At CES, Qualcomm is showing off the incursion of its Snapdragon processor into in-car infotainment systems through a partnership with in-car software developer QNX.
QNX Software Systems makes software platforms for in-car electronics, and Qualcomm, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies, will implement support for Snapdragon Automotive Solutions in the QNX CAR Platform for Infotainment.
This is the first automotive implementation of the complete Snapdragon Automotive Solutions and is being demonstrated in a QNX reference vehicle, a specially modified Jeep Wrangler, at this year’s CES in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Snapdragon Automotive Solutions is, essentially, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 602A processor with support for high-resolution, graphics and HMIs, facial, gesture and voice recognition, high-quality audio processing and image stitching, and multiple HD displays and cameras. There’s also 3G/4G LTE modems and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
In the QNX reference vehicle at CES, the Snapdragon Automotive Solutions is powering a digital instrument cluster and a multimedia head unit based on the QNX CAR Platform for Infotainment; the head unit applications include advanced 3D maps, natural speech recognition, geolocation, over-the-air (OTA) software updates, and cloud-based vehicle data analytics.
Nakul Duggal, Vice President of Product Management for Qualcomm Technologies, says, “With Qualcomm Technologies’ expertise in mobile communications and applications processors, and QNX Software Systems’ broad support for mobile application environments, including Android, OpenGL ES, and HTML5, we can help automotive OEMs implement a rich variety of apps from the mobile space across their model lines — offering their end-customers a revolution in connected infotainment features and experiences.”
QNX Software Systems has licensed its software technology for use in tens of millions of in-vehicle systems worldwide, including 3D navigation systems, multimedia head units, digital instrument clusters, connectivity modules, and hands-free systems.
Check out this awesome QNX video from CES 2014. Doesn’t showcase the Jeep Warngler but it gives you an idea of what the cutting edge in automotive software is all about.
