Abstract
There is a clear trend in automobile development towards using electronic systems instead of mechanical components and towards realizing an increasing number of convenience and safety functions while at the same time taking into consideration the environment. Consequently, vehicle electronics are becoming increasing complex and the number of functions, sensors, and actuators is growing fast. These requirements cannot be met with a central control unit. The solution is to network the various electronic modules using a high-performance data bus. This makes it possible to reduce the complexity of the wiring and to make multiple use of sensor data in order to integrate the individual functions in such a way that they form an intelligent overall vehicle. The high-performance bus required to make this possible is now available: Together with the companies Motorola, ELMOS, Infineon and Tyco EC, BMW AG has developed the byteflight high-performance data bus for safety-related applications. Fully integrated, inexpensive electronic components are already available for the construction of a complete bus system based on fiber optics technology. The first application in high-volume automobile production will start within the next year and will include passive-safety and body functions.