A New Approach to Zonal Architecture
NXP Semiconductors and Taiwanese tech firm Quanta have announced a collaboration to deliver a zonal networking platform tailored for software-defined vehicles (SDVs). The platform combines NXP’s S32 automotive processor family with Quanta’s TrustMotion MotionWise middleware. This combination aims to provide deterministic, real time timing across vehicle hosts and networks, a critical requirement as automakers move away from legacy distributed electronic control unit (ECU) architectures toward centralized zonal designs.
The solution integrates NXP’s S32 zonal controllers with its in-vehicle networking and power management hardware. The MotionWise middleware handles scheduling and communication, while the overall system supports automated topology discovery, schedule generation, and deployment through a continuous integration workflow. The goal is to reduce integration risk and accelerate SDV development programs for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
Impact on Automotive Networking Standards
The platform leverages time sensitive networking running over NXP’s SJA1110 Ethernet switches, with support for CAN and LIN connectivity. This approach targets use cases such as audio over Ethernet, compute up-integration, and real time control loops. Sebastien Clamagirand, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Automotive Systems and Platforms at NXP, emphasized that SDVs require a fundamentally different vehicle architecture, one that delivers deterministic timing across both compute and network at scale. NXP and Quanta indicated that future work will expand the platform’s capabilities to address emerging requirements in connected and autonomous vehicle systems.
Source: Automotiveworld
