First Auto Technology Seminar Features Latest 1394 Automotive Products and Systems for In-Vehicle Infotainment, Navigation, Camera Applications

A capacity crowd representing auto manufacturers, suppliers and system designers filled the conference room at the Dearborn Inn April 30 for the first-ever 1394 Automotive Tech Seminar, featuring the latest in-vehicle networking technologies and products.

Leaders of the 1394 Automotive standard created a comprehensive set of presentations about the latest 1394 Automotive products and technologies, from silicon to software to systems, then hosted visitors in a demo room featuring the latest products.

Max Bassler, the 1394 Trade Association chairman, and Zeph Freeman, the 1394 TA’s Automotive Networking Evangelist, brought together a veteran cast of 1394 Trade Association members.  “The 1394 Auto eco-system is in place, ready for immediate designs, today, with silicon to support large bandwidth multimedia streams including High Definition, and software to support multiple use case scenarios,” said Freeman in his opening remarks.  “It’s ready to go – now.”

The half-day session featured a keynote presentation from Douglas vanDagens, Director, Connected Services Solutions Organization, Ford Motor Company.  VanDagens highlighted the advanced innovations that Ford has implemented in its latest vehicles, notably the Sync platform program, the factory-installed, in-vehicle communications and entertainment system that was developed by Ford with Microsoft Corporation and is now in the process of being expanded.   He added “the data connections and pipes that we are now working on create excellent opportunities for 1394 to move information to the front, rear or around the car.”

Presenters included Burke Henehan, formerly of Texas Instruments and now an independent design consultant; Bob Fust of Autosplice, Inc., the current chair of the Automotive Working Group; Mike Gardner of Molex, Inc., which hosted the TA’s second quarter meeting just prior to the seminar; Rick Tewell, representing Fujitsu Microelectronics, which last month introduced its new highly-integrated 800 Megabit/second 1394 Auto IC; Satish Premanathan, Wipro Technologies; and Richard Mourn from Quantum Parametrics.   For a complete set of the presentations, visit www.1394ta.org/Events/Q22009_TechSeminar.html

The 1394 TA also hosted a demonstration center following the seminar, with new products and technologies on display from Eqcologic, Fujitsu Microelectronics, Hella GmbH, Microsoft, Molex, Inc., and Quantum Parametrics, with DAP.  More information is available at www.1394ta.org

Companies involved with developing the 1394 Automotive standard include Autosplice, DAP, EqcoLogic, Electronic Links, Ford, Fujitsu Microelectronics, Hella GmbH, Honda, Littelfuse, LSI, Molex, Nissan, Point Grey Research, Quantum Parametrics, Rosenberger, Texas Instruments, Tyco Electronics, Unibrain, Wipro, and Yazaki.