Company: Microchip Technology
Category: Automotive Product of the Year
As connected vehicles increasingly rely on Ethernet for network connectivity, smart technology is helping to streamline the development of infotainment systems and quickly adapt to manufacturers’ evolving requirements.
Microchip’s LAN9360 is the first hardware-based audio endpoint solution for Audio Video Bridging (AVB). A single chip Ethernet controller with embedded protocols, the LAN9360 interconnects vehicles’ infotainment devices including speakers, amplifiers, microphones, navigation systems, radio tuners and smart headrests with Ethernet AVB.
The LAN9360 helps to reduce development time, eliminating the need for stack integration and additional software and firmware development.
Unlike other Ethernet bridging networking solutions requiring System-on-Chip (SoC) microcontrollers (MCUs) plus third-party software stacks, the LAN9360 endpoint device requires no software integration, enabling designers to configure the device simply and quickly to manufacturers’ unique audio and networking requirements.
As a single smart chip for Ethernet interoperability in infotainment systems, the LAN9360 gives engineers a quick start to development, avoiding months of engineering work and technical risks involved in coding or engaging third-party integrators.
The Microchip LAN9360 has been validated to industry standards for Ethernet interoperability for AVB protocols. The device is validated to the IEEE® 802.1BA-2011, IEEE 802.1AS, IEEE1722 and IEEE1733 specifications for Ethernet networks and is certified to the standards for AVB interoperability and reliability established by the Avnu Alliance consortium.
The device provides 100 Mbps transmit and receive capability over a single Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) cable. In addition, the Trust Anchor (TA100), a secure element from Microchip’s portfolio of security ICs for automotive security applications, supports code authentication, secure boot and audio content protection with High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP).