The most sophisticated and intimate personal electronic platform—ever—is… the car?

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A decade ago this concept might have seemed unlikely. But it’s now an accepted fact in the automotive industry that the car is being transformed into a powerful smart phone that allows drivers to carry around, customize, and interact with their digital world. 

The car is the one place where GPS and navigation systems, smart phones, DVDs, CDs, MP3s, Bluetooth, satellite radio, high-power stereo amps, speakers, voice control, and the Internet all come together and interact with each other. Underscoring the trend toward the connected car, one respected market research company predicts that by 2016, more than 60 million cars will have access to the Internet. (Fewer than 1 million have access today.)

What unifies all of these various electronics products inside a car are native media control systems. Such systems are becoming not only standard features, but according to consumer electronics and auto industry researchers, they’re a chief reason why people select certain cars over others.

This powerful dynamic will only accelerate as more electronics products and features are sped to the market by car companies. The automobile manufacturers now recognize that design cycles must be shortened to reflect more closely the design cycles that modulate the consumer electronics industry. Rather than an afterthought, electronics is now a key differentiator for car buyers.

The Benefits Of Integration

However, a very critical issue has surfaced. Without in-car control systems and voice control, the use of consumer electronics products such as the cell phone interferes negatively with driving safety. Anyone who has placed a call, or even worse, tried to text while driving can testify to the fact that driving and dialing simply don’t mix. So, what can be done to get the car and phone to play well together in a safe way?

The FMS6501 and FMS6502 from Fairchild Semiconductor implement a switch matrix designed for mobile entertainment systems (a). More entertainment systems, such as the mobile DVD with remote, are finding their way into vehicles (b).

Rather than a car and phone (and other electronics) being at odds with each other, the car is transforming into an electronic platform that’s highly integrated, easy to use, and distinct from anything else to date. Furthermore, this alloyed car/consumer environment is quickly cultivating an ecosystem of systems developers who will take the user experience to as yet unimaginable places. 

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