Audi Adopts NXP’s FlexRay Technology for Its New Luxury Saloon — The Audi A8

NXP Semiconductors announced that the new Audi A8 will feature In-Vehicle Networking (IVN) technology powered by NXP’s FlexRay, CAN, LIN and SBC transceivers, enabling a series of new applications such as advanced driver assistance systems, adaptive cruise control and active chassis stability system. NXP’s IVN technology connects numerous electronic devices in a car using a wiring harness that consists of few lightweight copper cables. This helps to reduce the vehicle weight significantly and contribute to the savings on fuel consumption. The lightweight construction allows the A8 to accelerate faster and release fewer CO2 emissions. In addition to the In-Vehicle Networking solution, NXP also provides car entertainment and access and immobilization solutions for Audi A8, making it an advanced, safe and sophisticated luxury sedan.

Jens Koetz, development manager of energy systems and car Networking at Audi, says, “The A8 embodies Audi’s proverbial ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ (Leading by Technology) with its light aluminium body, powerful and highly efficient engines, and new safety features. By implementing NXP’s FlexRay transceivers, the Audi enabled advanced new driver assistance systems in the A8. With NXP’s state-of-the-art automotive networking technology and Audi’s engineering excellence, we are committed to safety, efficiency, and performance of our vehicles.”

“With NXP’s High Performance Mixed Signal technology we are dedicated in making cars safer, lighter and smarter,” said Jeroen Keunen, General Manager of product line Integrated IVN & FlexRay of NXP Semiconductors. “Being a trusted technology enabler for Audi, NXP is an industry partner in IVN, car entertainment and car access and immobilizer. Audi’s adoption of our FlexRay transceivers not only highlights NXP’s innovative power, but also brings to light the rapid increase in the implementation of FlexRay in-vehicle networking technology among car OEMs globally.”

NXP is the only provider to ship over a million FlexRay Physical Layer compliant transceivers. This proves that NXP is successfully able to convert leading-edge innovations from engineering stage product concepts towards products shipped in high volume. FlexRay has become the favoured protocol of carmakers for high-end vehicle networks as it is fault tolerant and time triggered, providing reliable, on-time delivery of messages for applications. It is also flexible and allows for a large freedom of network topologies ranging from point-to-point to both passive-bus and active-star topologies.

Here are some of the NXP technologies Audi chose for the latest A8:

In-vehicle networking

— FlexRay
— CAN/LIN transceivers
— System Basis Chip (SBC) transceivers

Car entertainment

— AM/FM tuner and digital reception (DSP)
— Audio amplifier
— Voltage regulator

Car access and immobilization

— Immobilizer system with AES crypto algorithm and LIN interface
— Remote keyless entry including transponder with extended service
memory

About NXP Semiconductors
NXP Semiconductors provides High Performance Mixed Signal and Standard Product solutions that leverage its leading RF, Analog, Power Management, Interface, Security and Digital Processing expertise. These innovations are used in a wide range of automotive, identification, wireless infrastructure, lighting, industrial, mobile, consumer and computing applications. Headquartered in Europe, the company has approximately 28,000 employees working in more than 25 countries and posted sales of USD 3.8 billion in 2009.