It seems like only yesterday...

By Megan Alink, Director of Marketing Communications for Automotive

What were you doing on September 14, 1999? It was likely an inauspicious day for most people, but for QNX, the date represented our official entry into the automotive market:

Don’t get me wrong — QNX was no tentative newcomer on the scene. After all, we were marking almost two decades in the embedded software business. QNX OS technology was already powering mission-critical systems for credit card processing, energy generation, healthcare, mail sorting, precision manufacturing, mining, security, and warehouse automation worldwide. (Whew!) But it was time to take that reliability and flexibility to more markets, ones with needs similar to our existing customer base. Enter automotive. (And we did.)

Today, we are pleased to be able to say that QNX software is found in more than 60 million vehicles on the road. In telematics systems like OnStar. In infotainment services like Volkswagen's RNS 850 GPS navigation system and Ford SYNC 3. In the digital instrument clusters of the state-of-the-art Audi TT and Mercedes S-Class Coupé.

60 million is a very big number. Obviously, we wouldn’t have reached this milestone without the support of our Tier 1 customers who build QNX into their systems every day, the 40+ automakers who choose these QNX-based systems, and our ecosystem of automotive partners who enrich our offering with their market-leading innovations. We want to thank all of these companies for the exciting and challenging opportunities they give us. Here’s to the next 60 million!

The A to Z of QNX in cars

Over 26 fast facts, brought to you by the English alphabet

Paul Leroux

A is for Audi, one of the first automakers to use QNX technology in its vehicles. For more than 15 years, Audi has put its trust in QNX, in state-of-the-art systems like the Audi virtual cockpit and the MIB II modular infotainment system. A is also for QNX acoustics software, which enhances hands-free voice communications, eliminates “boom noise” created by fuel-saving techniques, and even helps automakers create signature sounds for their engines.

B is for Bentley, BMW, and Buick, and for their QNX-powered infotainment systems, which include BMW ConnectedDrive and Buick Intellilink.

C is for concept vehicles, including the latest QNX technology concept car, a modded Maserati Quattroporte GTS. The car integrates an array of technologies — including cameras, LiDAR, ultrasonic sensors, and specialized navigation engines — to show how QNX-based ADAS systems can simplify driving tasks, warn of possible collisions, and enhance driver awareness.

D is for the digital instrument clusters in vehicles from Alpha Romeo, Audi, GM, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, and Land Rover. These QNX-powered displays can reconfigure themselves on the fly, providing quick, convenient access to turn-by-turn directions, back-up video, incoming phone calls, and a host of other information.

E is for experience. QNX has served the automotive market since the late 1990s, working with car makers and tier one suppliers to create infotainment systems for tens of millions of vehicles. QNX has been at work in safety-critical industrial applications even longer — since the 1980s. This unique pedigree makes QNX perfectly suited for the next generation of in-vehicle systems, which will consolidate infotainment and safety-related functions on a single, cost-effective platform.

F is for Ford, which has chosen the QNX Neutrino OS for its new SYNC 3 infotainment system. The system will debut this summer in the 2016 Ford Escape and Ford Fiesta and will be one of the first infotainment systems to support both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

G is for GM and its QNX-based OnStar system, which is now available in almost all of the company’s vehicles. GM also uses QNX OS and acoustics technology in several infotainment systems, including the award-winning Chevy MyLink.

H is for hypervisor. By using the QNX Hypervisor, automotive developers can consolidate multiple OSs onto a single system-on-chip to reduce the cost, size, weight, and power consumption of their designs. The hypervisor can also simplify safety certification efforts by keeping safety-related and non-safety-related software components isolated from each other.

I is for the ISO 26262 standard for functional safety in road vehicles. The QNX OS for Automotive Safety has been certified to this standard, at Automotive Safety Integrity Level D — the highest level achievable. This certification makes the OS suitable for a wide variety of digital clusters, heads-up displays, and ADAS applications, from adaptive cruise control to pedestrian detection.

J is for Jeep. The QNX reference vehicle, based on a Jeep Wrangler, showcases what the QNX CAR Platform for Infotainment can do out of the box. In its latest iteration, the reference vehicle ups the ante with traffic sign detection, lane departure warnings, curve speed warnings, collision avoidance alerts, backup displays, and other ADAS features for enhancing driver awareness.

K is for Kia, which uses QNX technology in the infotainment and connectivity systems for several of its vehicles.

L is for LG, a long-time QNX customer that is using several QNX technologies to develop a new generation of infotainment systems, digital clusters, and ADAS systems for the global automotive market.

M is for Mercedes-Benz, which offers QNX-based infotainment systems in several of its vehicles, including the head unit and digital instrument cluster in the S Class Coupe. M is also for market share: according to IHS Automotive, QNX commands more than 50% of the infotainment software market.

N is for navigation. Thanks to the navigation framework in the QNX CAR Platform, automakers can integrate a rich variety of navigation solutions into their cars.

O is for the over-the-air update solution of the BlackBerry IoT Platform, which will help automakers cut maintenance costs, reduce expensive recalls, improve customer satisfaction, and keep vehicles up to date with compelling new features long after they have rolled off the assembly line.

P is for partnerships. When automotive companies choose QNX, they also tap into an incredibly rich partner ecosystem that provides infotainment apps, smartphone connectivity solutions, navigation engines, automotive processors, voice recognition engines, user interface tools, and other pre-integrated technologies. P is also for Porsche, which uses the QNX Neutrino OS in its head units, and for Porsche 911, which formed the basis of one of the first QNX concept cars.

Q is for the QNX CAR Platform for Infotainment, a comprehensive solution that pre-integrates partner technologies with road-proven QNX software to jump-start customer projects.

R is for the reliability that QNX OS technology brings to advanced driver assistance systems and other safety-related components in the vehicle — the same technology proven in space shuttles, nuclear plants, and medical devices.

