German firm, Ontorix says there is growing demand for its MOST 150 Suite, which is being used to optimize MOST150, INIC 150 and MediaLB applications as the industry adopts the MOST 150 standard.
“We see huge potential in the fiber-optic networking of vehicles and are specialists in this technology. We have been involved in the working groups of the MOST Cooperation for many years and have achieved outstanding expertise in all areas with regards to the MOST bus,” said Peter Ament, CEO of Ontorix GmbH in an earlier interview with Automotive Industries. “This led to the development of our Ontorix MOST 150 Suite and Ontorix Tester products.”
Ontorix consults to the automotive industry, offering advice on how to construct, operate, test and integrate infrastructure for telematics systems. Ontorix also offers a comprehensive suite of Media Oriented System Transport or MOST-based solutions.
Automotive Industries caught up with Peter Ament in 2011 and asked him what innovative features can be found in the new Ontorix Most 150 Suite.
Ament: The Ontorix MOST 150 Suite is a high-performance MOST 150 interface used to make all MOST 150 – respectively INIC 150 (OS81110) – features easily accessible. It is characterized by the soft-core processor NIOS II’s free programmability in C/C++ in the Altera Stratix III FPGA. The programming is performed from the PC by means of an Eclipse-based development environment which communicates with the Ontorix MOST 150 Suite via a USB-adapter.
MOST NetServices can be accessed via ready-to-use drivers and the INIC API can be accessed directly via the Port Message Protocol (PMP). A comprehensive observation of the INIC 150 is possible because all pins of the INIC 150 are connected to the FPGA. The INIC 150 may be operated in all eight-pin configurations. The control of the INIC 150 by means of the FPGA may be performed via I²C as well as via MediaLB 3 pin or MediaLB 6 pin. Thus, the Ontorix MOST 150 Suite is one of the first platforms which utilizes the MediaLB 6 pin.
Apart from the support of all ports of the INIC 150, the platform provides general-purpose I/O-pins as well as 4 HF-connections which are freely connectable. With suitable plug connectors, the platform may be used together with SMSC’s products INIC Explorer or MediaLB Analyzer.
Fitted with an additional PCI bus adapter, the platform may also be integrated into a standard PC. With all these features, the Ontorix MOST 150 Suite is the ideal platform for the evaluation of MOST 150 and the INIC 150 (OS81110).
AI: In what kinds of projects has the new Ontorix MOST 150 Suite been used?
Ament: We have used the Ontorix MOST 150 Suite with numerous and diverse customer projects. A series of verification studies provides our customers with an accurate picture of the different aspects of MOST 150. We have, for example, examined the bandwidths to be expected in the asynchronous channel. In doing so, we determined the maximum data throughput with MOST Data Packets (MDP) as well as with MOST Ethernet Packets (MEP). In a Video-over-MOST project, we were able to prove the reliability of the isochronous data communication at an early stage.
AI: What role does MOST 150 play in comparison with an Ethernet-based communication in the vehicle?
Ament: In new vehicle projects, we have seen an increasing demand for TCP/IP communication. There is a major focus on vehicle diagnosis and software download as well as communication in the field of infotainment and entertainment. Through our studies, we were able to prove that MOST 150 is the ideal transport channel for the TCP/IP communication in the vehicle. Firstly, we achieve higher bandwidths compared to the classic 100 MBit/s Ethernet. Secondly, we do not have any EMC problems on the physical layer of MOST 150 which are caused by the electric cabling of an Ethernet.
AI: What data throughput did you achieve with the MOST Ethernet Protocol (MEP)?
Ament: We intensively examined the data throughput with the MOST Ethernet Protocol. The results have shown that its operation is extremely stable and reliable. Depending on the different system parameters, such as MediaLB, boundary setting and package size, net data rates of more than 107 MBit/s can be achieved. This makes MOST 150 the ideal transport channel for the TCP/IP communication.
Illustration 2 shows the results of the measurements graphically.
AI: How well will the next generation of infotainment systems integrate with the MOST 150 Suite?
Ament: MOST 150, based on the INIC150, is very mature platform, suitable for the next generation of infotainment systems. The INIC 150 is easily programmable via the MOST NetServices as well as directly via the INIC API via PMP-protocol. The new features added to MOST 150 such as higher bandwidth, the MOST Ethernet protocol, QoS and the isochronous communication, meet the current requirements from the system architecture.
AI: Which additional products do you have in the MOST 150 environment?
Ament: Apart from the Ontorix MOST 150 Suite, we have the Ontorix Tester. This tester is particularly suitable for the system integration of MOST 150 systems. Its strength lies in its test automation. Ontorix Tester is characterized by its real-time capability and highly precise time stamps across all supported busses and system interfaces.
The Ontorix Tester is not only ideally suited for observation but also for system stimulation. It is easy to map a variety of stress situations for control units. The Ontorix Tester is also suited for the rapid prototyping of control units or device simulation.
AI: Where do you see the future of MOST 150?
Ament: The first MOST 150 systems are currently in the implementation or trial phase. The new features of MOST 150 allow completely new functionalities and experiences in the field of infotainment. We are sure that MOST 150 will gain even more acceptance in the market than MOST 25. We are looking forward to this, and want to help our customers in the automotive industry to utilize the whole potential of MOST 150.
Sensing the future
