NXP and Cisco invest in Cohda Wireless for Car-to-X

NXP Semiconductors and Cisco have each made an investment in Cohda Wireless to advance intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and car-to-X communications.  Cohda Wireless is a leading specialist in wireless communication for automotive safety applications. The respective amounts of the investments were not disclosed.

The three companies will apply their collective expertise and technologies to help automotive OEMs, suppliers, enterprises and consumers connect vehicles with ITS infrastructure.  They intend to develop a complete, market-ready solution for the automotive and ITS industry, including automotive-qualified IEEE 802.11p products for onboard and roadside units that are ready for C2C (car-to-car) and C2I (car-to-infrastructure) deployments across the globe. The firms also intend to make the “Internet of Everything” a reality for the automotive industry, creating a safer and more enjoyable driving experience while improving traffic flow.

C2C and C2I communications require highly reliable and secure data exchange between fast-moving vehicles and infrastructure in a range of conditions – from rural highway to dense urban canyons. Onboard and road side units developed using technologies from the three companies have been tested to global standards in major field trials. The U.S. Department of Transportation year-long “Safety Pilot Model Deployment” trial, involving 2,880 cars, trucks and buses, began last August in the Ann Arbor, Michigan area.

For that test, Codha is providing WAVE/DSRC (Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments/Dedicated Short Range Communications) radios, network software, and roadside broadcasting units co-developed with Cisco. Other major field trials involving Cohda’s technology include simTD in Germany, ScoreF in France, and ERP2 in Singapore.

Cohda’s technology enhances wireless communications to quality levels beyond commercial off-the-shelf IEEE 802.11p transceivers, allowing cars to “see” through obstacles or around corners more effectively. NXP, the leading supplier of car radio semiconductors and security chips, brings its software-defined radio platform and provides industry-ready data security, cost efficiency, form factor, power consumption, and performance.

NXP will exclusively license the Cohda 802.11p technology together with its chipsets as a one-stop shop to automotive customers. Cohda will be NXP’s preferred partner for automotive 802.11p reference designs.

NXP and Cohda have built a market-ready, flexible wireless communication solution for onboard-units based on Cohda’s existing advanced radio and NXP’s software-defined radio technology. By incorporating an intelligent network – Cisco’s expertise – OEMs, suppliers, enterprises and consumers can benefit from intelligent transportation systems, connected commercial fleets and smart connected vehicles. Cisco’s vision is a ubiquitous and highly-secure “Internet of Everything.”

End to End Architecture

“The onboard solution is one element of an end-to-end architecture that integrates with Cisco’s offboard network infrastructure,” said Maciej Kranz, vice president and general manager of Cisco’s Connected Industries Group.

Progress in traffic management and road safety can be realized with the help of applications that warn of hazards such as the potential of a collision ahead, alerting if a nearby vehicle is losing control, or of upcoming traffic congestion, and others – all enabled by the combined expertise and technologies of the three companies.

When vehicles can reliably interact with each other when traveling at high-speeds, each vehicle can give drivers warnings that allow them to avoid accidents, or the vehicles can respond automatically to changing driving conditions faster than typical human reaction times. Warnings about traffic blockages ahead also allow early re-routing to avoid traffic congestion.

Car-to-Car (C2C) and Car-to-Infrastructure (C2I) communications enable active safety systems that, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, can affect 81 percent of all crash scenarios, thus helping to reduce fatalities and injuries on the roads.  In addition to improving safety, C2I communication holds great potential for ITS management, and for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.

CAR 2 CAR Communication Consortium

Twelve vehicle manufacturers in the CAR 2 CAR Communication Consortium (http://www.car-to-car.org) are signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a common strategy for the deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems and Services (C-ITS) in Europe. The manufacturers agree on the importance of interoperability and common communication standards among all equipped vehicles.

Other posts you may be interested in reading:

1. Cohda supplies V2V technology for Ann Arbor test
2. Frost reports on wireless automotive connectivity in Europe
3. Sierra Wireless adds GPS module, software plug-in for wireless asset tracking and automotive applications