S is for the security expertise and solutions that Certicom and QNX bring to automotive systems. S is also for the advanced smartphone integration of the QNX CAR Platform, which allows infotainment systems to support the latest brought-in solutions, such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. S is also for the scalability of QNX technology, which allows customers to use a single software platform across all of their product lines, from high-volume economy vehicles to luxury models. And last, but not least, S is for the more than sixty million vehicles worldwide that use QNX technology. (S sure is a busy letter!)

T is for Toyota, which uses QNX technology in infotainment systems like Entune and Touch ‘n’ Go. T is also for tools: using the QNX Momentics Tool Suite, automotive developers can root out subtle bugs and optimize the performance of their sophisticated, multi-core systems.

U is for unified user interface. With QNX, automotive developers can choose from a rich set of user interface technologies, including Qt, HTML5, OpenGL ES, and third-party toolkits. Better yet, they can blend these various technologies on the same display, at the same time, for the ultimate in design flexibility.

V is for the Volkswagen vehicles, including the Touareg, Passat, Polo, Golf, and Golf GTI, that use the QNX Neutrino OS and QNX middleware technology in their infotainment systems.

W is for the QNX Wireless Framework, which brings smartphone-caliber connectivity to infotainment systems, telematics units, and a variety of other embedded devices. The framework abstracts the complexity of modem control, enabling developers to upgrade cellular and Wi-Fi hardware without having to rewrite their applications.

X, Y, and Z are for the 3D navigation solutions and the 3D APIs and partner toolkits supported by the QNX CAR Platform. I could show you many examples of these solutions in action, but my personal favorite is the QNX technology concept car based on a Bentley Continental GT. Because awesome.

Before you go... This post mentions a number of automotive customers, but please don’t consider it a complete list. I would have gotten them all in, but I ran out of letters!

Developing software for safety-critical systems? Have I got a book for you

Paul Leroux

Chris Hobbs is the only person I know who holds a math degree with a specialization in mathematical philosophy. In fact, before I met him, I didn’t know such a thing even existed. But guess what? That’s one of the things I really like about Chris. The more I hang out with him, the more I learn.

Come to think of it, helping people learn has become something of a specialty for Chris. He is, for example, a flying instructor and the author of Flying Beyond: The Canadian Commercial Pilot Textbook. And, as a software safety specialist at QNX Software Systems, he regularly provides advice to customers building systems that must comply with functional safety standards like IEC 61508, EN 5012x, and ISO 26262.

Chris has already written a number of papers on software safety, some of which I have had the great privilege to edit. You can find several of them on the QNX website. But recently, Chris upped the ante and wrote an entire book on the subject, titled Embedded Software Development for Safety-Critical Systems. The book:

• covers the development of safety-critical systems under ISO 26262, IEC 61508, EN 50128, and IEC 62304
• helps readers understand and apply remarkably esoteric development practices and be prepared to justify their work to external auditors
• discusses the advantages and disadvantages of architectural and design practices recommended in the standards, including replication and diversification, anomaly detection, and so-called “safety bag” systems
• examines the use of open-source components in safety-critical systems

I haven’t yet had a chance to review the book, but at 358 pages, it promises to be a substantial read.

Interested? Well, you can’t get the book just yet. But you can pre-order it today and get one of the first copies off the press. It’s scheduled for release September 1.

Concept Car mit QNX-Technologie feiert seinen Auftakt in Europa

Ein Gastbeitrag von Matthias Stumpf, Vertriebsleiter Automotive EMEA, QNX Software Systems
(Guest post from Matthias Stumpf, manager of automotive sales EMEA, QNX Software Systems)

Nachdem der Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG, ein mit QNX-Technologie ausgestattetes Concept Car, in Nordamerika für Schlagzeilen gesorgt hat, wagt es nun für seine Europa-Tour den Sprung über den großen Teich. Startschuss ist auf dem Automobile Elektronik Kongress am 23. und 24. Juni in Ludwigsburg, wo das Auto zum ersten Mal in Europa ausgestellt wird.

Alle die den Mercedes in Aktion sehen wollen, sollten im Hauptfoyer des Kongresses vorbeischauen. Dort wird gezeigt, wie der Fahrer völlig natürlich und intuitiv mit dem im Auto verbauten Infotainment-System und den digitalen Instrumenten-Gruppen interagieren kann.

Eine extrabreite Head Unit
Das Auto verfügt über eine extrabreite Head Unit, die Fahrer und Beifahrer mit Hilfe detaillierter Grafiken und über ein durchgehendes 7 Zoll bis 21 Zoll großes Interface mit Informationen versorgt. Dank des nutzerorientierten Designs kann das Infotainment-System optional über den Touchscreen, physische Knöpfe, den Multifunktions-Controller oder via Sprachbefehl gesteuert werden. Das System basiert auf der QNX CAR Platform for Infotainment, einem umfangreichen Ökosystem, das bereits QNX-Software-Systems-Technologien und zahlreiche Partner integriert hat:



Konfigurierbares Instrumente-Cluster
Das digitale Instrumente-Cluster kann dynamisch angepasst werden und zeigt Wegbeschreibungen in Echtzeit, eingehende Telefonanrufe, Videos der Front- und Heck-Bordkameras, Drehzahl- und Geschwindigkeitsmesser sowie weitere virtuelle Instrumente an. Via Tastendruck auf dem Lenkrad werden sogar empfangene Textnachrichten vorgelesen; so behält der Fahrer seine Augen auf der Straße:



Darüber hinaus können mit der “virtuellen Bordmechanik” des Clusters Statusinformationen wie Reifendruck, Bremsverschleiß sowie Treibstoff-, Öl- und Scheibenwaschwasserstand abgerufen werden:



Wenn Sie an weiteren Informationen über die zahlreichen Features des Concept Cars interessiert sind, lesen Sie hier und hier unsere vorangegangenen Blogbeiträge.

Wir freuen uns, Sie in Ludwigsburg begrüßen zu dürfen! Alle weiteren Termine der Europa-Tour des Concept Cars erhalten Sie hier auf unserem Blog.

