March 2009
Fujitsu Microelectronics has launched MB86298, a new graphics controller System-on-Chip (SoC) for automotive infotainment systems (AIS), such as next-generation car navigation and digital dashboards.
The new controller offers the highest-class graphics capability for embedded systems, as well as an industry first of providing output to up to four displays, and up to four video inputs.
Featuring superior input and output functionality, the MB86298 can process four inputted video streams while outputting video to four displays. The inputted videos can be modified, synthesized together and put on 3D graphics surfaces within a single screen. Subsequently, with four cameras mounted on all sides of the automobile (front, back, left, and right), it is possible to freely choose the desired viewpoint and form for display.
In addition, the controller can display eight layers and inter-layer blends, where each information stream is processed separately so that users can selectively change the information screen to be displayed, as well as being able to synthesize the information streams together smoothly and display them.
In recent years, the amount of electronics in automobiles has continued to rise, providing information and entertainment to the driver and passengers, bringing about increased safety, more comfort and reduced environmental impact to the driving experience: for example, car navigation systems that change with real-time traffic information, video from blind-spot cameras, streaming TV and DVD video to passenger seat displays, and so-called ‘eco-drive’ functions which support low fuel consumption by displaying information of the car’s running condition.
There are increasing needs to simultaneously show several video and image streams to several displays within the automobile, such as showing different images to the driver’s seat and front passenger seat (dual-view LCD displays), and viewing TV and DVDs on the rear seat displays.
At the same time, automotive infotainment systems that capture and display information of the vehicle’s periphery from several cameras mounted on the vehicle have emerged. Subsequently, such automotive systems demand high-performance graphics SoCs that can process in real-time several different images and video streams, and process such large volumes of imaging data at high-speed.
On a single chip, the MB86298 controller not only can realize systems which show navigation images to the driver–while showing TV and videos to the passenger displays–as previously possible, but also process and display the dashboard instrument cluster in 3-D graphics, including meter needles.
Also, for car navigation 3-D mapping, this controller can output to high-resolution 1,600 x 600 pixel displays to bring out rich image detail, not just of the roads, but of surrounding buildings and scenery.
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