Xilinx infuses connectivity to Intel in-vehicle infotainment design

Xilinx Inc. has announced the availability of an integrated Xilinx Automotive (XA) FPGA and intellectual property (IP) solution that is included in the low-power Intel in-vehicle infotainment reference design (Low-Power Intel IVI Reference Design) targeting automotive head units. The combination of the XA solution and Intel Atom processor in the design provides system developers with improved levels of performance, scalability, and flexibility when developing open infotainment platforms, says Xilinx.

The Low-Power Intel IVI Reference Design utilizes the XA Spartan-3E FPGA-based solution to extend the platform's flexibility and integrate many automotive-specific functions, such as video capture support and MOST network connectivity. The available solution incorporates multiple functions including SD 2.0 (including SDHC), video frame grabber for camera inputs, Bluetooth connectivity, low pin count interface for BIOS configuration, MOST connectivity with the LogiCORE NIC IP for MOST or Media Local Bus supporting an external network controller and flash memory interface. These capabilities are geared for embedded systems within the vehicle central console, which typically encompasses navigation, entertainment, and Bluetooth wireless connectivity to portable devices.

Meanwhile, the XA Spartan-3E FPGA-based companion chip solution for the Low-Power Intel IVI Reference Design will be available in July.