Digital instrument clusters and the road to autonomous driving

Guest post by Walter Sullivan, head of Innovation Lab, Silicon Valley, Elektrobit Automotive

Autonomous driving requires new user experience interfaces, always on connectivity, new system architectures and reliable security. In addition to these requirements, the real estate in the car is changing as we move towards autonomous driving, and the traditional display is being replaced by head up displays (HUD), digital instrument clusters, and other screens. The digital cluster is where automakers can blend traditional automotive status displays (such as odometer, speed, etc.) with safety features, entertainment, and navigation, providing a more personalized, safe, comfortable, and enjoyable driving experience.

For autonomous vehicles, the human-machine interface (HMI) will change with the level of autonomy. Until vehicles are fully autonomous, all the traditional functions of the in-car HMI must be covered and driver distraction needs to be minimized. As we progress through piloted drive towards full autonomy, additional functions are taking center stage in the instrument cluster: driver assistance (distance to vehicle in front, speed limit, optimized time to destination/fuel consumption, object detection, etc.).

The digital instrument cluster brings a number of benefits to the driver experience including:

• Comfort: The more information that a driver has about the route, right before his or her eyes, the more comfortable the drive. Digital clusters that provide map data, not just routing guidance but information on the nearest gas station, traffic, upcoming toll roads, etc., give the most comfort by empowering the driver with the information needed to get to the destination quickly and safely.
• Safety: Drivers benefit from cars that know what’s on the road ahead. Through electronic horizon-based features, clusters can display “predictive” driver-assistance information that delivers to the driver important messages regarding safety.
• Entertainment: Consumers are looking for vehicles that allow them to transfer their digital lifestyle seamlessly into the driving experience. The cluster can enable such integration, allowing the driver to control a smartphone using the in-car system, stream music, make phone calls, and more.

As more software and technology enters the car and we move closer to the fully autonomous vehicle, the cluster will continue to be the main platform for HMI. Automakers are challenged to build the most user-friendly, personalized clusters they can, with today’s cars employing advanced visual controls that integrate 3D graphics and animation and even natural language voice control. Drivers will rely more heavily on the cluster to provide them information that ensures their safety and comfort during the ride.

Digital instrument cluster developed using EB technology, as shown in the QNX reference vehicle.

Curious about what this kind of technology looks like? Digital instrument clusters developed using Elektrobit (EB) Automotive software will be displayed at the QNX Software Systems (booth C92) during TU-Automotive Detroit, June 3-4. QNX will feature a demo cluster developed using EB GUIDE that integrates a simulated navigation route with EB street director, plus infotainment and car system data. You can also see EB technology in action in the QNX reference vehicle based on a Jeep Wrangler, in which EB street director and the award-winning EB Assist Electronic Horizon are both integrated in the digital cluster.

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Walter Sullivan is head of Elektrobit (EB) Automotive’s newly established Silicon Valley Innovation Lab, responsible for developing and leading the company’s presence in Silicon Valley, as well as building and fostering strategic partnerships around the globe.

Visit Elektrobit here.

Reimagining digital instrument cluster design

Guest post by Jason Clarke, vice president, sales and marketing, Crank Software

Technology in cars has been advancing at an impressive rate. From rich infotainment systems to intelligent digital instrument clusters, today’s automobile has evolved to become a cool reality that many of us only envisioned as a possibility a few years ago. But while the technology has changed, the driver has stayed the same. Drivers still need to get from point A to point B as efficiently and safely as possible, while perhaps listening to some favorite road trip tunes on the journey.

What has changed for drivers is the sheer volume of information that is available while behind the wheel. Today’s vehicle can tell you more than the fact that you are desperately in need of finding the nearest gas station. It’s smart enough to let you know when you are getting close to hitting the neighbor’s garbage can… again. It can alert you to traffic pattern changes, road hazards, inclement weather, your affinity to your lead foot, and to the fact that your spouse is texting you to remind you to pick up the dry cleaning. It can also effortlessly re-route you back to the dry cleaners after you realize you’ve forgotten, providing you with helpful turn-by-turn navigation in your instrument cluster.

That’s a lot of information. And it’s only a small slice of what’s available to today’s driver. The simplicity, reliability, and safety capabilities of platforms by QNX Software Systems make it a possible to have a wide range of technologies and features in a single vehicle, offering up an abundance of data for driver consumption.

So, how do we make this data useful for drivers? What do we need to consider when designing the UI for digital instrument clusters?

How much information does the driver REALLY need?
Information should be helpful, not intrusive or distracting from the task at hand — driving. The point of having more data available to drivers isn’t to show it all at the same time. That’s visually noisy and complex. Complex isn’t better; context is better. Turn-by-turn information can be displayed in the instrument cluster, based on communication from the navigation system. Video of the car’s surroundings can be displayed when parking assist services are engaged. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) can present in the cluster alerts to immediate hazards and objects.

Using tools that support rapid prototyping of design scenarios empowers teams to deliver the best user experience possible, serving up only the most relevant information. Using Storyboard Suite from Crank Software, teams can quickly cycle through design prototypes and perform testing on real hardware, focusing on the needs of the driver.

How do we best visualize the data?
It’s critical that drivers see and interpret displayed information as easily and quickly as possible. Clear visual representation of data is required, so it’s important to keep design considerations at the forefront in the development process. This is where the graphic designer comes in.

Crank Software’s Storyboard Suite allows the graphic designer to be integrated into the development process from concept to final HMI delivery, working in parallel with the engineers to ensure that fine details and subtle design nuances aren’t lost. With Storyboard Suite, designers don’t hand over a mockup to a developer to visually represent with code and then walk away. As the graphics change and evolve to satisfy usability requirements, the designer stays engaged throughout the entire process, helping to deliver a polished HMI.

Automotive cluster designed and developed with Crank Software Storyboard Suite, running on QNX Neutrino OS

Can we respond quickly to design change?
Remaining focused on the usability of the end design is critical to ensuring the safest driving experience. Delivering a high-performance, user-centric HMI requires testing, design refinements, retesting, and even further changes. This isn’t a linear process. While iterative process is important, it’s often cost prohibitive because it can introduce lengthy redesign cycles. Storyboard Suite provides teams the functionality to prototype and iterate through designs easily, using features such as Photoshop Re-import to quickly evaluate design changes on hardware and shorten development cycles. In addition, support for collaboration enables teams to share design and development work, thereby reducing the load on individuals and further optimizing time and resources.

