Motorola is developing a family of microcontrollers for the driver information systems (DIS) market

The MGT5100 will be the first device in the MGT5000 family. It is a PowerPC-based device that builds on the acceptance of the PowerPC microcontroller in automotive applications. mobileGT, a Java-compliant architecture, targeted for automotive DIS, is engineered to be scaleable across a wide range of products, and can allow automobile manufacturers to leverage a common development approach while providing product differentiation.

This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 20 March 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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The newly announced mobileGT core processors are designed to enable tailored applications and system integration such as dynamic navigation, wireless connectivity and Internet access, natural language speech recognition and generation, car digital audio, virtual dashboards, multimedia and more.

Motorola's first MGT5000 family processor, the MGT5100 with 326MIPS performance, is expected to be sampling in late 2001, with production scheduled for 2002.

Within two years, Motorola plans to increase the computing power of the MGT5000 family to 1000+ MIPS, enabling the company to offer automotive manufacturers what it believes will be the fastest processing speed combined with a robust DIS feature set available on the market.

The percent of new cars with DIS is increasing rapidly, with an estimated 41% of new cars in 2005 expected to include such driver friendly system.

The mobileGT architecture is a smart DigitalDNA technology from Motorola that enables in-vehicle communication.
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'Automotive manufacturers will increasingly need more computing power to handle the consumers' desires for in-car information services, wireless connectivity, messaging and productivity, entertainment, driver-related services such as graphics, large vocabulary speech, emergency service connectors and OEM/dealer functions', states Bill Pfaff, vice president and general manager of Driver Information Systems, Motorola 'Our MGT5X00 solution with next generation enhancements enables enhanced speech capabilities, Java applications, graphics, Bluetooth technology, GFX, 1394, and audio codec.

In addition, it is 'future-enabled' to handle new applications.

The consolidation of features, speed, consistent and friendly architecture in an open environment make the mobileGT architecture an ideal solution'.

Motorola has recently concluded an agreement with Pi Technology which specialises in the design of advanced automotive electronics for tier one suppliers and OEMs.

Pi Technology is using mobileGT to developed high-end feature sets and new concepts in automotive interior systems.

Julian Styles, Pi Technology's Interior Systems Business Unit Leader said 'mobileGT has already allowed us to build systems in a few weeks instead of months or years, allowing us to focus on the end product rather than the building blocks'.

Pi Technology is investing and developing its interior systems business and is committed to mobileGT as part of its strategy.

In return, Motorola SPS will give Pi prioritised access to mobileGT related system products and recommend Pi Technology as a leading integrator for the mobileGT architecture.