Broadcom Introduces Industry’s Most Power Efficient Automotive Ethernet Chip

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5, 2015  — CES International 2015

News Highlights:

• Advanced security features shield the connected car from cyber threats
• Automotive-qualified 40 nanometer (nm) design reduces power consumption by up to 30 percent¹
• Highly integrated device reduces board space by > 25 percent and overall BOM cost by ~20 percent¹

Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a global innovation leader in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications, today announced its next-generation BroadR-Reach automotive Ethernet chip, optimized for use in low-power automotive applications. Delivering 100 megabit per second (Mbps) performance over a single, unshielded twisted pair wire, the highly integrated chip combines the functionality of multiple discrete devices in an ultra-small package (6×6 mm). Visit Broadcom’s 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) site to learn more at www.connectingeverything.com.

While Ethernet has long been used as an IT network technology, its application in the connected car is on the rise. The low power features of Broadcom’s new BCM89811 physical layer transceiver (PHY) enables new use cases for automotive Ethernet beyond infotainment and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) into telematics, shark fin antennas, instrumentation clusters, head unit and center stack module applications.

Broadcom’s BroadR-Reach automotive Ethernet technology is already on the road today, enabling a number of advanced features in a broad spectrum of vehicles, including the 2014 and 2015 BMW X5, 2015 Jaguar Land Rover XJ and the 2015 Volkswagen Passat.

“As the deployment of more sophisticated connectivity features continues to ramp at a rapid pace, so does the need for higher bandwidth and scalability,” said Dr. Carsten Kromke, Head of E/E-Architecture and Networks, Volkswagen AG. “Automotive Ethernet delivers the scalable bandwidth needed for multiple applications while providing full control over the configuration of the in-car network.”

The low-power PHY is the latest addition to Broadcom’s growing portfolio of automotive Ethernet chips. Broadcom’s BroadR-Reach automotive solutions provide both the high bandwidth required for advanced safety and infotainment applications and the authentication and encryption features needed to shield the connected car from malicious cyber-attacks and threats.

“Automotive Ethernet has spurred a shift from decentralized domain-specific communication to a centralized backbone architecture, offering greater flexibility, scalability and innovation in the car,” said Dr. Ali Abaye, Broadcom Senior Director of Automotive. “Serving as the car’s network backbone, our BroadR-Reach automotive Ethernet devices enable the deployment of advanced safety and infotainment features beyond the luxury class, meeting growing consumer demand for a truly connected experience on-the-go.”

“Ethernet offers a variety of mature and widely supported and deployed options to protect the car from malicious attacks and secure the network infrastructure,” said Dominique Bonte, ABI Research Vice President and Practice Director. “These innate features are just one of the reasons Ethernet is well primed to play a critical role in securing the connected car for years to come.”

Broadcom is a founding member of the OPEN (One-Pair Ether-Net) Alliance Special Interest Group (SIG), an industry consortium focused on driving wide scale adoption of Ethernet-based automotive connectivity as the standard in automotive connectivity. “As a proven technology with a vast ecosystem, Ethernet-based connectivity in automotive has enormous potential,” said Natalie A. Wienckowski, General Motor’s Strategy Lead,  Core Hardware Team and OPEN Alliance SIG Chair. “Based on how quickly membership has surged to nearly 250 members in the OPEN Alliance, the automotive industry is clearly enthusiastic.”

Offering the industry’s highest level of integration, the BCM89811 PHY eliminates costly external components, reducing board space by more than 25 percent and overall bill-of-material (BOM) cost up to 20 percent¹.

Key Features of the BCM89811 PHY

• Automotive-qualified low power design reduces power consumption up to 30 percent¹
• On-chip integrated low-pass filters lower emissions (meets EMC requirements)
• Integrated internal regulators provide on-chip power and eliminate the need for external regulators
• Exceeds automotive specifications for noise cancellation and transmission jitter
• Delivers 100 Mbps over single, unshielded twisted pair wiring delivering up to an 80 percent reduction in connectivity cost³ and 30 percent reduction in cabling weight⁴

Resources

¹ As compared to previous generation device (BroadR-Reach BCM89810)
² Frost & Sullivan, Strategic Outlook of Automotive Ethernet Technology, January 2014
³ Based on current market prices for unshielded single twisted pair FlexRay cables
⁴ Based on combined weight of 2-meter twisted, single-pair FlexRay cables and connectors