A faster development process coupled with a user-focused end design is the key to delivering a highly usable and safe digital instrument cluster to market on schedule and within budget.

A digital instrument cluster developed with Storyboard Suite will be on display at TU-Automotive Detroit in the QNX Software Systems booth, #C92, and the Crank Software booth, #C113. Check out a previous Crank Software and QNX Software Systems collaboration with a Storyboard Suite UI in a QNX technology concept car.

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Jason Clarke has over 15 years of experience in the embedded industry, in roles that span development, sales, and marketing. Jason heads up Crank Software’s marketing and sales initiatives.

Visit Crank Software here.

Top 5 challenges of digital instrument clusters

Guest post by Olli Laiho, director, product marketing, Rightware

Digitalization of the modern car is progressing at breakneck speed, with research showing that over 70% of cars will ship with a digital display in the cluster by 2017 (Automotive User Interfaces 2014, IHS Automotive, 2014). While digital user interfaces have long been available in the center stack of the vehicle, they are now quickly making their way into the heart of the car’s dashboard — the instrument cluster. However, the migration from traditional, physical instrumentation to the digital Human Machine Interface (HMI) is posing various challenges for auto manufacturers. Here are the top five challenges Rightware is seeing today.

1. Deliver a winning user experience
With the digital cluster, auto manufacturers must deliver a user experience that makes consumers insist on having a digital cluster and makes them think they could never live without one. The car companies need to increase their investment in digital user experience design in order to provide consumers with a digital driving experience they’ll love.

User experience is all about... the user! With the help of target group research, auto manufacturers need to find the key use cases and features for different buyer profiles. While more senior buyers appreciate a digital design featuring traditional big gauges and needles combined with maps in the middle, millennials long for a cluster that connects them with their personal data at the right time, while having a modern look and feel with a real wow effect.

QNX Software Systems' technology concept car 2014 based on the Mercedes CLA 45, featuring a cluster created with Rightware Kanzi^®

2. Find the right design-cost-performance combination
In creating HMIs such as digital clusters, finding the right balance among design, cost, and performance becomes essential. It’s all about:

Design — Delivering a stunning user experience
Cost — Minimizing software development, hardware, and maintenance costs
Performance — Choosing the right OS, System-on-a-Chip (SoC), etc.

Automotive user interface designers need to learn to work with the capabilities of the hardware and software platform of the cluster in mind. Designers need to create user experiences that strengthen the auto manufacturer’s brand image while still being possible to implement with the chosen tool chain and hardware and software platforms.

Choosing the SoC that can deliver the best user experience at the best price is essential. While proper automotive SoC benchmarking tools are not yet available in the market, auto manufacturers need to invest in their own measurements and trials for finding the right cost/performance level of the SoC for their project.

QNX Software Systems' technology concept car 2015 based on the Maserati Quattroporte, showing
system diagnostics in the cluster created with Rightware Kanzi

3. Reduce development time
Consumers have become accustomed to having access to the latest technology and innovations on their mobile devices. That expectation has now extended to HMIs in the car.

To meet consumer expectations, the automotive industry must shorten the development time of new vehicles and determine how to provide compelling software upgrades during the car’s lifecycle. Digital clusters need to be designed for upgradeability from the ground up. Through upgrades, the cluster should provide the necessary access to new app platforms and innovations. Streamlining the software development process and choosing the right tool chain for HMI development is key to creating HMIs faster and with more valuable features.

4. Accelerate update cycles
Consumers utilize their mobile devices daily and have learned to expect a constant update cycle that brings new features and enhancements to their device. This “update drug” has created a trend where the customer is waiting for the next update to their beloved devices — a customer that is always looking for more.

Until today, there have been few tangible software upgrades for a car during its lifetime. As an example, when you pick up your car from service, you’ll often see a line on the bill that says “software updates.” Leaving the garage, you can discern no difference in how the car behaves.

Auto manufacturers need a plan for providing consumers with constant software upgrades that give them value during the entire lifecycle of their vehicle. Upgrading the digital cluster doesn’t have to mean that it should look like next year’s model, but the upgrade should provide consumers with either features that add value or a clear, visual difference that they understand is an upgrade. Increasing the upgradeability of HMIs in the car will be a major opportunity for improving customer retention.

5. Establish design ownership
As automotive devices evolve into the digital age, they will also transform the way auto manufacturers create designs for their customers. Unlike a mobile device, HMI design will be specific not only to the manufacturer’s brand, but also to that model. Digital screens will give automotive UI designers the flexibility to create unique designs, and they will need full control of the UI framework to be able to deliver these stunning user experiences.

Consumers are increasingly connected 24/7 to ecosystems from companies such as Google and Apple. Due to the increase in consumer demand, these technologies are also making their way into the car cockpit in various forms — from simple content integration (SMS, mail, media) to sandboxed but comprehensive solutions like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Automotive companies must invest in creating branded digital user experiences that can rival and exceed any third-party designs in the vehicle. They should invest in a UI solution and operating system that can deliver the design as intended.

Audi Q7 Virtual Cockpit, running on QNX Neutrino OS, featuring a cluster created with Rightware Kanzi

Visit Rightware at TU-Automotive Detroit (booth #C115) to witness next-generation HMI demos built with Kanzi and a first chance to see a brand new Kanzi product. You’ll also find Rightware’s technology in the QNX booth (#C92).

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Olli Laiho has been working in software development for over 15 years. An avid car enthusiast, Olli heads Rightware’s global marketing activities.

The Rightware Kanzi UI Solution and the QNX Neutrino OS can already be found together in several vehicles, including the Audi TT, Audi Q7, and the Audi R8. Rightware has created several digital clusters for QNX technology concept cars, including the 2014 Mercedes CLA 45 and the 2015 Maserati Quattroporte.

