Automotive wireless connectivity simplifies development and security

NXP Semiconductors offers the OrangeBox automotive-grade development platform, which combines various NXP wireless technologies, from broadcast radio, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth, to secure car access with UWB and BLE, and 802.11p-based V2X. The platform is a single, security-enhanced, modular development solution offering a unified interface between the vehicle’s gateway and wired and wireless technologies. It supplies a means for next-generation cars to communicate securely with the world around them.

Created as a modular platform, it provides OEMs and Tier-1s with the flexibility to adapt to multiple regional needs for cellular connectivity and V2X and enables in-field updates required to keep up with changing technologies. This assists in accelerating time-to-market, lowering complexity and offering a complete system reference design ready for application deployment.

“By consolidating automotive wireless technologies into a centralised domain controller with a high-speed connection to the vehicle gateway, we are creating a single pathway for the vehicle to seamlessly connect to the rest of the world,” said Dan Loop, vice president and general manager for Automotive Edge Processing at NXP. “Not only can this help to reduce costs and streamline development, it addresses a critical piece of the puzzle for data-enriched vehicles that require centralised, secure connectivity.”

The development platform combines leading technologies from the company, including an advanced applications processor, a software-defined broadcast radio tuner, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth. It also incorporates secure car access with BLE, UWB, and 802.11p-based V2X, secured by certified EdgeLock discrete secure elements. Support for 4G LTE or 5G cellular and GPS connectivity is also incorporated. It makes it simpler for automakers to consistently apply state-of-the-art cloud-managed security technologies, such as next-generation firewalls, to data traffic entering or leaving the vehicle. The central processor of the solution is an i.MX 8XLite applications processor running a unified Linux-based software platform to manage the automotive wireless connectivity. It comprises an NXP gigabit Ethernet connection to the central vehicle gateway, enabling other automotive systems to more easily utilise the benefits of integrated wireless connectivity.