germany, offers semiconductor and system solutions for applications in the wired and wireless communications markets, for security systems and smartcards, for the automotive and industrial sectors, as well as memory products. With a global presence, Infineon operates in the US from San Jose, CA, in the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore and in Japan from Tokyo. In the fiscal year 2001 (ending September), the company achieved sales of Euro 5.67 billion with about 33,800 employees worldwide. Infineon is listed on the DAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX). Further information is available at www.infineon.com.
This news release and a press photo are available online at www.infineon.com/news
Any statements in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties; actual results may differ from the forward-looking statements. Infineon Technologies undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Copyright © 2002 Infineon Technologies North America Corp. All rights reserved. Infineon and the stylized Infineon Technologies design are registered trademarks and service marks of Infineon Technologies AG. The Bluetooth trademarks are owned by their proprietor and used by Infineon Technologies under license, other product and brand names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Information Number
INFAI200203.036e
Press Photos
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Infineon Technologies Introduces Telematics Communication Gateway (TCG) reference design to Make Wireless Communications and In-Car Entertainment Standard in New AutomobilesPress PictureJPG | 604 kb | 1417 x 1063 px