Visit Rightware here.

Getting in sync with brought-in devices

Building a head unit that needs to sync with smartphones, media players, memory cards, and USB sticks? With the QNX CAR Platform, you won’t be left to your own devices.

Paul Leroux

In previous posts, I discussed how the QNX CAR Platform for Infotainment is adept at juggling multiple concurrent tasks. For instance, it can perform 3D navigation, process voice signals, provide active noise control, display vehicle data, manage audio, run multiple application environments, and still deliver a fast, responsive user experience. If that’s not enough, it can also detect and play content from an array of media devices, including local drives, SD cards, and iPods, as well as Bluetooth, DLNA, and MTP devices.

When plugging a media device into a car’s head unit, most users expect immediate access to the device content; they also want to browse the content by metadata, such as genre, title, or artist. To present this content, the head unit must perform metadata synching. The question is, how can the head unit make the content instantly available, even when the media device contains thousands of files that may take many seconds or even minutes to fully synchronize?

To complicate matters, users often want to switch from one media source to another. For instance, a user listening to music stored on a DLNA device may ask the head unit to switch to an Internet radio station. From the user’s perspective, the switch should be fast, simple, and intuitive.

Handling device attachments (and

detachments) gracefully.

The head unit must also cope with the vagaries of user behavior. For instance, if the user yanks out a USB media stick during synching or playback, the system should recover gracefully; it should also provide appropriate feedback, such as displaying a menu that asks the user to choose from another media source. Likewise, if the user yanks out the media device and re-inserts it, the system shouldn’t get confused. Rather, it should simply resume synching content where it left off.

Handling scenarios like these is the job of the QNX CAR Platform’s multimedia architecture.

Architecture at a glance
The multimedia architecture integrates several software components to automatically detect media devices, synchronize metadata with media databases, browse the contents of devices, and, of course, play audio and video files. Together, these components form three layers:

• Human machine interface, or HMI

• Multimedia components

• OS services

Let’s look at each of these layers in turn, starting with the HMI.

At the top of the HMI layer, you’ll see the Media Player, a reference application that allows end-users to control media browsing and playback. Developers can customize this player or write their own player apps, using APIs provided by the QNX CAR Platform.

The Media Player comes in two flavors, HTML5 and Qt 5. To communicate with the architecture’s multimedia engine (mm-player), the HTML5 version uses the car.mediaplayer JavaScript API while the Qt version uses the QPlayer library. In addition to these interfaces, custom apps can use the multimedia engine’s C API. All three interfaces — car.mediaplayer, QPlayer, and C API — provide an abstraction layer that allows a media player app to:

• retrieve a list of accessible media sources: local drives, USB storage devices, iPods, etc.

• retrieve track metadata: artist name, album name, track title, etc.

• start and stop playback

• jump to a specific track

• handle updates in playback state, media sources, and track position

The interfaces that provide access to these operations aren’t specific to any device type, so player apps can work with a wide variety of media hardware.

The media player can quickly access and display a variety of metadata (artist name, album name, track title, etc.) stored in a small-footprint SQL database.

Multimedia components layer
If you look at the top of the multimedia components layer, you’ll see a box labeled mm-player; this is the architecture’s media browsing and playback engine. The mm-player does the dirty work of retrieving metadata, starting playback, jumping to a specific track, etc., which makes custom player apps easier to design. It also supports a large variety of media sources, including:

• local drives

• USB storage devices

• Apple iPod devices

• DLNA devices, including phones and media players

• MTP devices, including PDAs and media players

• devices paired through Bluetooth

To perform media operations requested by a client media player, mm-player works in concert with several lower-level components that help navigate media-store file systems, read metadata from media files, and manage media flows during playback. The components include a series of plugins (POSIX, AVRCP, DLNA, etc.) that interface with different device types. For instance, let’s say you insert an SD card. The POSIX plugin supports this type of device, so it will learn of the insertion and inform mm-player of the newly connected media source; it will also support any subsequent media operations on the SD card.

If you look again at the diagram, you’ll see several other components that provide services to mm-player. These include:

• mm-detect — discovers media devices and initiates synchronization of metadata
• mm-sync — synchronizes metadata from tracks and playlists on media devices into small-footprint SQL databases called QDB databases
• mm-renderer — plays audio and video tracks, and reports playback state
• io-audio — starts audio device drivers to enable the output of audio streams

OS services layer
The lowest layer of the multimedia architecture includes device drivers and protocol stacks that, among other things, detect whether the user has inserted or removed any media device. The following diagram summarizes what happens when one of these services detects an insertion:

1. User inserts the device.
2. The corresponding driver or protocol stack informs device publishers of the insertion.
3. The publishers write the device information to Persistent Publish Subscribe (PPS) objects in a directory monitored by the mm-detect service. (Read my previous posts here and here to learn how QNX PPS messaging enables loosely coupled, easy-to-extend designs.)
4. To start synchronizing the device’s metadata, mm-detect loads the device’s QDB database into memory and passes the device’s mountpoint and database name to mm-sync.
5. mm-sync synchronizes the metadata of all media files on the device.
6. mm-sync uses media libraries to read file paths and other information from media tracks found on the device. It then copies the extracted metadata into the appropriate database tables and columns. Applications can then query the QDB database to obtain metadata information such as track title and album name.

These steps may describe how the architecture detects and synchronizes with devices, but they can't capture the efficiency of the architecture and how it can deliver a fast, responsive user experience. For that, I invite you to check out this video on the QNX CAR Platform. The section on multimedia synchronization starts at the 1:32 mark, but I encourage you to watch the whole thing to see how the platform performs multimedia operations while concurrently managing other tasks:



Media browsing and playback
I’ve touched on how the multimedia architecture automatically detects and synchronizes devices. But of course, it does a lot more, including media browsing and media playback. To learn more about these features, visit the QNX CAR Platform documentation on the QNX website.

