Visteon Readies Integrated Infotainment ECU

Visteon Corp. says its new SmartCore integrated electronic control unit can manage multiple infotainment systems and other in-vehicle electronic devices. This will significantly improve efficiency and security, while reducing costs, according to the supplier.

Billed as an industry first, the technology will be introduced in 2018 on a global vehicle program from an unnamed European-based carmaker.

The new system combines previously separate instrument cluster, head-up display and advanced driver assistance controllers on a single chip system with an integrated human-to-machine interface. Visteon says different operating systems can run side-by-side on the same ECU with several levels of information, including safety-critical vehicle data and personal information stored on the cloud.

Consolidating ECUs also enhances security by reducing the number of potential attack points, Visteon notes. New apps and upgrades can be uploaded to SmartCore as they become available.

Visteon says the scalable platform can be tailored for various requirements and applications. It can serve as a standalone ECU for an instrument cluster or base infotainment system on entry-level vehicles, or integrate several infotainment, rear-seat and head-up displays.

At this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Visteon is demonstrating a high-end configuration with two digital 12.3-inch color thin film transistor displays and a HUD. As many as four tablets also can be connected via wi-fi, the supplier says.