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Previous posts in the QNX CAR Platform series:
 

• A question of getting there — wherein I examine how the platform gives customers the flexibility to choose from a variety of navigation solutions

• A question of architecture — wherein I discuss how the platform simplifies the challenge of integrating multiple disparate technologies, from graphics to silicon

• A question of concurrency — wherein I address the a priori question: why does the auto industry need a platform like QNX CAR in the first place?

Bringing safety assurance to automotive instrument clusters

Guest post by Chris Giordano, director of global business and software support, DiSTI Corporation

Digital instrument clusters in automobiles are here and almost any aviator could tell you this change was coming. Since the 1970s pilots have benefited from the use of digital screens in the cockpit to depict and convey aircraft status information.

The technology came as a response to the growing number of elements that were competing for space within the cockpit and for the pilot’s attention. What was needed was a way to process the raw aircraft system and flight data into an easy-to-understand picture of the aircraft’s situation: position, orientation, altitude, speed. Engineers at NASA Langley Research Center teamed with industry partners to develop the display concepts that would become the foundation of today’s primary flight displays (PFD).

Notional example of a primary flight display

By the early 1980s, as software continued to replace the functionality found in hardware components, certification had become more complicated. Potential flaws could be prevalent in both the hardware and the software. To alleviate this problem, standards for software development for aircraft systems emerged. In the U.S., DO-178 became the standard and the Europeans ratified the ED-12 equivalent. These standards not only took a logical assessment and validation of the input and output of a system, but dove further into the development cycle to prove that procedures were in place to prevent and minimize risk of a system failure. As a result, whenever a passenger walks down the jetway and onto their flight, these software standards help ensure they arrive safely.

In the past decade the automotive industry has progressed through a similar expansion in software use. Today, electronics and software drive 90% of all innovation. Electronics and software also determine up to 40% of the vehicle’s development costs. Anywhere from 50% to 70% of the development costs for an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) are related to software (Challenges in Automotive Software Engineering, Manfred Broy, Institut für Informatik Technische Universität München, 2006). New vehicles are monitoring complex engines, providing route guidance, communicating with other networks, avoiding accidents, and serving up media. Each new feature adds to system complexity, furthering the need to use software development best practices in order to avoid a big bowl of spaghetti code.

Notional example of an advanced instrument cluster start-up system check

The need for safety becomes more prevalent in the embedded system software as graphics-based instrument clusters continue to replace traditional analog-based gauge clusters. Enter the ISO 26262 standard for functional safety of electrical and electronic components in production passenger vehicles. Formally released in November 2011, the standard establishes the state-of-the-art for the automotive industry and assures the functional safety of these systems.

By using the QNX Neutrino OS and the DiSTI GL Studio toolkit, a development team can reduce the time and effort required to certify their solution to the automotive ISO 26262 functional safety standard up to Automotive Safety Integrity Level D (ASIL D), the highest classification of safety criticality defined by the ISO 26262 standard. This compliance allows automakers and Tier 1s to use this solution to meet safety certification requirements within the scope they choose.

This QNX Neutrino OS and DiSTI GL Studio solution will be on display at this year’s TU-Automotive Detroit. Check it out in the QNX booth, #C92 and the DiSTI booth, #A21.

Visit the DiSTI blog here.

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Chris Giordano has been developing and supporting commercial HMI software for over 16 years and has been the lead engineer or program manager for 58 different visual programs at The DiSTI Corporation. Currently, Chris manages DiSTI’s Global Business and Software Support and is the program manager for several automotive OEM and Tier 1 supplier companies that utilize DiSTI’s GL Studio for their HMI development efforts. Chris worked very closely with the team at DiSTI that took GL Studio through the ISO 26262 certification process.
 

The CLA 45 has landed!

Megan Alink

Europe, your day has come! After five years of showcasing our technology concept cars primarily in North America, we’ve bid farewell to the Mercedes CLA 45 and sent it across the pond to our colleagues in Germany. Over the coming year while the Mercedes resides in Europe, our customers — and anyone who’s just mesmerized by slick, pre-integrated automotive tech — will have a chance to check the car out at a number of public events. (Stay tuned to www.qnx.com for more details as these events arise.)

Witness the unboxing:

The CLA 45 emerges into the light at Bremerhaven.

On land and settling in nicely.

So beautiful! We can't wait for a whole new continent to see it for themselves.

Interested in a sneak peek at the inside of this gorgeous vehicle? Read this blog from Lynn Gayowski, or get up close and personal with the digital instrument cluster in this one from Paul Leroux. For more photos, see our Flickr album.

We showed you so

QNX has been building NFC functionality into concept cars since 2011. Now, with the advent of automotive-grade tags and chips, NFC may be coming to a dashboard near you.

Paul Leroux

Why does QNX transform vehicles like the Maserati QuattroPorte GTS, Mercedes-Benz CLA45, and Bentley Continental into technology concept cars? I can think of many reasons, but three stand out. First, the cars allow us to demonstrate the inherent flexibility and customizability of QNX technology. If you could put all of the cars side by side, you would quickly see that, while they all use the same QNX platform, each has a unique feature set and a distinctive look-and-feel — no two are alike. This flexibility is of immense importance to automakers, who, for reasons of market differentiation, need to deliver a unique brand experience in each marque or vehicle line. Alf Pollex, Head of Connected Car and Infotainment at Volkswagen, says it best: “the QNX platform... enables us to offer a full range of infotainment systems, from premium level to mass volume, using a single, proven software base.”

Second, the cars explore how thoughtful integration of new technologies can make driving easier, more enjoyable, and perhaps even a little safer. Case in point: the Maserati’s obstacle awareness display, which demonstrates how ADAS systems can aggregate data from ultrasonic and LiDAR sensors to help drivers become more aware of their surroundings. This display works much like a heads-up display, but instead of providing speed, RPM, or navigation information, it offers visual cues that help the driver gauge the direction and proximity of objects around the vehicle — pedestrians, for example.

Look ma, no menus: At 2012 CES, a QNX concept car

showcased how NFC can enable single-tap Bluetooth
phone pairing. Source CrackBerry.com

Third, the cars explore solutions that address real and immediate pain points. Take, for example, the pairing of Bluetooth phones. Many consumers find this task difficult and time-consuming; automakers, for their part, see it as a source of customer dissatisfaction. So, in 2011, we started to equip some of our concept cars with near field communication (NFC) technology that enables one-touch phone pairing. This pairing is as easy it sounds: you simply touch an NFC-enabled phone to an NFC tag embedded in the car’s console, and voilà, pairing with the car’s infotainment system happens automatically.

Prime time
NFC in the car holds much promise, but when, exactly, will it be ready for prime time? Pretty soon, as it turns out. In a recent article, “NFC looks to score big in cars,” Automotive Engineering International points to several vendors, including Broadcom, NXP, Melexis, Texas Instruments and ams AG, that have either announced or shipped automotive-grade NFC solutions. NXP, for example, expects that some of its NFC tags and chips will first go into production cars around 2016.

Mind you, NFC isn’t just for phone pairing. It can, for example, enable key-fob applications that allow phones to store user preferences for seat positions and radio stations. It can also enable use cases in which multiple drivers operate the same vehicle, such as car sharing or fleet management. The important thing is, it’s moving from concept to production, marking one more step in the seamless integration of cars and smartphones.

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Did you know…

• BMW embeds NFC tags not only in its cars, but also in print ads.

• IHS has predicted that, in 2018, global shipments of NFC-equipped cellphones will reach 1.2 billion units.

• NFC World publishes a living document that lists all of the NFC handsets available worldwide.

QNX rolls out new wireless framework

Framework abstracts the complexity of modem control, enabling embedded developers to upgrade cellular and Wi-Fi hardware without having to rewrite applications.

Paul Leroux

Building cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity into a vehicle is never trivial (read: it can be an outright headache). Take, for example, the large amount of software needed to manage a cellular modem. The software needs to monitor and control power consumption, ensure data throughput and reliability, minimize call drops and call-setup failures, and manage modem reset and recovery — because even the best modems crash.

To complicate matters, modem technology for embedded systems is evolving quickly. Development teams need the freedom to upgrade to newer, more capable modems, without having to rewrite or redesign their applications. Likewise, they need the flexibility to choose the best modem for a particular region, product line, or price point.

Enter the QNX Wireless Framework, which QNX Software Systems released last week. Designed to simplify system design, the framework encapsulates the complexities of modem control through an easy-to-use application programming interface (API). Moreover, the API remains consistent across wireless modules and chipsets, allowing systems to quickly support new cellular or Wi-Fi products from vendors such as Gemalto, Sierra Wireless, Telit Wireless Solutions, and u-blox.

The QNX Wireless Framework can scale to meet a broad range of product requirements.
 

The QNX Wireless Framework is built on technology already deployed in millions of BlackBerry devices, supported by hundreds of mobile carriers, and field-proven in complex wireless environments. Better yet, it's backed by a dedicated, world-class team of wireless experts with hundreds of person-years of experience building carrier-grade mobile products.

To learn more about the QNX Wireless framework:

• read the press release

• read the product overview and product brief

• download the webinar on applying smartphone wireless technology to connected embedded systems

We’re blushing!

By Megan Alink, Director of Marketing Communications for Automotive

The folks over at TU-Automotive announced their awards finalists today, and what a day it has turned out to be! QNX Software Systems has been declared a finalist in two categories:

• TU-Automotive Influencer of the Year: Andrew Poliak, Global Business Development Director, QNX Software Systems
• Best Mobility Solution Industry Newcomer: QNX Software Systems for the QNX Wireless Framework

Andrew Poliak

A 15-year veteran of QNX, Andrew Poliak is one of the leading experts in the automotive software industry and a trusted advisor and spokesperson for media and analysts on trends and issues, including in the areas of safety, security, ADAS, infotainment, instrument clusters, mobile connectivity, and telematics. On a daily basis, Andrew works with automotive manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers around the world to help bring new infotainment systems to market. His work has paved the way to our recent achievement of >50% market share in automotive infotainment. You can follow Andrew on Twitter here and read some of his latest thoughts on automotive trends here, here, and here.

The QNX Wireless Framework was developed by a team of mobile wireless experts with hundreds of person-years of experience building advanced, carrier-grade mobile products. The platform helps automotive OEMs enrich the driving experience by adding cellular and Wi-Fi technologies to enable over-the-air updates, deliver access to cloud-based services such as maps, navigation, and voice recognition, and address new regulatory requirements including eCall (Europe), Simrav (Brazil), and GLONASS (Russia). Read more about the QNX Wireless Framework here or check out our webinar.

You can find the complete list of categories and finalists on the TU-Automotive site. Congratulations to all the other finalists, and we’ll see you at the awards dinner!

Keeping it fresh for 35 years

By Megan Alink, Director of Marketing Communications for Automotive

Recently, my colleagues Paul Leroux and Matt Young showed off a shiny new infographic that enlightens readers to the many ways they encounter QNX-based systems in daily life (here and here). After three-and-a-half decades in business we’ve certainly been around the block a time or two, and you might think things are getting a bit stale. As the infographic shows, that couldn’t be further from the truth here at QNX. From up in the stars to down on the roads; in planes, trains, and automobiles (and boats too); whether you’re mailing a letter or crafting a BBM on your BlackBerry smartphone, the number and breadth of applications in which our customers deploy QNX technology is simply astounding.

For those who like some sound with their pictures, we also made a video to drive home the point that, wherever you are and whatever you do, chances are you’ll encounter a little QNX. Check it out:

Building smartphone-caliber connectivity into cars

Paul Leroux

Implementing cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity in a vehicle is never trivial. But with the right technology, the task can become a lot simpler.

When it comes to selling cars, just how important is connectivity? Can the services provided by connected cars, such as Internet radio, remote diagnostics, and real-time traffic information, influence vehicle buying decisions? And if so, how much?

In 2014, telecom giant Telefónica decided to find out. In a survey of 5000 consumers, the company found that 71% of respondents were interested in using, or were already using, connected car services. Other studies report similar findings. Parks Associates, for example, found that 78% of people who already own a connected car will demand connectivity features in their next vehicle.

Of course, “connected car” means different things to different people. It could, for example, refer to a car that has a built-in cellular modem, or to a car that uses the driver’s smartphone to access online services. Moreover, the features offered by my connected car may differ completely from the features offered by your connected car. But no matter what form it takes, or what applications it enables, connectivity in the car can be a challenge to implement. In a recent blog post on LinkedIn, Roger Lanctot of Strategy Analytics attests to this difficulty, stating that nearly every car maker seeking to implement connectivity has stumbled on issues ranging from bad connections and poor user interfaces to interminable delays.

Consider, for example, the challenge of embedding a cellular modem in a vehicle — or any other embedded device, for that matter. Initializing and managing the modem requires a large set of software that, among other things, must:

• handle modem reset and recovery, because even the best modems crash
• monitor and manage power consumption to optimize current draw
• ensure data throughput and reliability
• reduce or eliminate call-drops and call-setup failures

The challenge doesn’t stop there. Network operators, for example, are paying more attention to M2M connections on their networks, thereby increasing the demand for operator-approved modems and modules. Meanwhile, system designers may need to swap out modems to target different regions or price points, or to take advantage of newer, more capable modem technology. The goal, then, is to implement a flexible, future-proofed design that can accommodate such changes with a bare minimum of fuss.

Enter a new webinar hosted by my colleagues Karen Bachman and Leo Forget. In “Applying smartphone wireless technology to connected embedded systems,” they will examine the challenges of embedding wireless connectivity and explore how to address these challenges through software frameworks developed for smartphones and other mobile devices. True to the title, Karen and Leo will look at use cases not just for automotive, but for other industries as well, such as medical and industrial. The bulk of the conversation, though, will focus on common issues that embedded developers face, regardless of the device type they are building.

Attend this webinar to learn about:

• Applications that stand to benefit the most from wireless connectivity
• Challenges and complexity of bringing connectivity to cars and other embedded systems
• Potential security and privacy risks introduced by wireless connectivity, including unauthorized access and unencrypted data transfer
• The benefits of creating flexible products that easily accommodate advances in modem technology

Here are the webinar coordinates:

Applying smartphone wireless technology to connected embedded systems
Thursday, March 26, 2015
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm EST
Register: TechOnLine

Long time, no see: Catching up with the QNX CAR Platform

By Megan Alink, Director of Marketing Communications for Automotive

It’s a fact — a person simply can’t be in two places at one time. I can’t, you can’t, and the demo team at QNX can’t (especially when they’re brainstorming exciting showcase projects for 2016… but that’s another blog. Note to self.) So what’s a QNX-loving, software-admiring, car aficionado to do when he or she has lost touch and wants to see the latest on the QNX CAR Platform for Infotainment? Video, my friends.

One of the latest additions to our QNX Cam YouTube channel is an update to a video made just over two and a half years ago, in which my colleague, Sheridan Ethier, took viewers on a feature-by-feature walkthrough of the QNX CAR Platform. Now, Sheridan’s back for another tour, so sit back and enjoy a good, old-fashioned catch-up with what’s been going on with our flagship automotive product (with time references, just in case you’re in a bit of a hurry).

Sheridan Ethier hits the road in the QNX reference vehicle based on a modified Jeep Wrangler, running the latest QNX CAR Platform for Infotainment.

We kick things off with a look at one of the most popular elements of an infotainment system — multimedia. Starting around the 01:30 mark, Sheridan shows how the QNX CAR Platform supports a variety of music formats and media sources, from the system’s own multimedia player to a brought-in device. And when your passenger is agitating to switch from the CCR playlist on your MP3 device to Meghan Trainor on her USB music collection, the platform’s fast detection and sync time means you’ll barely miss a head-bob.

The QNX CAR Platform’s native multimedia player — the “juke box” — is just one of many options for enjoying your music.

About five minutes in, we take a look at how the QNX CAR Platform implements voice recognition. Whether you’re seeking out a hot latté, navigating to the nearest airport, or calling a co-worker to say you’ll be a few minutes late, the QNX CAR Platform lets you do what you want to do while doing what you need to do — keeping your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road. Don’t miss a look at concurrency (previously discussed here by Paul Leroux) during this segment, when Sheridan runs the results of his voice commands (multimedia, navigation, and a hands-free call) smoothly at the same time.

Using voice recognition, users can navigate to a destination by address or point of interest description (such as an airport).

At eight minutes, Sheridan tells us about one of the best examples of the flexibility of the QNX CAR Platform — its support for application environments, including native C/C++, Qt, HTML5, and APK for running Android applications. The platform’s audio management capability makes a cameo appearance when Sheridan switches between the native multimedia player and the Pandora HTML5 app.

Pandora is just one of the HTML5 applications supported by the QNX CAR Platform.

As Sheridan tells us (at approximately 12:00), the ability to project smartphone screens and applications into the vehicle is an important trend in automotive. With technologies like MirrorLink, users can access nearly all of the applications available on their smartphone right from the head unit.

Projection technologies like MirrorLink allow automakers to select which applications will be delivered to the vehicle’s head unit from the user’s connected smartphone. 

Finally, we take a look at two interesting features that differentiate the QNX CAR Platform — last mode persistence (e.g. when the song you were listening to when you turned the car off starts up at the same point when you turn the car back on) and fastboot (which, in the case of QNX CAR, can bring your backup camera to life in 0.8 seconds, far less than the NHTSA-mandated 2 seconds). These features work hand-in-hand to ensure a safer, more enjoyable, more responsive driving experience.

Fastboot in 0.8 seconds means that when you’re ready to reverse, your car is ready to show you the way.

Interested in learning more about the QNX CAR Platform for Infotainment? Check out Paul Leroux’s blog on the architecture of this sophisticated piece of software. To see QNX CAR in action, read Tina Jeffrey’s blog, in which she talks about how the platform was implemented in the reimagined QNX reference vehicle for CES 2015.

Check out the video here: